Rap Radar: Joey Bada$$

I mean it feels great for me, you know, coming on five years not releasing any music, it's like a big weightlifted off from my shoulder. That's, you know what I'm saying, and it's it's inspiring to to see everybody

receive it so well. But also for me it's like in that five year gap I almost forgot what it felt like, that that transfer advantage to give people music and for them to respond in the way where it's like Yo, I love like you know what you said here, and this track is doing these certain things for me, you know what I mean. So now it just kind of got me motivated to keep it going. I remember the light Packy p you said that the light was demming, but you feel like you got your Mojo back right,

like how did you find yourself during that time? So, Um, you know, around that time, that was in the midst of the pandemic. You know what I'm saying. I felt like after I put out my last album, all American Badass, that was seventeen, the next year I had my first child,

my daughter Intogo rain. Um. You know, things just started to kind of well, things never slowed down for me, you know what I'm saying, and at that point in my life it was like, okay, now I got a kid and a lot of things started clicking for me.

A lot of things started changing, and fast. For two years later, when the pandemic hit, it was like that was the first time in my life where I actually got to sit down in my adult life, where I got to actually sit down, because I've been like I hit the ground running since I was seventeen years old, you know what I'm saying, like I haven't been home for a six month, for four to six month period,

since I was seventeen, you know what I'm saying. So it was like shows tours back to back, just traveling and doing this, doing that. It was never no moment of stillness really like a real, true moments. So when I got that, I started to realize, Um, a lot of you know, things that I was burying. I started to do some in the work, you know what I mean, and to find myself again because also through all of those events I also lost two very close people to me,

you know what I'm saying. So there was a lot of grieving that I've never done. It was a lot of trauma from that that I had buried deep. I've never took that time to like, you know what I'm saying, like really go into myself because I was so on the move. So I was able to be distracted, I was able to put that stuff off for a minute, you know what I'm saying. So came I finally got that piece, I finally got that stillness. You know, I found it felt like I found my light again and

it felt like I found Um. And I don't not to say that I ever necessarily lost it, but it just kind of got cloud got you. So it's that specific approach you had in mind when you attack to because to me there's so much energy from me. Like the first couple of tracks, like you just you're in your bag and it's like it's sort of like it feels. It's very urgency with you know what I mean. Well, you know this album I really wanted to like I wanted to feel like. I wanted it to feel like

how I feel right now. You know what I'm saying, like I went through many phases over the last five years. Like the first two albums I was working on, they had a really dark undertone because I was depressed. You know what I mean. Like with two thousand, this is me fully in my light, like, you know what I'm saying. The depression is over, like I've walked out of that.

I beat that. There's so much songs too, that I've made in that ever, that which I'm still so emotionally attracted to, but I couldn't put it on this album because I wanted people to feel where I'm at now. You know what I'm saying. So, yeah, part of that is like, like this is an abundant album, you know what I'm saying, like I'm living in that energy, I'm living in that headspace. This is my lifestyle, this is

my life. It's crazy. When I was listening to some of your early is it, like how how your flow is changed and like how this, this project, you sound like to me, very like poised and Polish and precise, like with the bars, like, can you speak about that?

Like your your provement of the lyricists. Well, you know, over the years, you know, over these last five years, I've done a lot of experimenting, but I would say, you know, what might be true to sound for a lot of my listeners is, uh, that traditional rap style. You know what I'm saying? That showcases all over two thousands. So over these last couple of years, like I haven't

missed a single moment on that. I've been developing my skill, developing my style, while still experimenting as an artist and, like, you know, trying out new sounds and new things. But I mean, listen, I'm I'm somebody who you call a self improvement Junkie, you know what I mean? Like I'm always gonna push my pen, even after two thousand and like right now I'm in a space where Um even more inspired and it's like I started journaling now and I'm I'm I'm kind of observing the ways how that's

pushing my pen as well. Just so no more like detailed aspect and a more self aware aspect, you know. Yeah, obviously two thousand is the sequels to nine, your breakout mixtape, and back in June there was some delay over sample issues, right, you said a lot of people thought that was pushed back because of the drake album. Honestly, never mind, like what was this issue with the song clearance? So, all right, if I'm being completely um honest, because I don't really

know how to not be, that's great. You know. Well, you know, first off, it had nothing to do with drake. We had no idea that drake was even coming, just

like the world. You know what I'm saying. What really happened, and I'm you know, Google, forgive me for saying, is if this is like out of pocket, but you know Young Guru, you know, he was mixing the album and his father passed, you know what I'm saying, and he had to deal with that and I was not about to, you know, put pressure on him or like, you know, and I wanted him to mix it out. So, you know, I could have got somebody else to mix it, but I just decided to wait for him. So I was

like fun, I'm gonna take the heat sample clearances. The thing happened. Happened to be convenient, having to work in my favorite's. I got a whole press for all for that. It worked out and I ain't gonna lie, like I'm glad that it did. I'm glad that we did do that,

like I believe everything happens for a reason. Extra time. Yeah, and I feel like he gave it that extra time for me to create that buzz, for me to kind of roll it out, for me to get the hype up, you know what I'm saying, and because we were just gonna drop it like right on his head, you know what I mean, boom, here's the album. But I like that we pushed it back and then, you know what I'm saying, we dropped some joints before it and everything.

