| Padded Room | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by Joe Budden | ||||||||||
| Released | February 24, 2009[1] | |||||||||
| Recorded | 2008 | |||||||||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||||||||
| Length | 64:29 | |||||||||
| Label | Amalgam Digital | |||||||||
| Producer | The Klasix, Blastah Beatz, Dub B, Versatile, Dilemma, MoSS, Kid Source, Fyu-chur, Qwan | |||||||||
| Professional reviews | ||||||||||
| Joe Budden chronology | ||||||||||
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Padded Room is Joe Budden's official second album, the follow-up to 2003's Joe Budden. The album was released in both CD and digital format on February 24, 2009.[2] In addition, Joe Budden and Amalgam are offering two bonus tracks for fans purchasing the digital version.[3]
Contents |
[4] In 2008, Joe Budden confirmed that the album is completed. It is basically in the same vein as Mood Muzik but with a little more structure and the mood will probably be a little lighter.
At the time he was signed to Def Jam, the rapper had intended to release a second album called The Growth. But it was scuttled by a deteriorating relationship with Def Jam, and a rumored feud with Jay-Z. He said:
The relationship went sour over the years, not something that just happened spontaneously or instantly. It was kind of a developing process.
But he does acknowledge that Def Jam's changing of the guard in 2004, after his debut's release, was not good for his career. He explained that the people that signed him to Def Jam and had so much faith in him and believed in him weren't the ones who were in charge anymore. If the people who are running Def Jam now were in charge in 2002-2003, he doubt that he ever would have been signed to a deal.
Once Padded Room is released, Joe Budden hopes that there won't be another long wait for his third album. He notes:
I'm in the studio every single day, vibing and coming up with ideas. There's always music around to put out, so you'll hear more from me sooner than later, I hope.
Amalgam partnered with Ustream to broadcast Joe Budden studio session live on Thursday, August 21, 2008. The fans had the opportunity to chat with Joe Budden before watching the rapper live in studio as he puts the finishing touches on his album. In the studio session he finished "Exxxes" and "Happy Holidays".[5][6]
Due to complications with the physical product, Padded Room was pushed back from October 28, 2008 to February 24, 2009. Until then, Joe Budden and Amalgam Digital decided to release Halfway House, a digital-only album featuring 14 brand new songs, on October 28 as a prequel to the album.[2][7] This is the first digital-only hip-hop release employing both traditional marketing methods (commercial radio, video, advertising campaigns, etc.) and new media viral marketing initiatives.[2] The album was released exclusively in digital format.
Joe Budden said:
Though I’m not happy about it being pushed so far back, I do understand the method behind the madness. We've got an album that I’m extremely proud of and a lead single that Amalgam Digital and I are both very happy with, but for those of you who are just as anxious as I am, I apologize.[2]
Padded Room debuted at #5 on the Top Rap Albums Chart, with 13,451 copies sold in the first week of release. Initial critical response to Padded Room was positive. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received a score of 73, based on 4 reviews.[8]
| # | Title | Producer(s) | Featured Guest(s) | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Now I Lay" | Blastah Beatz | 3:23 | |
| 2 | "The Future" | Fyu-chur | The Game, Dominic | 3:46 |
| 3 | "If I Gotta Go" | The Klasix | 5:40 | |
| 4 | "Don't Make Me" | Blastah Beatz | 3:30 | |
| 5 | "Blood on the Wall" | MoSS | 4:00 | |
| 6 | "In My Sleep" | The Klasix | 4:19 | |
| 7 | "Exxxes" | The Klasix | 6:05 | |
| 8 | "I Couldn't Help It" | The Klasix | Emanny | 6:05 |
| 9 | "Adrenaline" | Dub B | Drew Hudson, Junkyard Gang | 4:42 |
| 10 | "Happy Holidays" | Qwan | Emanny | 3:56 |
| 11 | "Do Tell" | Blastah Beatz | 3:50 | |
| 12 | "Angel in My Life" | Blastah Beatz | 3:32 | |
| 13 | "Pray for Me" | Versatile & Dilemma | 5:01 | |
| 14 | "Family Reunion REMIX" (BONUS TRACK) (Amalgam Digital Bonus Track) | Fabolous, Ransom & Hitchcock | 5:50 | |
| 15 | "All Of Me Reprise" (BONUS TRACK) (Amalgam Digital Bonus Track) | The Klasix | Emanny | 8:27 |
| Chart | Provider | Peak position |
This week position |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 | Billboard | 42[9] | 42 |
| U.S. Top Hip-Hop/R&B Albums | 21[10] | 21 | |
| U.S. Top Rap Albums | 6[11] | 6 | |
| U.S. Top Independent Albums | 2[12] | 2 | |
| U.S. Top Digital Albums | 12[13] | 12 |
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