Review: Joey Bada$$ - B4.DA.$$
By Xavier Veccia, Managing Editor
[Pro Era; 2015]
Rating: 8/10
Key Tracks: “Big Dusty,” “Escape 120,” “Belly of the Beast”
January 20, 2015 will always be a memorable day for Joey Bada$$. Not only was it the release date of his debut studio album, the very B4.DA.$$ you are reading about now, but it was also his 20th birthday. And yet, despite just now escaping teenhood, Bada$$ carries himself like a seasoned vet.
When Joey first burst onto the scene in 2012 with the impressive 1999. He was just 17, not even old enough to vote. But what made his debut mixtape so impressive was the way he felt so comfortable rapping over beats he had no business rapping over. He had the swagger of New York mainstays more than twice his age and the lyrical prowess of a legend-in-the-making. There was no denying it--this kid had chops. Two-and-a-half years later and nothing has changed--Joey Bada$$ is still one of the most promising spitters in the game.
On B4.DA.$$, Joey lives up to all the expectations that have been loaded on him over the past couple of years by doing everything that earned him those expectations in the first place.
The lead single “Big Dusty” serves as a showcase for all of Bada$$’s talents. The beat, produced by Pro Era in-house producer Kirk Knight, captures the very essence of the Beast Coast movement, a grimy combination of classic and modern hip-hop influences. For any fans of Bada$$, it’s clear this beat is right up his alley, so it’s no surprise when he completely annihilates the track. Lines like, “I stand juxtaposed to all my Pros, realest illest n****s I know / See these foes biting the flows, they even jooks the pose,” prove why this was one of the most anticipated hip-hop albums of 2015.
However, what makes B4.DA.$$ truly worth the wait is tracks like “Escape 120” and “Belly of the Beast.” On these songs, Joey strays a bit from the path his fans have become accustomed.
“Escape 120,” while featuring a typical Bada$$ beat and being one of countless team-ups between Joey and producer Chuck Strangers, is one of the catchiest Bada$$ songs to date, which is typically an area he stays away from. But Joey finds a way to go to this territory without compromising his regular style. Upcoming hip-pop artist Raury’s killer verse on the track certainly doesn’t hurt, either
“Belly of the Beast,” meanwhile, is one of the most creative marriages of hip-hop and reggae, as producer Hit-Boy creates one of the most creative Joey Bada$$ tracks in the 20-year-old’s repertoire.
For most rappers this young, expectations this large would be quite daunting. However, as Bada$$ proves on B4.DA.$$, he’s better than most rappers.