And Yeah, we're about the group touched like what, in your opinion, makes him so special, like the mixing of the master and like, well, you know, to be honest, from my perspective, like you know, I've always thought what he'd done was amazing. But for me, like I'm a real poor guy, I'm an energy guy and I've always rented to go over the years and, like you know, it would be a massive like mutual respect and like connection.

We always spoke about working so when I knew that this was the project, I was coming with him, like y'all, can't think of a better person and do this with, you know what I mean? And I hit him up and it's just aligned, just like that. Another person that brought the energy is did he? He's the first once you're here. Why do you want him to set the tone for the album? It's almost like the narrator. Anyway.

He's somebody who I've built the really strong relationship with over the last couple of years and he's somebody who's definitely pushed my pen uh, pushed me past barriers and repeatedly challenges me, you know what I'm saying. So, once I had the whole album that that was actually the last song I recorded for that. We recorded that like the last week of May, you know, and it was

a vision that I had. I wanted to create this kind of Motif for the album where it was like kind of Jazz clubby and that was like I wanted to intro to kind of lay that, and then the the skits in the transitions will kind of follow that. You know what I'm saying. So I was like, Yo, puff is the best person to set that time, you know what I mean, and he just I just kind of hit him up on it because I was in l a finishing it and he just pulled up. He pulled up with a Somalia, but instead of seven one,

he was serving UH Delhi Young. What was those sessions like when you encourage him to pop his puff daddy ship? Like Oh, yeah, he was like Yo, do what take beat me, you know what I'm saying. So I did it for him like the way that I wanted him to do it. It's actually on my instagram. Is like a little clip and the making of that joint and then he just did it, you know what I'm saying. He understood the vision right away and he just got it. Yeah, and he trusted me, you know what I'm saying. Like

he he hasn't heard it until it came out. He say about it. He loved it. Yeah, he loved it, loved it. He Got Nas on there too, like why was it all supported to get him on the when you buy your government, man, Joe, I don't know which is crazy, and it was. So I'll tell you the whole story about that. Was a little bit about that, but some cruise control. Yeah, that's at the end of cruise control. So originally I wanted nos on want to

be loved. You know. He was supposed to cut that for me but, you know, schedules and everything, Um, he couldn't get around to it. So we actually had a show. We had a festival in polling together, just it's just me and as in his dressing room. Were chopping into five hours. They talked about all types of ship. I'm like Yo, I'm like trying to think of the right time to bring back up the track that I need you right. So eventually I'm like Yo, Bro, listen, whatever.

You can't do the verse, Cool, but I need your presence on this trying and I was like I got this idea. You know what I'm saying, like I'm approaching the album like this, if you could just say some words. But when he said back, got you, he sent it back and that was that, just like that. He's also the one that told you the head high was the single was at the same time. No, no, no no, no, this is two separate times. That was that was probably in March. That was like it went to Time New

York City. I think that was when we did the the podcast for his joint women say yeah, yeah, I mean happening, like you said, New York City, having like Puffin Nos and not to all that. Like how important is it to rerap New York City and the setoplay escape for New York and you spot in the game right now? For me it's very important because it's like at Twenti seven, you know, the third halbum my career

is like I'm looking at this whole ship different. It's like, you know, you got artists and you've got listeners, but you also got product and you got consumed, and I feel like me understanding my brand identity is like New York, like people listen to music for escapism, you know what I'm saying, like your music gotta be able to take them somewhere, and I just so happened to be that New York guy for a lot of people. But it's also branded in me like it's it's authentic, like it's real.

