Happy Birthday, Joe Budden!

Hip-hop's love king celebrates his birthday today (Aug. 31). Joe Budden, one-fourth of the hip-hop group Slaughterhouse, turns 35 years old.

Budden's Twitter account and reality television persona have made him a punchline in many circles. As a result, it's easy to forget just how odd of a career he's had in hip-hop. The New Jersey native burst onto the scene with the club anthem "Pump It Up." However, his version got usurped by a remix from Jay Z, when his slick talk was at his slickest. Budden's self-titled debut flopped, and he'd never have another major hit to follow.

But the props streamed in as his commercial viability decreased. Budden gained the underground's respect with his Mood Muzik mixtape series, which melded his mercurial persona with sharp lyricism. The series, especially Mood Muzik 2: Can It Get Any Worse?, is regarded as a millennial highlight.

Then Budden set his sights on love. His escapades with Tahiry on Love & Hip-Hop became a consistent source of aggravation and amusement for VH1 viewers. His sometimes insightful, mostly ridiculous tweets on romance have become instant quotables, too.

However, he's been panned by critics for slipping when it comes to his rhymes. They reached their nadir during the widely panned Total Slaughter battle rap event last year, where he flunked by continuously saying "Stop my time" during his time on the mic.

But people still love Budden and his Buddenesque ways. He's currently hosting a weekly podcast titled I'll Name This Podcast Later. 

Watch Joe Budden's "OLS4" Video

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