Once in awhile in the rap game, an emcee comes along that has enough substance to be one of the great ones. Joseph Budden II from Jersey City, New Jersey has that God given Substance. About 4 years ago Joe Budden came on to the mixtape scene to a lukewarm response. Persistence and dedication allowed Joe to capture the ear of the streets and eventually the ears of the label heads at Def Jam. The result is a 17 song disc that transcends the boundaries of the state of Hip-Hop today.

Joe is a like refreshing dose of cold water on a scorching day. His lyrical dexterity is filled with more substance than more than half of Hip Hop’s, top dogs.

Joe Stands out on every track on the CD so it is rather difficult to pick the best ones for this review but standout cuts include “Walk With Me” Produced by in house Producer White Boy for On Top Entertainment. “Fire” featuring Busta Rhymes is the latest heat to hit the street from Joe and is currently burning up the mixtape and airplay scene. And “Focus” and “Pump It Up” still receive love also. “She Wanna Know” featuring Lil’ Mo is destined to be a released single as is “Ma Ma Ma” featuring 112. Now don’t get it twisted, Joe is no mainstream pop music emcee. “Calm Down” is a great example of the truth selling through songs. His range is so deep that he takes you deep within his addictive mind as well as his addictive behaviors through his music. The ride is heightened with cuts like “10 Mins,” Where Joe spits about just wanting to smoke his cigarette in peace. All he needs is exactly 10 minutes on this track to bring you fully into his life from missing his dad, to not wanting to ever let his mother down in life again.

The joy in this CD is that Joe did it without shiny suits, without a lot of ice and without an over needed amount of featured guests. He did it with love for Hip-Hop and real lyrics and a dedication to himself to succeed at what he knows he’s good at. Now if that’s not inspiration then call me crazy. Jersey City, Hip-Hop and America …stand up and Salute Joey a.k.a. Regular Joe a.k.a. Geyah! He’s destined to be one of the best. 1