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Joe Budden - New Jersey Net-Working Pt.2
Interview by: Mike Ivey Jr.
 Nobodysmiling.com : Can you give me a gage of how well ‘MM3’ is moving on the Amalgam Digital website? I mean, it’s bootlegged heavily and I know that’s what it’s for-to be heard-but are people logging on and buying it?
Joe Budden : Hopefully, lol.
Nobodysmiling.com : Lol. You mean you don’t know? C’mon.
Joe Budden : I wouldn’t be able to gage that; no, I wouldn’t be able to gage that at all.
Nobodysmiling.com : OK.
Joe Budden : I would say that, as of right this second-as of right this second it’s done exactly what I predictd it would do. Now when it goes on sale-when it’s released on February 26- I’m not sure; hopefully it’ll do great. The important part for me in that is-the important part for me in that is some of the people who may not have had access to ‘MM3’ when I released it-me and On Point-will be able to purchase it on Amalgam and get they hands on some great material-a great body of work. And that’s my concern. As far as what it sells, that’s Amalgam’s concern.
 Nobodysmiling.com : I got you. Joe, how far into ‘Padded Room’ are you?
Joe Budden : We’re about half way done.
Nobodysmiling.com : Producers-are we looking at more stuff with The Klasix?
Joe Budden : Yep.
Nobodysmiling.com : The whole album?
Joe Budden : Not the whole thing. I mean, even when I sought out to do a full length project-with them doing the majority of the work-I always end up bumping into a beat or two by another producer which I just end up loving to death. So they won’t do the whole thing in its’ entirety but they will do the majority of it-maybe about 85-90 %. Those are my guys; I believe in them and they make great music.
Nobodysmiling.com : Indeed. Do you ever speak with other artists about label/promotion situations-you being independent now and possibly signed to another major in the
near future?
Joe Budden : Aaah, no. no. I speak to one person about labels and their inner workings and that would be Fab.
Nobodysmiling.com : Why?
Joe Budden : Just because me and him…he’s always kinda been or acted as a mentor to me since 2000-2001 before anybody even knew who he was. We always kinda traveled together as far as learning the ropes and inner working. But as far as these other guys: no-not at all. I don’t need to speak to artists about what’s going on at labels; majority of time they don’t even know. I have great relationships with people at the labels-that work at the labels-from the runners, the go-fors, to the head A&R, to the head of street team; I have my own relationships, so I wouldn’t talk to the artists.
Nobodysmiling.com : Which label do you have the best relationship with?
Joe Budden : I got people at every one of these labels.
Nobodysmiling.com : Lol.
Joe Budden : Every one.
Nobodysmiling.com : Oh really? every single one?
Joe Budden : Yeah. They tell me relationships are extremely important in this business so-
Nobodysmiling.com : Indeed.
Joe Budden : I’m fortunate enough to have a few of them.
Nobodysmiling.com : You rap about current events. What do you think about Roger Clemens and the amount of time and money the government is spending on investigating pro sports corruption?
Joe Budden : I think it’s a bunch of BS. Baseball is funny man. Baseball is extremely funny. I love baseball, and I’m a Yankees fan-love Roger Clemens, love Petite. They knew what was going on; they knew what was going on when Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds and all them was hitting all these millions of home runs; they knew exactly what was happening. I mean, they really didn’t care to do anything about it because all this great publicity was being put in the sport. But now-2007-2008-we wanna try and hang somebody or act like we’re doing something to get rid of corruption or drugs in baseball-when y’all are partly responsible? It’s amazing.
Nobodysmiling.com : David Stern and the NBA have avoided a lot of heat even though the Tim Doughnahy gambling thing was so public.
Joe Budden : I mean, I think they did a good job actually. I thought that that would hover over…I thought it would cast a shadow over the majority of the season.
Nobodysmiling.com : Me too.
Joe Budden : Shockingly enough, you don’t really. if anybody should be upset about that, it should be the Phoenix Suns; I’m almost sure that they woulda won the championship last year.
Nobodysmiling.com : I got a feeling you’re right.
Joe Budden : I could give two craps about Tim Dounahy or any of that other crap; my team is the Knicks, we suck.
Nobodysmiling.com : Definitely suck, lol.
Joe Budden : I can’t really have a valued interest like I would like to.
Nobodysmiling.com : Do you have any interest in getting involved with the NBA-writing songs or even business wise?
Joe Budden : I’ve written a few- I’ve written a few records for certain teams.
Nobodysmiling.com : Really?
Joe Budden : But they don’t pay so I’m not giving the record up. I’m not giving up records for teams that don’t pay at all; no residuals, no nothing? I’m just giving it to you? No, I’m not gonna do that.
Nobodysmiling.com : Who’d you write a record for?
Joe Budden : I’m not telling, a few. I’ve been doing that for years.
Nobodysmiling.com : Really?
Joe Budden : Yeah, I’ve been doing that for years. But if it’s not beneficial for both parties then that’s not gonna happen. I got a lot of basketball player friends- a lot of football player friends; we just chop it up and talk sports; hopefully one day I’ll be able to actually be in the business of; my love for the games are impeccable and out of this world, but as of right this second, no. We gotta focus on music: making music, releasing music, selling records-that’s where we at right now.
Nobodysmiling.com : I can dig it. Do you ghostwrite?
Joe Budden : Yep! More than anybody would imagine.
Nobodysmiling.com : Stuff we might hear on the radio?
Joe Budden : Stuff you’ve heard on the radio. And that’s as far as I’ll go speaking about that.
Nobodysmiling.com : Joe, in ’06 when we spoke at Fur Nite Club in DC, you said your son was rapping a little. Is he still going in?
Joe Budden : Yep. He’s still-he’s confused now; now he’s dancing and singing, doing all types of things, but, I mean, the important part is that he’s into music just like his father is so…I don’t know what he’ll end up doing but it’ll be something in music.
Nobodysmiling.com : Want to say anything to the Nobodysmiling.com faithfully before we wrap up?
Joe Budden : Nobodysmiling, lol. I don’t know man. ‘Mood Muzik 3’ on Amalgam Digital, February 26; ‘Padded Room’ on Amalgam Digital coming in May. And shortly after that, a album coming somewhere. So we looking to have a big year. I wanna thank everybody for the love and the support and the patience. and shout out to everybody reading. Shout out to you Mike; hopefully the Knicks will get better by the next time we speak.
Nobodysmiling.com : Possibly, lol.
Joe Budden : And that’s about it.
Nobodysmiling.com : Yes sir. I appreciate your time.
Joe Budden : No problem.
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