New Jersey rapper Joe Budden has never had a problem baring his heart in his songs. And he had no problem opening up before a packed house at the Middle East last Thursday night. Drifting easily among mixtape classics, jock/club anthems, and a handful of deep cuts, Joe Budden had the crowd in the palm of his hand for the entirety of his 75 minute set. Puffing on a cigarette, Budden kicked off the show with “Ventilation,” a joint from his new Mood Muzik 3, which dealt with what would be a recurring theme throughout the evening, his distrust of record labels:
Labels try to label you, don’t fit and they’ll drop you
Finally made a move on somethin I been sore
Sometimes you gotta lose the fight if you tryin to win the war
I’m focused on tomorrow,
Done seein my friends in the rearview thinkin we really closer than we are
Fuck the record label, no relation or correlation
All my admiration turned into aggravation
Having set the tone for the evening, the crowd seemed to hang on Budden’s every word. And he knew how to play the crowd. The ordinarily open-stage setup at the Middle East was obstructed by a three-foot-tall metal barricade. This served only as a minor hindrance to Budden, who hurdled the barricade, making his way into the front row of the crowd. This sent fans scrambling to slap his hands and get as close to him as possible [which certainly did not make things easy for the photographer -jjb]. Stepping back over the railing, he kept the crowd involved with a track from Mood Muzik 2, “Dumb Out.” After asking the crowd to help him out with the lyrics, the newly formed ensemble performed the whole song, stretching for nearly seven minutes. From this reviewer’s perspective in the front row, every person packing the Middle East seemed to know each word he rapped.
Of course, he broke out his major-label hit “Pump It Up” (check out the video here). And even though the song has saturated clubs and sports stadiums for years, it came across fresh and exciting. Budden tore through a number of tracks from Mood Muzik 3, including “5th gear,” “Dear Diary,” “Talk to ‘Em,” and “Hiatus.” “Hiatus” hit especially hard, as he (again) expressed his anger with the music industry. The beat, the lyrics, and the fury in his voice makes this song an incredible live experience:
It takes courage, me verses urges
Words split and got caught up in label merges
And what’s worse is
I’ve been deserted in the circus
Up and left the circuit
It’s dead like hearses
Budden countered his upbeat and aggressive tracks by closing with several emotional songs. Stepping back into the crowd, he asked for a moment of silence for his fallen friend Stack Bundles. Before he started performing “Send him our love,” his tribute to Stack, he requested that all of the lights in the room be shut off. After asking several times, and receiving no response, Budden asked the obvious question: “Who do I have to sleep with to get the lights in this place shut off?” The crowd erupted in laughter at this remark, but soon quieted when the lights were shut off and Budden instructed the crowd to light the room by holding up lighters and cell phones while he performed. Hundreds of lighters and cell phones were held in the air, setting a somber mood for this heartfelt piece.
The cell phones and lighters continued to light the place as Budden finished the night with “All of Me,” where Budden raps about a friend who died of a brain tumor, his fall-out with former collaborator Ransom, and an on again and off again relationship. As soon as the beat dropped, fans went absolutely crazy. Once again, fans and Budden rapped the whole song together.
The lights came back up, but the mood remained. Fans did not want to believe it was over. But after Joe Budden said good night, many were likely mentally preparing for the next time he made his way up from New Jersey.
[Ed: Big thanks to Leedz Edutainment for not only getting us into the show, but for putting it on!]
Kelli Shaefer’s songs get stuck in my head non-stop. Every other day I find myself waking up with one in there. And that’s a good thing, she’s a talent!
by Siri on Thu Mar 11, 2010 at 04.37 pm from the entry: Artist Profile - Kelli Schaefer (Portland, OR; Winter, 2010)
Probably johnston has wrote a excellent article for the readers and are excellent photographs and thanks for sharing your thoughts
by fake tattoo on Wed Mar 10, 2010 at 10.03 pm from the entry: The Reverend Horton Heat + Nekromantix – Wonder Ballroom (Portland, OR; Jul. 9, 2009)
ha, yes! the photogs in the front row were drooling throughout the entire set…
by chris on Wed Mar 10, 2010 at 01.05 pm from the entry: Washed Out + Small Black - Mercury Lounge (New York, NY; Mar. 7, 2010)
nice pics Chris. Don’t you love it when the artist brings some cool light. It’s a bunch of low hanging fruit after that.
by colin on Wed Mar 10, 2010 at 12.53 pm from the entry: Washed Out + Small Black - Mercury Lounge (New York, NY; Mar. 7, 2010)
WOMP WOMP WOMP WOMP WOMP
by BASSHEAD on Tue Mar 9, 2010 at 04.02 pm from the entry: Ginuwine's "Pony" Deconstructed Through Dubstep (Remix)
James,
E-mail me: info@jaredfroiland.com
Thanks!
by Jared Froiland on Tue Mar 9, 2010 at 12.37 am from the entry: State Radio - Showbox (Seattle, WA; Jan.19, 2010)
Check out a sick interview back\slash Magazine did with LMFAO about how they blew up in a down economy, the struggles of entrepreneurship, and getting high.
Here is the link: http://www.backslashonline.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=317:lmfao-entrepreneurship-interview&Itemid=56
by Mike McComack on Mon Mar 8, 2010 at 10.24 pm from the entry: Photo Feature! Black Eyed Peas + Ludacris + LMFAO - TD BankNorth Garden (Boston, MA; Feb. 26, 2010)
