We The Smoking Section take our jobs as tastemakers and critiquing the latest albums in Hip-Hop very seriously. In an effort to show our readers how the process of granting an album with our Cig Ratings takes place, here’s the discussion between our review committee for Joe Budden’s Padded Room.
TC: Alright. As long as this album’s been in the making and promoted across the internet, did anyone else feel like this didn’t meet the expectations by any stretch? My biggest grievance is how does this really differ from Halfway House in terms of song structure or cinematic theme? Why weren’t we met with any surprises instead of what we’ve come to expect?
Landon A: Definitely falls short. Joey is nice on the mic, no doubt, but he came soft with this one. Perhaps it was the hype of a comeback that spoiled this one. Who knows? When artists have a lot of hype surrounding a record, a decent showing turns into an utter disappointment.
Contra™: Wish-washy production, forced concepts, forgettable lyrics at times, and some terrible, terrible, terrible, terribly haunting lack of cohesion.
Jesse H: Absolutely. Joey’s just not an album rapper. Put him on the list with Busta, Jin, etc.
MZ: Joe Budden can rap his ass off but unfortunately, his songwriting & song structure skills will always be his crutch. He raps at one speed and relies on vocal inflections to try and liven his flow up (i.e. “The Future”) throughout the album. I’ve come to accept the fact that he’s at his best when he’s in a piss poor mood and I’d rather hear him speak on his Tuesday afternoon, than strain to make a club joint. Also do my ears deceive me or does The Game spit a name-drop free verse? Read the rest of this entry »
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