Hailing from Flatbush/Brooklyn, NY, Jo-Vaughn Scott personifies the new school of East Coast hip hop. Better known as Joey Bada$$, he is one of the founding members of Brooklyn area hip hop collective Pro Era. Alongside producer Kirk Knight and the late great Capital Steez (RIPSTEELO), Joey took the world by storm with his debut mixtape, 1999. Personally, it's one of my all time favorite projects, including tracks such as "Hardknock", "World Domination", and "Survival Tactics".
Joey's sophomore effort was a second mixtape, entitled Summer Knights. This tape was met with mixed reviews, as some loved it and some were let down after it didn't live up to the hype created by 1999. But for anyone interested, my highlights of Summer Knights include "Sorry Bonita", "Death of YOLO", and "Hillary $wank".
On to the present day. Joey announced his debut album way back in August with the release of the lead single "Big Dusty". Dubbed B4.DA.$$, the title is a bit of wordplay as it not only spells out Joey's stage surname, but also uses the addition of the periods and dollar signs to be read as "Before the Money". Clever. The long months between the album's announcement and its fruition were peppered with five (yes, FIVE!!) more singles including "Christ Conscious", "No. 99", and "Curry Chicken". Now, I won't get into my own feelings about dropping six singles off of an album before its release, but I think it's a safe assumption that it only happened because of the aforementioned time period between lead single and album drop.
We have reached the essential questions: has Joey finally lived up to his potential after the slight disappointment of Summer Knights? And is he an elite talent in today's radio-focused world of hip hop? Let's see.
1. Save the Children
The first time I heard this Intro, I was fairly disappointed. It sounded a lot like something off of Summer Knights, especially because of the sample he chose. But upon further listens, I've decided that I like this track. It's not the best, and it's not the worst, but it is riddled with its fair share of great wordplay. Tentatively good start to the album.
2. Greenbax (Introlude)
This skit is short and sweet. More or less, it drives home the point that ever since being a little kid growing up in Brooklyn, Joey has had a real desire for money.
3. Paper Trail$
Wow. This, this shit right here--it's Joey Bada$$ at his best. His flow is interwoven with the instrumental impeccably, and speaking of the instrumental, it's a damn good one. This is the type of track that you bob your head to the beat and cover your mouth in surprise when Joey (courtesy of DJ Premier) drops a hot bar. Coming into the album, I didn't think anything could top "Christ Conscious" as the best track, but this gives it some real competition.
4. Piece of Mind
The instrumental on this track is extremely east coast, as it brings in a xylophone alongside cymbals and heavy drums with a guitar on the baseline. Personally, I found the it a little too jumpy for my tastes, and although there are some good moments, Joey isn't at his best. This one is forgettable.
Side note: the intro and Outro to this song seem to be Joey talking to a friend of his in jail and playing the song for him. Why on earth would you show him this track? There are so many better options. Shame.
5. Big Dusty
The lead single off of the album did NOT disappoint. The dark bass heavy beat with a continuous piano riff is perfect for Bada$$, and it shows. He slays it, with a continuous and deliberate style of spitting that is nothing short of great. The hook is annoying and repetitive at first, but grew on me, as I find myself humming it regularly. Some of Joey's best work so far.
6. Hazeus View
The title of this track confused the shit out of me at first, but I immediately forgot about it and it's mystery as soon as Jo-Vaughn drops the first bar. Joey sounds at home on yet another instrumental, spitting metaphors and questions from eight count to eight count. The focus of this track is on whether or not Joey will ever find a spiritual calling, or find Jesus (pronounced hey-Zeus in the chorus a la Latin America) behind his hazeus (a combination of marijuana haze and zeus, the Greek god that rested on the clouds) view. The wordplay in that line ALONE is representative of the rest of the track. So far, this album has more than lived up to all expectations.
7. Like Me
Joey debuted this track last week on Late Night with Fallon, but waited until the album drop to release it to the public. The low slow bass coupled with yet another piano riff gives this track an R&B feel, further helped by the vocals from BJ The Chicago Kid. I don't like BJ at all, but he fits right in on this track. Joey focuses on social and personal issues, dropping lines like "cats get decapitated for actin a fool, blacks get their ass sprayed for Makin a move", which is surely a reference to the shooting of Ferguson teen Mike Brown. Overall, this mellow track is good to just sit and vibe to.
8. Belly of the Beast
The instrumental on this track has an almost sinister feel to it, and Joey contorts his voice to sound accented, possibly to pay homage to his Jamaican heritage. Any doubts about whether or not that is true are wiped out as soon as Chronixx opens his mouth for his feature. His heavy Jamaican accent sounds almost dainty tip toeing over the instrumental, fitting in perfectly. He also refers to Joey as "Joe Badmon", his radicalist alter ego and Instagram username (JozifBadmon). This is also an allusion to the next track. Joey has picked his features well so far, as Chronixx's style meshes with the beat seamlessly and makes for a nice track.
