Joe Budden

August 31, 2024

Fast Facts
Background
Career Timeline
Why We Love
Surprising Facts
FAQs

Joseph Anthony Budden II, better known as Joe Budden, was born on August 31, 1980. He rose to fame as a rapper in 2003 thanks to his smash hit ‘Pump It Up’ and his affiliation with the hip hop crew Slaughterhouse, which also included Royce da 5’9″, Joell Ortiz, and Crooked I. He declared his musical retirement in 2018 and entered the world of broadcasting. Television viewers will recognize him from his co-starring role on the V.H.1 reality series “Love & Hip Hop: New York.” Along with Jamil Clay, Rory Farrell, and Parks Vallely, he co-hosts the biweekly “The Joe Budden Podcast,” which is distributed on Spotify and YouTube. Celebrate his special day with us.

Fast Facts

Full Name:

Joseph Anthony Budden II

Birth date:

August 31, 1980

Age:

Zodiac Sign:

Virgo

Height:

6' 0"

Relationship Status:

In a relationship

Net Worth:

$6 million

Background

Joseph Anthony Budden II, better known as Joe Budden was born In West Side Harlem, New York, on August 31, 1980, to Joseph Budden and Fay Southerland. Budden is a famous rapper and former member of the hip-hop group Slaughterhouse. After releasing five albums since the beginning of his career, he has also attracted significant notice and achieved success as a solo artist. Before his musical retirement in 2018, he also contributed to several additional mixtapes, songs, and collaborations with other musicians as a featured artist in other works. He was never really interested in school as a child, and as a result, he left school early. He began doing drugs after dropping out of school, and his mother brought him to treatment in 1997 out of worry for his welfare.

In 2003, Budden issued his debut solo album, named “Joe Budden.” Several solos and collaborative albums, such as “No Love Lost,” “All Love Lost,” “Halfway House,” “Rage and The Machine,” “Escape Route,” “Padded Room,” “Slaughterhouse,” and many others, have also been released by him. On their respective mixtapes, Budden has worked with several other musicians, including Cutmaster C, D.J. Clue, and D.J. Kayslay. His most well-known tracks include ‘Pump It Up,’ ‘In My Sleep,’ ‘Fire,’ ‘Start Inside of Me,’ and ‘She Don’t Put it Down.’ Additionally, he has appeared in three documentaries and the television show “Love and Hip-Hop: New York.”

He may have left hip-hop as an artist, but he is still very much in the game as a broadcaster and often delves into interesting topics via his “The Joe Budden Podcast.” He also co-hosted the “Complex’s Everyday Struggle,” where he once openly discussed his mental health issues and struggles with depression before leaving the show in January 2018 amid controversy.

Budden has two children; one is from his publicized relationship with Cyn Santana, to who he was also engaged. The 40-year-old rapper turned broadcast powerhouse has had several run-ins with the law and has had warrants of arrest issued against him for not paying child support and traffic fines.

Career timeline

2003

His Music Breakthrough

Budden makes his breakthrough in music through his self-titled debut album.

2008

He Joins Slaughterhouse

Budden, Ortiz, Kxng Crooked, and Royce da 5'9" all come together and form the hip-hop group Slaughterhouse.

2009

The Group’s First Studio Album

They release their first studio album as a group, “Slaughterhouse.”

2012

Their Second Studio Album

Slaughterhouse releases its second studio album, “Welcome to Our House,” under Shady and Interscope Records.

2013

“Love & Hip Hop”

Budden joins the cast of “Love & Hip Hop: New York.”

2015

A Podcast Adventure

Budden begins releasing a weekly podcast with Farrell and Mendez, known as “'I'll Name This Podcast Later.”

2017

A Broadcasting Career

Budden begins co-hosting “Everyday Struggle,” a daily morning show for Complex, with D.J Akademiks and Nadeska Alexis.

2018

His Retirement from Music

During the summer, “The Joe Budden Podcast” signs a deal with Spotify and begins touring, with live performances throughout the United States; during this time, Budden also officially announces his retirement from rapping.

Why We Love Joe Budden

He is one of the most gifted lyricists
Budden is renowned for his introspective and frequently insecure lyrics. He is regarded as one of hip hop's most talented lyricists, in large part because of the countless songs he has contributed to mixtapes by D.J.s like D.J. Clue, Clinton Sparks, and D.J. On Point, and D.J. Envy.
His beliefs
Budden believes in an adage: "The pen is mightier than the sword." Budden, as ancient as it may sound, regards himself as a unique element of the journalistic movement. He does not see himself in conflict with journalists or media figures, but rather the contrary. It is the diversity of thoughts and opinions that will transform the culture and solve the problems, not joining some echo chamber where everyone is listening to the same voice.
He harnessed the energy of conflict
Budden is a multidimensional, diverse personality who has used conflict energy to create a well-liked podcast format. He has gained experience in maximizing his musical and entertainment abilities. He describes himself as always having been a self-starter and began as a rap artist. One of the first to enter the independent recording industry, he later turned the enthusiasm of the E.S.P.N show “First Take” on cable television into a daily podcast.

5 Surprising Facts

He’s had public beef
Budden is no stranger to conflict and has, over the years, had clashes with former fellow rappers 50 Cent, Jay-Z, Prodigy, and The Game, amongst others.
He prefers intimate settings
Budden has never had the type of personality that longs for huge crowds or throngs of people following him.
He overcame a drug addiction
Budden has acknowledged that he has had to battle with addiction for years, although he did relapse in the summer of 2012.
He is a father of two
Budden is the father of two boys, Trey and Lexington Budden.
He is secretly dating
Budden is reportedly dating Shadee Monique.