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The Rundown: Joe Budden, No Love Lost - Joe Budden has lived many lives: mixtape rapper, Def Jam one-hit-wonder, major-label dropout, group member (of Slaughterhouse), online oversharer and now reality star (of VH1's new season of Love & Hip Hop). Now with his new solo album, Joe is turning a new page yet again. But is it a good read — or album, rather? Click on for our track-by-track review of No Love Lost to find out. —Alex Gale (Photo: E1/Mood Muzik Entertainment)

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"Our First Again (Intro)" - With this new solo album, his first since releasing two albums with supergroup Slaughterhouse, Joe is embarking on yet another fresh start in a long career with lots of ups and downs and reinventions. That may be why he titled this intro "Our First Again." It previews some of the most notable aspects of the album: heavy use of R&B singers (heavy on the Auto-Tune) and an introspective vibe.  (Photo: Dominic Chan/ WENN.com)

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"Top of the World" feat. Kirko Bangz - The album's first full song, "Top of the World" establishes straight off that this isn't a Slaughterhouse album. With Kirko Bangz doing his usual Drake impression on the hook and the frenetic hi-hats and filtered synths recalling hitmaking producer T-Minus (who produces another song on the album), the song would fit more comfortably on a commercial radio playlist than anything Slaughterhouse has ever done. Fans of that group may be displeased, though Joe's bars are as on point as ever. (Photos from left: Walik Goshorn / Retna Ltd., Randy Smith / BET)

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"She Don't Put It Down" feat. Lil Wayne & Tank - The commercial aspirations that the album opener hinted at come out full bloom on "She Don't Put It Down," with a Lil Wayne verse, Tank hook and production from T-Minus, the man behind Kendrick Lamar's "Swimming Pools" and DJ Khaled's "I'm on One." The beat recalls the latter's work on those songs, while Lil Wayne, on auto-pilot, gets outshined by Joe Budden's gruff delivery. It's commercial rap by the numbers, but don't be surprised to hear it a whole lot more this winter and spring. (Photos from left: Michael Buckner/Getty Images For BET, Prince Williams/FilmMagic, Atlantic Records)

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"N.B.A. (Never Broke Again)" feat. Wiz Khalifa and French Montana - Joe not only recruits Wiz Khalifa and French Montana to spit verses here, the sparse, 808-laden beat and simple, baller-approved hook seem inspired by both guests, the former in particular. Joe does a great job of adapting to the decidedly non-boom-bap, non-Slaughterhouse sonics and Wiz, perhaps inspired by the competition, delivers one of his best verses in a while. (Photos from left: John Ricard / BET, Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images for Heineken, Mark Davis/Getty Images for BET)

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"You and I" feat. Emanny - Joe Budden and frequent collaborator, singer Emanny (who form the group SLV together), connect for one of the album's many romantic moments, filled with melodic hooks and moody pianos. With Joe's well-known, TMI dating history and his role on the new season of Love & Hip Hop, the lovey-doveyness probably makes sense from a marketing standpoint, but on this song it makes for an overly saccharine listen thanks to the cheesy production and Emanny's irksome Auto-Tune.    (Photo: WENN.com)

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"All in My Head" feat. Royce Da 5'9" and Kobe - Here's where the candid introspection on the album approaches melodramatic schlock. Joe's Slaughterhouse homie Royce da 5'9" murders it, but he's outweighed by a soap opera piano line and corny R&B hook from Kobe (no, not that Kobe). (Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for G-Shock 30th Anniversary Kick-Off)

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"Skeletons" feat. Joell Ortiz and Crooked I - Joe Budden and his Slaughterhouse compatriots continue the confessions of the previous two songs. Here, the uncredited female vocalist's soft performance dials back the over-the-top drama and the banging boom-bap drums provide enough of a change that you don't mind yet another moody piano line. Joe gets deep again, rapping, "Tell my pop I ain’t bothered when he don't speak to me, I love you but it’s weak to me. On one hand life is short and there’s no excuse to do it, but you was missing half my life dog, I’m kind of used to it." (Photos from left: Joe Budden/Instagram, Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for G-Shock 30th Anniversary Kick-Off)

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"Ghetto Burbs" feat. Emanny - Joe Budden finally turns up the temperature with lively production and turns the introspection outward, intelligently discussing street life and how to escape it. Emanny sings another hook but with better results, this time dialing back the Auto-Tune and melodrama. (Photo: Joe Budden/Instagram)

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"Last Day" feat. Lloyd Banks and Juicy J - "Last Day" brings together trap-ready production and two standout guest verses, though the screwed hook can be somewhat grating. There's a definite, creepy Three-6 Mafia vibe, so the Juicy J appearance is only right, and Lloyd Banks is in prime form. (Photos from left: John Ricard / BET, Ray Tamarra/Getty Images, Scott Gries/Getty Images)

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"Role Play (Interlude)" - A sex interlude. It's no grosser than a typical Joe Instagram — though it does have some hilarious moments, and this album could use some levity.  (Photo: Henry S. Dziekan III / Retna Ltd.)

Photo By Photo: Henry S. Dziekan III/Retna Ltd.

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"Switch Positions" feat. Omarion - Joe goes for freaky romance here and succeeds for the most part, with a late night lounge piano line and Omarion subtly dialing back his often corny bombast. The lyrics are nothing new — "sexual healing" is a refrain on the chorus — but the schmaltzy meets sexy vibe somehow works. (Photos from left: John Ricard / BET, Scott Gries/Getty Images)

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"Tell Him Somethin'" - Joe Budden and Emanny once again unite as SLV, and though this is the latter's best performance on the album so far, this album definitely didn't need yet another R&B-driven seduction song. There are traces of Ghostface's Ghostdini album here, but none of the left-field perspective and awesome eccentricities to keep it interesting.  (Photos from left: Joe Budden/Instagram, Emanny/Facebook)

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"Runaway" - The drug abuse that Joe's hinted at throughout this album gets a full treatment here. His lyrics are another breath of fresh air — he has to be one of the most brutally honest rappers ever. But yet again, another kitschy sung hook and middle-of-the-road beat threaten to overshadow his great performance. (Photo: WENN.com)

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"My Time" - Okay, Joe, we get it — you're great at reflective, personal subject matter. But there's only so much one album can take, especially after 14 tracks and three more to go. Another syrupy sung hook doesn't help. (Photo: Chris McKay/Getty Images for BET)

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"No Love Lost (Outro)" - Joe closes the album unofficially with more deep thoughts and mushy production and an almost hilariously corny guitar solo to really bring the melodrama. It's not a bad song by any means. It's just that, at this point on an overlong album, the dour personal meditation gets oppressive, wearing out its welcome.  (Photo: John Ricard / BET)

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"She Put It Down (Remix)" feat. Fabolous, Twista and Tank - The album features a bonus track, a reprise of "She Don't Put It Down," that makes Joe's commercial aspirations even clearer thanks to dope cameos from Fabolous and Twista. It's interesting that he would choose to go in this major-label direction on an independent album. But as Joe's frequent lyrical meditations make clear, he wants to do things his own way. Slaughterhouse fans won't necessarily be too pleased about it and the album's indie release may squander its crossover moments, but either way, Joe gave us a close, intelligent look at his rather fascinating inner thoughts — and further confirmed his monstrous mic skills in the process. (Photos from left: Demis Maryannakis, PacificCoastNews.com, Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for Bagatelle, Bennett Raglin/Getty Images)