The current culture in rap is as connected to realness and honesty as Fox News is to being “fair and balanced.” Despite the repulsive abuse of the truth by most of his peers, Joe Budden has allowed his music to be an open window into his life. Before he was one of the most active celebs on Twitter and Instagram, he was laying his whole life out through bars. On his 2003 debut, Joey presented stories of seeking psychiatric help, dropping out of school, battling drug and alcohol abuse, various crimes witnessed and partaken in, baby-mama drama, and strained relationships with his parents and former friends. The only artist that could potentially match that level of openness is Eminem (who, ironically, signed Budden as a member of the lyrical collective Slaughterhouse). Budden—who was labeled a “one-hit wonder” and went on to release six Mood Muzik mixtapes, the greatest mixtape series of all time, as proclaimed by XXL—will be in town to give Baltimore a glimpse of what realness in hip-hop looks like. (Brandon Parker)