Overall Rating:

4 out of 5

Finally., February 28, 2009
By J.rosa

"The sophomore LP is finally here. And for hip hop fans, well, it doesn't seem disappoint. While padded room isn't filled with the type of club and street bangers that laced his self titled debut, it's filled with something more and with what we've come to know and love from jump off Joe.

Hard hitting lyrics, intertwined with unparalleled story telling and brutal honesty keeps the album fresh as you enter into the mind of Joe Budden. From the up-tempo intro track "Now I lay" to the darker, thought provoking, back and forth exchange with god in "Pray for me" in which Joey raps: "Now there’s been times in my life where I needed help to make money, but why everything I love you manage to take from me/ still you stand here and question a ni**a that tries hard to find a way when you keep dealing them fu**ed up cards/ You make mistakes like me, far as I can see, I think it's a mockery whenever rich ni**as win the lottery" listeners are to surely be impressed and taken on a bit of roller coaster ride that they will definitely enjoy.

The album touches on many situations in Joe's life including abortion, thoughts of suicide and cases of infidelity, all issues that he has made noteworthy in his lyrics in his critically acclaimed "Mood Muzik" Mixtape series. Aside from the issues above there is a bit of lighter side to album sprinkled throughout. The lead single "the future" featuring west coast's own The Game (Game is also the only guest rapper on the album) is an R&B chorus induced club track in which Joey is a bit less introspective but still controls the song with his easy, laid back flow and witty lyrics. Padded room also takes a brief stop in battle-land as Joe takes his swings at the human punching bag formerly known as Prodigy from Mobb Deep. In "blood on the wall" he unleashes a deadly verbal assault on the Mobb Deep veteran, with an underlying warning shot for the industry, showing he still has it.

Although a very good album, like anything in life, it does have its flaws. Tracks like "happy Holidays" "Adrenaline" and "If I gotta go" seem extremely out of place and more like Mixtape leftovers used to fill up the disc and could have surely been replaced with something a bit better. Production on the album is a bit hit or miss to say the least with some of the misses being the aforementioned "happy holidays", "adrenaline" and If I gotta go" but they were definitely compensated for with hits like "blood on the wall" "pray for me" "now I lay" and the melodic "exxxes", "I couldn't help it" and "in my sleep."

With precise control and ease, Mr. On Top, still only 28, shows that he has what it takes to still be in the conversation when you talk about hip hop's top emcees. After such a long lay off between albums 1 and 2 artists usually regress in skill and creativity but with the help of his Mixtape series, loyal fans, and persistence Joey once again brings the heat in the current climate of hip hop.

Production on the album features: Blastah Beatz, The Klasix, and dub b."

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