Out of the countless mixtapes and albums Joe Budden has put out in the past decade, No Love Lost is the Jersey City intellectual’s attempt to step out of the underground realm again. It might be true for some that his relationship with Kaylin or his presence on VH1’s “Love and Hip Hop” is more publicized and cared about than his music, but Joey makes an effort to deliver with this album. While keeping his unapologetic style and relatable lyricism, Budden hooks up with producers and features to try and create a polished album for the masses.
No Love Lost is less hardcore, like his previous works, and is more sonically pleasant. Despite its clearer production, the whole album essentially becomes a blur when focusing on instrumentals; they become monotonous and, at times, outdated.
If you listen to “She Don’t Put it Down” and feel like you’ve heard it before, chances are you’re thinking of DJ Khaled’s “I’m on One”. Joey hooked up with T Minus for this one, who also co-produced Khaled’s track and apparently failed to separate the two. The album’s second single “NBA” sounds like a watered down, recycled version of your everyday club beat, and the production on “Tell Him Something” mimics an R&B song straight out of the early 2000s.
Working with producers who’ve already created hits can be a bust as can collaborating with artists who are established in the industry. Joe’s past works would usually feature only a couple of smaller names, while there’s only one track on No Love Lost where Joey stands alone. The biggest name on his album is Lil Wayne, who provides the usual half-assed verse on “She Don’t Put it Down”. He has Kirko Bangz on the hook of “Top of the World” and French Montana and Wiz Khalifa contribute to “NBA”, all of whom stick to their signature creativity, which only dilutes his work.
Placing some of these artists on the same track as Joey does help to highlight his lyrical talent, which is something that’s remained constant through all of his work. He spends a lot less time discussing material things or fame and more is spent on things that directly affect his life. This is what sets Joe Budden apart from the rest; he consistently portrays himself as a true human being. “Runaway” is the perfect example of Budden’s signature style, where he raps about the struggles he’s had with addiction while holding nothing back: “How come they can roll? Ya’ll tell me how come they can smoke, they can drink?/ They get to do whatever they want and it don’t interrupt the way they think/ They all get to be regular, why is it only me this odd?/ Me who can’t even stand up straight, me who can’t even keep a job.”
Where Budden thought he was doing the right thing to reach the limelight, he was lacking originality. Thankfully his reliable, thought-provoking content balanced out the drawbacks of this album. Doing away with major labels was a blessing of some sorts for this man, as it’s allowed him to be the shot caller (for the most part). By mirroring those major in the industry, he’s managed to create something that sounds just like every body else, and that’s what Joe Budden has always stood against. Stick to your guns, Joey.