Enter Joey Bada$$. After being featured in the New York Times and major Hip-Hop outlets such as XXL and Complex, this 17-year old Brooklyn MC and his P.era crew (short for Pro Era) have given Hip-Hop’s stale climate a breath of fresh air with a sound reminiscent to that of Hip-Hop’s golden era; The 1990’s. 

How fitting that Joey’s debut mixtape is called 1999. “1999” is return to what made Hip-Hop the most popular genre in the world; clever wordplay, crisp flow, substance-driven lyrics and great production. Joey showcases his lyrical prowess throughout the project. On Daily Routine, he spits “These bloggers too emotional,They’ll be postin’ you/Until labels start Interscopin’ you/ By then it’s Wale ,And I’ll be chillin’ where I lay/ Cause I rather see the top than to be livin’ where I lay.” Joey never sacrifices his lyrical integrity for the sake of appealing to mainstream audiences; a trait that MC’s, both young and old should take note of.

“1999” features Joey going in over classic instrumentals from legendary Hip-Hop producers, J. Dilla and MF Doom. The most seasoned of MC’s have trouble doing these beats justice but that’s not the case for Joey Bada$$.  On ‘Where It At,’ Joey easily floats over Dilla’s smooth production as if the instrumental was specifically crafted for his. ‘Pennroyal’ finds Joey weaving a tale of a filed relationship over a daunting Doom track.

While the Dilla and Doom remakes are enjoyable, it’s the original stable of up and coming producers that shape “1999” into the fantastic opus that it truly is; in particular Chuck Stranger. Stranger and Joey have remarkable chemistry. Besides the aforementioned ‘Daily Routine’; ‘FromdaTomb,’ ‘Summer Knights,’ and the P.era posse cut, ‘Suspect’ all showcase Stanger’s jazz-infused production. Producers Knxwledge, Lord Finesse, and Vin Skully also add their own flavor to the tape’s cohesive sound.

Joey also brings his fellow P.era crew along for the ride. Over half of the 15-track tape features MCs from his Pro era brethren. Capital STEEZ and Bada$$ spit venom over “1999’s” viral smash, Survival Tactics. STEEZ delivers thought provoking lines like “It’s like we’ve been content with losin/ And half our students fallen victim to the institution/Jobs are scarce since the Scientific Revolution And little kids are shootin Uzi’s cause it’s given to ‘em” Not be outdone, Joey effortlessly conjures up witty bars such as “Get your intel right/ your intelligence is irrelevant, but it’s definite I spit more than speech impediments/Brooklyn is the residence, the best and it’s evident/We got them niggas P-E-Nuts, like they elephants!”

The most encouraging element to take from “1999” is that at the center piece of it all is a 17-year old kid who’s not afraid to release the music he loves. The beats are grimy, the flows are filthy, and the end result is beautiful. Joey Bada$$ has taken Hip-Hop back to its past and at the same time, pushed the genre a bit further. With the release of “1999”, Joey has the Hip-Hop industry salivating at not only his potential but the potential of Hip-Hop as a whole. Props to the young in Mc for bringing substance back to a genre that is in dire need of it.

Pennroyal

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FromdaTomb (Feat. Chuck Strangers)

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Summer Knights

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Download “1999″ on LiveMixtapes