[4] At the time, while he was still signed to Def Jam, Joe Budden intended to release a second album, titled The Growth.

Joe Budden commented on his disagreements with his former label, saying, "The relationship went sour over the years, not something that just happened spontaneously or instantly.

"[5] Once Padded Room was released, Joe Budden hoped there wouldn't be another long wait before his third studio album.

[1][6] Halfway House is the first digital-only hip hop release employing both traditional marketing methods (commercial radio, video, advertising campaigns, etc.)

The album's production was handled by Blastah Beatz, Fyu-chur, MoSS, Dub B, Versatile, Qwan, Dilemma and The Klasix.

[15] Jesal 'Jay Soul' Padania of RapReviews gave the album a 7.5 out of ten, saying "Therefore, whoever had the final say-so on the beat selection is the main culprit for the failings on the album - if it was Joe Budden himself, then more shame him, because he also turns in a superb lyrical performance that rap fans will appreciate as one of the most interesting efforts in recent hip hop history.

"[24] Evan Rytlewski of Prefix Magazine gave the album a seven out of ten, saying "On his 2003 debut, he was arrogant and scattered, too often losing his train of thought and reaching for throwaway puns.

"[23] PopMatters's Andrew Martin gave the album a seven out of ten, saying "Padded Room is still a solid, well-crafted effort.

"[22] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times noted "while Joe Budden is enamored of his rhymes, which are taut, intricate and structurally varied, he raps in a scraped-up monotone, a technician first and stylist second.

"[16] Andres Vasquez of HipHopDX gave the album a 3.5 out of five, saying "Joe Budden has released a candid and thought provoking piece of work.

Even with miscues on board, it's still the album mainstream rappers attempt to make on paper, and the kind of writing that many independents can't seem to keep up with.

"[19] IGN reviewer, Alfred H. Leonard, III, gave the album an 8.2 out of ten, stating "Joe's talent is undeniable as he effortlessly paints vivid pictures of his life and allows his audience to see a real person rather than a faux rap persona."

Jason Reynolds of Okayplayer gave the album 84 out of a 100, saying "Like most of Joe Budden's work, Padded Room, is sad.

"[18] DJBooth reviewer, Nathan S., gave the album four "spins" out of five, saying "In the end, if Budden belongs in a padded room it's because he's self-destructively focused on making music that matters, and if that's crazy, I don't want to be sane.

"[17] Damien Scoot of XXL gave the album an "XL", saying "Lyrically, Joe crafts a masterpiece, opening the door to the mind of a disturbed yet misunderstood soul.