Bada$$ spins old school spell with debut album B4.DA.$$

There are few rappers today who still follow the tenets of early hip-hop.  The old world of simple beats and raw lyrical presence has faded for the most part to give way to heavily produced tracks backed by tech beats and 808 drums. But in New York, old-school is making a resurgence, and leading this movement is Brooklyn native Joey Bada$$. In B4.DA.$$ the 20-year-old rookie raps over soulful beats with a lyrical style that is all his own, creating something reminiscent of hip-hop’s foundation while feeling fresh and new all the same.

“Joey!-Joey!” screams a crowd to open the album, clearly taken from one of his concerts.

“Are y’all ready for Joey Bada$$?” says a hype man before the whole environment fades into trumpets and spoken word.

Bada$$ comes in rapping with articulate precision, a core of his style. When he raps at full speed, it’s a whirlwind; the only things that can stop his highly technical verses are his slow, deliberate choruses that put a strong emphasis on his words.

Bada$$’s sound has strong ties to the old-school style of early hip-hop. In an interview with Time, Bada$$ called the ’90s “the golden age of hip-hop” and said that his intention on B4.DA.$$ was to both pay homage to that period and to reinvigorate the old style. Dropping this album on his 20th birthday, the newcomer was too young to remember the “golden age,” but the influence this era had on New York’s scene inspired him to craft his sound in the same manner.

Bada$$, born Jo-Vaughn Scott, is a first-generation American whose family originated from St. Lucia and Jamaica, and he is quickly creating a name for his family in the states. A few years ago, he formed Pro Era, a rap collective that now has 47 artists ranging from rappers to photographers to producers, and he got the entire group signed to label Cinematic Music. Not only is he making a name for himself, but he is also bringing his friends with him, a noble concept for such a young rapper.

Before transitioning to rapping, the 20-year-old grew up studying acting, which explains the theatrical nature of the space between songs on his album.

Though the spine of Bada$$’s work is old-school, the artist employs new techniques that are becoming commonplace in hip-hop, including sharp pauses, musical breaks and samples. B4.DA.$$ is full of recordings from Bada$$’s own life, such as his mom talking about her concerns with his image, or the crowd cheering that opens the album. This anchors his work in the real world and gives a fresh take on his throwback style.

One track, “Piece of Mind,” opens with a phone call between Bada$$ and an unknown voice, in which Bada$$ tells the man to listen to his new track. This makes the track feel so raw, as if it was just finished and he couldn’t wait to tell the world. Joey Bada$$ is fearlessly himself, and it works heavily in his favor as many artists blend in to the current rap scene with PR teams dictating their every move. While Bada$$’s work sometimes feels unprofessional, as if he recorded it in a living room, the content is so strong that it is barely noticeable. Moreover, it is reminiscent of old-school rap when artists didn’t have the expensive recording techniques of today’s age.

“Money ain’t a thing if I got it,” raps Bada$$ over record scratches on “Paper Trail$,” reflections of a young artist on his way up. He is deliberate and smart, crafting verses that draw upon a wide range of topics, while staying rooted on one main focus for each track. “Paper Trail$” has one line that sums up the whole song: “They say money is the root of all evil. I see money as the root of all people.”

Along the way, he references empanadas, soccer and all kinds of other seemingly random ideas that all play together perfectly to create one coherent song. This is the nature of Joey Bada$$’s work: a mix of ADD and hyper-focus, set over old-school beats with new-school techniques thrown in.

Excluding bonus tracks, the last song, “Curry Chicken,” is a perfect closer. It is slow and honest, featuring an opening from his mother about people doubting the young artist.

“Ever since birth, I knew I would be something on the Earth,” raps Bada$$, and these words ring true as his debut album takes his music to new heights. In terms of unique sound, there is no contest, and I expect to see great things from the young rapper in the coming years.

Matt Burke is a sophomore majoring in film production. His column, “Notes on Notes,” runs Wednesdays.