Although we’re only a third of the way into 2017, we’ve seen a ton of major hip-hop releases. Major players like Kendrick and Drake have dominated the majority of the discussion thus far. Big Sean and Rick Ross have worked their way into conversations. But after I recently dove into All-Amerikkkan Badass, the conversation is over. For now.
The highly anticipated More Life has been dominating Spotify playlist. Big Sean dropped the best album of his career, I Decided. Rick Ross also dropped the best album of his career with Rather You Than Me. Just as I write this I realize how rare it is to have two artists drop peak performances this late in their career, so close to one another. Raekwon’s Into The Wild also deserves a few cheers.
Ross and Sean’s releases were neck and neck for my favorite release of 2017 thus far. That was until I pressed play on Joey Bada$$‘s new album, All-Amerikkkan Badass. Joey has matured in both content and sound. He has a better grasp of the deep thinking that has been instrumental to his content. This young man is absorbing the world around him and finding where he wants to fit in said world.
Bada$$’s sound still remains deeply rooted in classic hip-hop. All-Amerikkkan finds sonic clarity in live instrumentation and lush vocal stacks. Tthe hooks on here are catchy but the thoughts provided are deep. The vibes feel great and if you follow the lyrics, Joey is as self-aware as ever.
Analyzing what’s wrong with society while holding on to a glimmer of hope. Joey both questions and praises the freedoms of living in the United States of America. This album is killer.
Joey Bada$$ – All-Amerikkkan Badass
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Best Tracks:
For My People
Devastated
Babylon
Rockabye Baby (ft. School Boy Q)
