Joe Budden's self-titled Def Jam debut album in 2003 was powered by a stomping club banger crafted by Just Blaze. After a dispute with his label, the Jersey City-raised rapper hit the indie and Internet mixtape scene hard, amassing an army of devoted fans along the way. 2009's Padded Room marked his return to the album game with his trademark cocky punchlines paired with insights into his emotional state of mind. Joining up with Joell Ortiz, Crooked I and Royce da 5' 9" as a member of the uncompromising Slaughterhouse group has further cast him as a peoples' champ.