Last year I predicted that Joe Budden would be the future of hip-hop. Back then he was just another hungry emcee spitting freestyles on various mixtapes. Today he is Def Jam's newest artist with a hit single ("Pump it Up"), a buzzworthy spot on MTV, and is featured in a video game ("Def Jam Vandetta"). What stood out to me about Joe even more than his actual lyrics was his cadence and voice. But now that same voice that may have gotten him signed to a big label is failing him.

ALLHIPHOP.com reports that Joe Budden may need throat surgery. Man, I feel for this guy. This is like the D.O.C. all over again. Here's an excerpt:

Just as Joe Budden's success has soared with his single "Pump It Up," "Focus" and his upcoming self-titled set on Def Jam Records, the rapper has hit a sudden obstacle, he charges.

"I'm having voice problems. I have a polyp on my right vocal cord," Budden told AllHipHop.com. "I'm not even supposed to rap." A polyp is a non-cancerous tumor that protrudes from the lining of an organ..

Budden said a doctor has recommended that he stop spitting his popular rhymes to allow his throat time to repair and, still, he may have to go under a surgeon's knife to mend the damage.

"I might have to get surgery to get my voice back. I got some swelling going on back there. It just comes from a lot of acid. I drink a lot of acidy sh*t. You'll never see me without a beverage," he said. "Even now, my voice is a whole lot deeper than normal. You can hear something is going on."