Joey Bada$$ is a Brooklyn MC that is more or less known for having one of the worst monikers in the game. Not sure what he was thinking but that's besides the point. Joey gained a lucrative amount of praise for his 2012 mixtape 1999 released when he was only a seventeen year old kid on an independent label, . By focusing more on lyrics and less on catchy hooks and radio play, he struck gold with his first project, which made it's way onto many album of the year lists. Along with such attention came it's fair share of criticism. Most critics claimed that he was stuck in he 90's (I cannot fathom how that is a bad thing), he had an unchanging flow, and most songs suffered from sounding similar. All those claims are legitimate and appear on Summer Knights as well, but I can't say it's not a breath of fresh air, at least for more of a mainstream artists. We live in an era when experimental, trap music, and electronically backed rap is on the rise and it's nice to see someone who is such a hip hop purist and sticks to his roots. Summer Knights is 1999 Pt. 2 (2000 would have been an appropriate name), and that's far from a bad thing.
Right from the start, it's clear that Joey has an unmistakable love for his hometown of Brooklyn. The cover alone gives that feel, and it's almost like he wants you to adore it as much as he does. This is also evident with the numerous boom bap instrumentals found throughout the album. One of the biggest improvements over 1999 is the variety of tempo, flows, beats. He offers more of a jazzy feel on "Hillary $wank", while ending the album with "#LongLiveSteelo" a heartfelt tribute to his fallen friend. Don't get me wrong, this is an area that he must improve upon if he ever wants to be considered great, but he shows a bit of improvement of Summer Knights.
As an artist, there's been almost no change or improvement other than his flow. While he never really showed any change before, it varies from being overly aggressive on "95 til Infinity" to really impressing me with his internal syllables on "Hillary $wank". Some of the best work, though, is "Death Of YOLO", and the DJ Premier produced "Unorthodox", where he really shows off his signature style. While not technically perfect, it's much more entertaining than the same flow he used over and over on 1999. His lyrics continue to impress as well, as not every song completely revolves around his dick and his proficiency at getting bitches. No, these jokes actually sound thought out and have some wit to them. For someone who is only eighteen, songs like "Amethyst Rockstar", "Sorry Bonita", and "Unorthodox" showcase his ability to be funny and have a broader lyrical spectrum at the same time. Like I said earlier, this tape is really damn long, so there's quite a bit of lyrical naive-ness, but I can't think of any seventeen track album that doesn't contain some bullshit.
Joey Bada$$ is a very polarizing figure that most people either love or hate. If you liked 1999, then I almost gaurantee you'll be satisfied with this release. If you're someone who can't stand the guy, this project isn't going to do shit for you. Joey shows slight improvement in most areas but I can't see any real artistic development from his last mixtape, which is keeping be from loving this. I do really enjoy it, though, and it will be getting heavy rotation for at least another week (or whenever I get my hands on the new Jay Z album). At the end of the day, though, we have to remember that this is just a mixtape and is made to promote his album. His debut is at the very top of my "Most Anticipated Albums of 2014" so I guess you can say mission complete. Overall, a really good mixtape that does what it was supposed to.
Rating: 3.5/5