9. No. 99
The third single from the album, Joey dropped this along with the official release date back in early December--this was shortly after the verdict on the Mike Brown case. Coincidentally, the track is centered around political injustice and anarchy, as the video further proves. The title of the track is a reference to the 99%, or the vast majority of Americans who are not upper class. Joey uses this ridiculously upbeat instrumental to give his attempt at inciting anarchy, and his flow is almost outraged. Great hype track, but it interested me that Joey had this ready for release right after the Mike Brown decision was made. It's almost like he knew what was coming.
10. Christ Conscious
This was the second single released from B4.DA.$$, and man he chose the right one to drop. If Big Dusty didn't already have me interested in this album, hearing Christ Conscious had me following Joey on Twitter for updates and counting down the days until the release. The bass heavy production masterfully done by Basquiat ensures that this track would bang in any whip, and Joey's aggressive flow is 100% on beat and enlightens us that he is as conscious of today's issues as Christ himself. This track also includes one of my favorite bars Joey has ever spit--"Wouldnt wanna be ya these lyrical fajitas, got dragon balls like my name was Vegeta". That shit leaves me open mouthed every time, check out Rap Genius for an in depth analysis. To get off topic for a second, the video for this song is awesome too, so there's really just zero to dislike about track 10.
11. On & On
Single number 5 (sigh) dropped sometime around New Years, as Joey was beginning to show his youth by releasing singles more and more often. This track serves as a tribute to not only Steelo, but Joey's cousin Junior, who passed in December. The focus is that no matter how much tragedy happens, Joey wants to be remembered by others as he remembers his two fallen brothers--as the personification of greatness. He wants to be celebrated instead of mourned after his death. Joey's verses are good but nothing special, but this track is above average in my book because of the verse dropped by Dyemond Lewis. I had never heard of him prior to his feature here, but man, the dude can rap. He takes the same approach as Joey to death, asking for others to power through the grief and remember him positively. A soothing bridge provided by Maverick Sabre ties the song together nicely. I didn't expect a good follow up to Christ Conscious, but this was a pleasant surprise.
12. Escape 120
If this is Joey's attempt at a night club dance song, then I'm truly disappointed. The instrumental is different than anything I've ever heard, which is a positive--but Joey sounds almost awkward. His flow is broken and weird. This obviously experimental track is worsened by Raury's appearance. So far, Joey's guests have been very well selected, and from the praise that Raury has gotten lately I expected more of the same. But man, this dude completely disregarded the beat. It's like he got in the studio and said "Screw this instrumental, I wonder how fast I can rap". Not only is he off beat, but his subject matter is boring and repetitive. This is the first track that I really just am not a fan of.
13. Black Beetles
Joey seems to be getting lazy. The hook on this song makes me want to jump into oncoming traffic, and for that matter, the entire thing is boring as hell. I've listened to it 7 or 8 times and I still couldn't tell you anything about it unless I'm listening to it (which I am, sadly). Boring, disappointing, and forgettable. Two misfires in a row.
14. O.C.B.
Standing for Only Child Blues, this track's subject matter had the potential to make up a pretty good song. But, while Joey's lyrics aren't bad, the rest of the song is. It sounds like a filler track. The instrumental is a mixture of elevator music and a sitcom theme song. As I said, Joey's lyrics aren't bad, but the way he spits them doesn't fit the instrumental at all. Where he's almost being aggressive in his rhyming, the beat is lazy and slow. It doesn't work well. B4.DA.$$ is going downhill fast.
15. Curry Chicken
Not quite the savior track I was looking for, but it'll do. I have been going back to this track repeatedly, and will continue to do so. Joey spits about life on tour and how his mother sees him getting thinner but lets it go because he also looks like a winner due to all of his success. The only thing his mother asks is that he be home in time for Christmas dinner, and all Joey asks is for some curry chicken. It's kind of a heartwarming track with a bouncy staticky instrumental from Selectah himself. Joey also addresses the fact that he has his parents backs, and since he has gained fame he will take care of them. This is a nice feel good track, proving to me that Joey hasn't entirely let go of the kid he used to be.
16. Run Up On Ya
I didn't expect much when I saw an Action Bronson feature here, because I just do not like the guy most of the time. But shockingly, the beat on this track fits him better than Joey. Together, their verses are a perfect par, not good and not bad. I can't decide if i like this one or not, because it has its good qualities and its bad. This will be a track that is a person to person basis on whether or not it's well accepted.
17. Teach Me (Bonus)
I decided to throw in a review for this track even though it was a bonus because Joey also released it as a single a few days before the album dropped. As disappointing as his first nightclub-dance-techno attempt was in Escape 120, when I heard the opening chords I was ready to turn off the album. But oh man, I'm glad I didn't. This upbeat, almost jazzy track brings the album to a close on a good note. Not only does Joey flow well over the beat, but Kiesza provides a great feature that brings the track together with a strong female vocal on the hook. If you like club music, and this doesn't make you want to get up and dance, I genuinely question your taste.
Rating: 4/5
Despite the three track bad streak on the last half of the album, B4.DA.$$ did not disappoint. Joey seems to really have found his wheelhouse, and his talents were on full display for the majority of his debut album. He brings back the true East coast hip hop sound, not unlike that of vintage Nas (comparison of sound, not talent, don't crucify me for that), and proves that he truly is one of Brooklyn's finest.
- Jake