left an impression that was hard to escape. He’s been pegged as a throwback rapper, a sometimes-derogatory phrase for artists who prefer dusty, sampled loops. Akin to Nas and his epochal debutstands as Joey Bada$$’s defining statement, casting a shadow over subsequent projects that seem lesser by comparison. Contrary to reputation, he isn’t a traditionalist railing against mainstream trap and drill, but he doesn’t eschew the sound that made his name, either.
There are several cut where Bada$$ tries to flex, none bigger than when he brings on the king of Bad Boy to open and close the album. “Can you say New York City?!” crows Diddy, who subsequently introduces Bada$$ as a “survivor.” R&B samples of famed acts and enticingly mysterious unknowns abound, making for a bubbly, summery vibe akin to mid-Nineties mafioso rap: Think AZ’s.
Eventually, Bada$$ attempts to find deeper meaning in his success. “Survivor’s Guilt” finds him revisiting the death of Capital Steez, who has become a cult figure since he took his life at 19 in 2012. The two’s Pro Era crew organized an annual STEEZ Day event for a few years until the late rapper’s family withdrew their support for the 2018 edition. “And here’s a message to his fam/I know y’all got emotional trauma, that I understand,” raps Bada$$ with clear anguish.
Yet a larger question remains: who is Joey Bada$$ the rapper in 2022? In some ways, he’ll always be that kid rocking ciphers in New York with Steez and Pro Era. But he’s evolved with an airy, melodic pop sound, often supplemented with live instruments, that both brightens and tastefully smothers his idiosyncrasies. A key moment arrives when Larry June appears on “Zipcodes.” The Bay Area rapper likes to buffer his lines until they feel as smooth as a car’s bodyshell.
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