What's the one, most important thing that distinguishes one artist from another? Some would say it's their style, their personality, or their looks, but according to Joe Budden, Def Jam's latest hip hop star, "it's all down to the music." If you've heard any of Joe's tracks, then you will know that this is definitely true of him. His official debut single, the Just Blaze produced 'Pump It Up', is already rocking the radio waves on both sides of the Atlantic, and it's one of those tracks that once you hear it, you instantly become hooked. If you are a real hip hop fan, his name should sound familiar, as he had been on the mixtape circuit for about three years prior to his first Def Jam release.

Born in Spanish Harlem, and moving to Queens, before settling in New Jersey when he was twelve, Joe had music in his veins. With his father being a multi-instrumentalist, rapper, and singer, Joe would listen intensively to his father's music, along with that of hip hop greats such as Run DMC, Rakim, LL Cool J, Big Daddy Kane, Biggie and 2Pac. Learning how to play the piano by ear, it was only a matter of time before he picked up a mic himself, and began to rhyme like his childhood idols. After a teenage battle with drug addiction, Joe, 22, who has now been clean for six years, recruited producer Dub-B, to help him make his demo. In December 2000, it ended up in the hands of DJ Clue, and he soon became a frequent fixture on mixtapes, including appearances on compilations by DJ Kay Slay and Cutmaster Cee. The production company he was signed to, On Top, contacted people at Def Jam, and Joe was eventually offered a record deal with the label.

Although now one of Def Jam's most promising new acts, Joe can't help but be eternally grateful to the exposure the mixtapes gave him in his early days as a rapper. "Mixtapes are extremely important, especially for New York or North East artists. They allow you to be creative, to get feedback and criticism, but most of all, it gets your name out there. I would say about 90-100% of my success was down to the mixtapes." Giving advice to other rappers trying to follow in his footsteps, he simply said, "Practice. Be open minded, and take criticism. You gotta be patient, and creative."

	"Mixtapes are extremely important, especially for New York or North East artists. They allow you to be creative, to get feedback and criticism, but most of all, it gets your name out there. I would say about 90-100% of my success was down to the mixtapes."
	Joe Budden

Joe's freestyle with Fabolous and Paul Cain, 'Now That's Grindin', over the original Clipse track, caused a stir in the underground, but it was only when the club hit 'Focus' dropped, together with the LL Cool J remix, that people really started to listen to him. "LL was one of the people who influenced me, so it was a great honour to work with him," Joe said. Joe was also heard on a bonus track featured on Kelly Rowland's solo effort, 'Simply Deep'. "The song 'Make You Wanna Stay', came about after my manager pulled a couple of strings for me. I thank her, because for an artist as big as she is, to be open enough to work with an artist as new as myself, is crazy, so I definitely commend her, even though I haven't met her to this day!"

Despite working with various artists on freestyles and remixes, his debut album, 'Walk With Me', features only a couple of collaborations, one with Lil' Mo, and another with 112. If he could do a collaboration with any artist in the music industry, Joe would choose, without hesitation, Prince. Why? "Because I love everything about him, and we would definitely make a banger!" For the banging beats on his album Joe took the decision to use only a few producers, with the majority of tracks being produced by Dub-B, aka White Boy. "I'm pretty good at spotting talent, and we have a great relationship. We've been working together for a while now, so as the world gets to know Joe Budden, they'll get to know Dub-B, too." Having been recording nonstop for three years, Joe had to choose the best 15 songs out of over a hundred tracks to make the final cut. "The sound of my album is eclectic, melodramatic. It's very real, very creative," he explained. "I tried and experimented with a lot of different things, so if I had to choose one word to describe it, it would be 'different'. My personal favourite is the title track, 'Walk With Me', because it's pretty deep, more personal. It's about the things I've gone through, and how I felt about the people around me at the time. It's me in a calming state of mind."

Being promoted as the next rapper to blow up the US and UK markets in the same way that 50 Cent did, you might expect there to be more comparisons between Joe and a number of other hip hop stars, but there have been relatively few. "At the beginning, some said that at times I sounded like Jay-Z. Apart from that, I haven't had any comparisons. I don't think it's that true, but maybe. He's my favourite rapper, and he's someone that definitely inspired me on the rap and vocal side of things, so I wouldn't be mad at those kind of comments, he's one of the greatest." That said, he is looking forward to touring the US with Jigga and 50 Cent this summer, as well as preparing himself for the upcoming Def Jam Vendetta Tour. "I can't wait to do these live dates. I'm really into the crowd and my performance. It's gonna be a lot of energy, but there's no dancing. My songs have so much energy in them, that I can't be dull when I'm performing."

In a discussion about battles within the hip hop industry, specifically the 50 Cent/Eminem vs Ja Rule beef, Joe said, "I'm fine with it, as long as it remains there and doesn't escalate, because we've all seen what can happen. Battles are really the essence of hip hop, that's where it all started, so I don't have a problem with it unless it goes off wax." Asked if there was any particular track that he had heard and wished he'd written, Joe replied, "On the 'Stillmatic' album, when Nas told the backwards story, 'Rewind'. I hadn't even thought of that. Also the last verse on 'What Happened To That Boy', by Baby featuring the Clipse. Other than those two, I can't really think of too many." Since landing in London, Joe hasn't had much chance to hear from the UK hip hop scene, but what he's already heard, he's liked: "I don't know the names of the artists, but they were nice."

Had the music career not worked out for Joe, you might have seen him looking sharp in a suit, as he always wanted to be a lawyer. However, those dreams will have to wait for now, as Joe Budden's rise to the top continues to accelerate. And, if the British media's response to his music, at Def Jam's album listening party, is anything to go by, Joe Budden will around for a long, long time to come.

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