The Rundown: Joe Budden, No Love Lost

A track by track look at the Slaughterhouse MC's new disc.

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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"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)"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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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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