Halfway House (album)

Halfway House
Mixtape by Joe Budden
Released October 28, 2008 (2008-10-28)
Genre Hip hop
Length 48:03
Label Amalgam Digital
Producer Pro Logic, Mizfit Soundz, Blastah Beatz, Rodney Hazard, Scram Jones, Evo (Beats Ink), Cardiak, VTZ, The Klasix, Malay
Joe Budden chronology
Mood Muzik 3: The Album
(2008)Mood Muzik 3: The Album2008		 Halfway House
(2008)		 Padded Room
(2009)Padded Room2009
Singles from Halfway House
  1. "Touch & Go"
    Released: April 1, 2008

Halfway House is a retail mixtape by American rapper Joe Budden, released on October 28, 2008 exclusively in digital format through Amalgam Digital.[1] Halfway House was released when Joe Budden's second studio album, Padded Room, has been pushed back.[2][3] Its release marked Joe Budden's first return to the Billboard 200 in five years, and approximately 3,000 downloads were sold in its first week of release.[4][5] The album is notable for featuring the first collaboration between the four members of Slaughterhouse on the track, "Slaughterhouse."

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllHipHop7/10[6]
DJBooth.net[7]
Punknews.org[8]
The Smoking Section[9]

Upon its release, Halfway House was met with generally favorable reviews from music critics. AllHipHop's Greg Watkins gave the album a seven out of ten, saying "While Halfway House takes a slight dip from the high standards set forth by the Mood [Muzik] series, it is still a respectable effort. Joe Budden proves that he is still one of the game’s best kept secrets regardless of a release date."[6] Nathan S. of DJBooth.net gave the album a four out of five, saying "Joe Budden is to album delays what Snoop is to weed smoking – just about everyone does it now and again, but not like these guys. These delays seemingly stem from Budden's refusal to put out an inferior product, which is what makes him so good, but that kind of perfectionism can be paralyzing. Let's just hope the next time we hear from Budden it will be because he released Padded Room, not ended up in one."[7]

TC of The Smoking Section gave the album a 3.5 out of five, saying "Much to Budden's credit, Halfway House serves as one his more focused offerings, allowing more room for song structure opposed to the long-winded diatribes he's made his forte. Still with yet another album completed stuffed with mood music, and one named Padded Room looming on the horizon, the prognosis for the removal of the straitjacket that allows him to be Joe Budden while simultaneously restraining his artistic growth, is still to be determined."[9] Punknews.org reviewer, Anchors, gave the album five stars out of five, saying "That never-quit attitude has been Budden's trademark for years, and it makes him somewhat of an anomaly in 2008. There's no niche for that kind of approach. He's too intelligent for the gangsta-rap tag and too gangsta for the backrap-rap title. He's an East Coast rapper with Tupac's West Coast introspection. He's a Jersey City rapper with Biggie's Brooklyn storytelling."[8]

Track listing

No.TitleProducer(s)Length
1."Intro"Pro Logic1:49
2."On My Grind"Mizfitz Soundz4:17
3."Overkill" (featuring Heartbreak)Blastah Beatz3:02
4."Check Me Out"Mizfitz Soundz3:40
5."Sidetracked"Rodney Hazard3:48
6."Slaughterhouse" (featuring Joell Ortiz, Nino Bless, Crooked I & Royce da 5'9")Scram Jones7:02
7."Under the Sun"Evo (Beats Ink)4:33
8."The Soul"Cardiak4:09
9."Anything Goes"Mizfitz Soundz3:57
10."Go to Hell"Blastah Beatz3:46
11."Just to Be Different"VTZ4:20
12."Touch & Go"The Klasix3:40
Total length:48:03
Notes
Sample credits

Chart positions

Chart (2008) Provider Peak
position
US Billboard 200 Billboard 184[10]
US Top Digital Albums 184[11]
US Top Independent Albums 25[12]

References

  1. ↑ "iTunes - Music - Halfway House by Joe Budden". iTunes. Retrieved 14 Nov 2013.
  2. ↑ "Joe Budden sophomore LP, Padded Room, pushed back until 2-24-09, Amalgam Digital and Joe Budden to release all new digital album only, the Halfway House in its place". MVRemix.com. 17 Sep 2008. Retrieved 14 Nov 2013.
  3. ↑ "ILLROOTS | 'Padded Room' Pushed Back". ILLROOTS.com. 16 Sep 2008. Retrieved 14 Nov 2013.
  4. ↑ Paine, Jake (5 Nov 2008). "Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 11/2/08". HipHopDX. Retrieved 14 Nov 2013.
  5. ↑ http://www.billboard.com/artist/304797/joe+budden/chart
  6. 1 2 Watkins, Greg (28 Oct 2008). "Joe Budden: Halfway House (Digital Album Review)". AllHipHop. Retrieved 14 Nov 2013.
  7. 1 2 S., Nathan. "Joe Budden - Halfway House - Stream & Read Album Review". DJBooth.net. Retrieved 10 Dec 2008.
  8. 1 2 Anchors (14 Nov 2008). "Joe Budden - Halfway House | Punknews.org". Punknews.org. Retrieved 14 Nov 2013.
  9. 1 2 TC (11 Nov 2008). "'Overkill' - Review Of Joe Budden's Halfway House | The Smoking Section". The Smoking Section. Retrieved 25 Dec 2008.
  10. ↑ "Joe Budden - Chart history | Billboard 200". Billboard.com. Retrieved 14 Nov 2013.
  11. ↑ "Joe Budden - Chart history | Digital Albums". Billboard.com. Retrieved 14 Nov 2013.
  12. ↑ "Joe Budden - Chart history | Independent Albums". Billboard.com. Retrieved 14 Nov 2013.
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