He first gained recognition in the latter occupation with his 2003 single "Pump It Up", which peaked within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 and preceded the release of his eponymous debut studio album (2003).

While doing so, he performed as a member of the hip hop supergroup Slaughterhouse, which were signed to Eminem's Shady Records in 2012; the group released two studio albums.

Three years prior, he began hosting The Joe Budden Podcast, which was received positively and ran for 700 episodes.

In 2017, he had a much-publicized run as a co-host (alongside DJ Akademiks) for Complex magazine's web show Everyday Struggle.

[9][10] Budden was a troubled youth[11] and sent to Laurinburg Institute, a boarding school in North Carolina, where he began to hone his skills as a rapper.

[12][5] After an emotional confrontation with his mother, Budden voluntarily went into rehab on July 3, 1997, in exchange for him being allowed to attend his senior prom.

In 2001, he teamed up with producer Dub-B, also known as White Boy, and began releasing his first mixtapes and demos, one of which ended up in the hands of Hot 97 radio host and Desert Storm Records label head DJ Clue.

[18] The song was also featured on soundtracks for the hit films 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003) and You Got Served (2004), as well as the video game Madden NFL 2004.

Its second single, "Fire (Yes, Yes Y'all)", featuring guest vocals by American rapper Busta Rhymes,[22] peaked at No.

[14] Budden made a remix featuring Paul Cain and Fabolous, which appeared on the latter's mixtape, titled More Street Dreams, Pt.

Originally scheduled for a June 21, 2005 release, The Growth suffered continuous delays, due to disagreements between Joe and Def Jam executives over the direction of the album.

[citation needed] On May 25, 2005, Joe released "Gangsta Party" featuring Nate Dogg as the album's first single.

Although it sold poorly, the album received universal acclaim from critics, who praised Budden's willingness to discuss personal issues.

[41][42] However, Royce da 5'9" confirmed talks between the group and Eminem's Shady Records,[43][44] and felt their second album should be released on a major label.

96 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking Budden's first appearance on the chart in nearly ten years since his debut single "Pump It Up".

On October 16, 2015, Budden released his seventh studio album, All Love Lost, to universal acclaim from critics.

[56] On July 2, 2016, Budden released a diss track, "Making A Murderer Part I", primarily aimed at Canadian rapper Drake, although he also takes shots at Meek Mill in the song.

On October 21, 2016, Budden released his eighth and final solo album, Rage & The Machine, produced entirely by AraabMUZIK.

[58] On April 17, 2017, Budden began co-hosting Everyday Struggle, a daily morning show for Complex, with DJ Akademiks and Nadeska Alexis.

[62] On May 14, 2018, Budden announced a partnership with Sean Combs and his media company Revolt, creating and producing the talk show State of the Culture, which premiered on September 10, 2018.

[65] In August 2018, Budden signed a deal to bring his podcast to Spotify and expand the show to a bi-weekly schedule, with new episodes every Wednesday and Saturday.

[66] On August 27, 2020, Budden announced he was leaving Spotify at the end of his contract over a financial disagreement with the streaming service.

On February 3, 2021, Budden announced that he was no longer with Spotify and is bringing exclusive content from his podcast to crowdfunding service Patreon.

In 2010, a warrant for Budden was issued by the Hudson County, New Jersey Sheriff's Office for unpaid child support.

[74] On March 30, 2012, Budden spent a night in jail and missed a Slaughterhouse concert in his hometown over a $75 parking ticket.

He first notably did so during an interview with Lil Yachty on Everyday Struggle, where he criticized the artist directly regarding his approach to music.