So me understanding that, I definitely wanted to drill in that a little bit more, you know what I'm saying? That's why I like my stuff goes so crazy overseas because they listened to my ship and they teleport themselves to the best city in the world, you know what I mean. So I feel like that element is always gonna be present in my music, you know what I mean,

like it's where I'm from. It's also just the Mecca of the world, like it's an honor, is a badge of honor, and not only in my New York, from Brooklyn, from Queens. So I also saw tweeted back in May that you said you found your Quincy Jones. So for you Niggas, who's that Quincy Jones for you? For this album? So like a combinations, I ain't gonna lie, it's like so shout out to my boy Chris mcclinny. He just came on as pretty much my musical director on my

last tour, you know what I mean. He was very present on this album as well. He did the intro and all of the transitional skits in between with the keys. Um My boy Eric Ar Elliott, which is a monster yours, who co produced a joint with with Chris Um statics select. Why that is very underrated, you know what I mean, like in terms of just how much you know impact he has like the touches on the album, the sagas, a sequencing and stuff. Well, this decade is gonna Change,

so he's gonna run this stack. It feels like you guys, I mean obviously you've done a lot of work together, but for this project it feels like you guys took it to a whole another level. Absolutely absolutely chemistry different this time around. Nah, like always the same. It's just you got like it just we took a five year gap and okay, so boom, static is somebody who static is like my comfort zone, you know what I'm saying.

Like I'll be out in the world, I'll be working with everybody, I'll go to the land and work with everybody, go to L A, work with anybody. Then I come home and it's like with static, I just go over there by myself. I'm not y studio Yo, and it's just me and static in the room and we will do that probably like three or four times a year and come out with like ten tracks a year by just those random link ups, you know what I'm saying. Like, and we used to do way more when he was

actually my towards Dj. We would just be on the road cutting. Shut up, but we'll do that and ten by five years, it's like fifty records we just had, you know what I'm saying, and it's like it's so easy for us to tune in because we just got that chemistry, we got that report, you know what I'm saying.

So yeah, it's like it's it's like if every time I go to static crib, we were making were making something, you know what I mean, something that's definitely gonna stand out be one of those ones, like it's just kind of inevitable, because the thing is his work ethic is so crazy that he always just got one of those beats or two of those beats, you know what I'm saying. So I'll go on one sitting it's like all right, boom and we're gonna do it right on the spot.

And listening to the album, seems like you're all embracing your role as it like elder statesman in the game. Like you mentioned, you came in at seventeen, ten years in, like is that fair to say? Like on Zip Code you say ten years killing the game. I'm really going to get like are you embracing that? Absolutely, absolutely, you know, Um,

every day more and more too. It's like, especially to meet these new artists coming into the game, and it's like, you know, they're giving me my flowers, like, Yo, I've been listening since then. Boom, boom, boom. You know what I mean, like I paved the way for a lot of these young artists. You know what I'm saying, like I mean I remember when I first met a little busy B he said, Yo, Bro, you showed me that I could do this ship. I saw your video on MTV,

sucker free. I saw you like the same age as me, like you made me think it was possible. You know what I'm saying, like quote me, God, strike me if I'm there. You know what I'm saying, as you're feeling me, like, and he's not the only one. You know what I'm saying. Recipes, and my brother x recipes to juice world. You know what I'm saying, like they all have given me my flowers. You know what I'm saying. So I'm definitely Um, yeah, you know, I'm just I'm just walking into that. I can't.

I can't deny it. I can't. You know what I'm saying. And also it was like the workers there, the wisdom is there, you know what I'm saying, like the knowledge is there, the characters, there's head out you speak on acts, like what what compelled you to share that? Well, man, I just think he was a really special dude, you know what I'm saying, and I really did appreciate that

time that we spent together. I flew to Miami to work with him for a couple of days while he was on house arrest, and it's like, you know, we really connected with the same sign querious. Uh, we found the chemistry real quick, you know what I'm saying. And even before that, like we used to just speak. It's like we was pent piles. Sure, I mean like I was somebody he looked up to, you know what I mean.

So you hit me up and we were just chop it up about whatever, you know what I'm saying, and that was that was just my Homie, man, that was my that's my little bro for real. You know, you said you told him what his album was missing. What was it missing? It was missing, which, like it's kind of like what it wasn't like what I told him, because I was a big fan of seventeen, his first album, and I feel like he didn't have nothing in the vein of joscelyn floors or everybody dies in your nightmares.

So we made infinity right then and there. And then he made um remedy for a broken heart right after I left, like he was inspired type ship, you know what I'm saying. So that was it. He added those two and but that's dope to get it, to be able to have that conversation, to be kind of critical appearing like that, because I would want somebody the same thing for me, even even on this album, like my

brother Jid, you know what I'm saying. He's like Yo, you gotta put a female on this record right here. You gotta just have her sing the vocals, you know what I'm saying. On the joint that we did and on cruise control, he told me that before, you know what I mean, and my brother asked so same thing, like you know, Sol funny, though, he's like Yo. We thought you was you would tell me, like when? When when him and had her revenge? Like they thought that I was out of here. We thought you was like

fuck it. He's like Yo. We wasn't mad at you, though, but when I put him the album, he's like Yo, but I'm happy that this is the album, because I saw you said that you didn't like a lot of the UH backlash you got with devastated, like I love Devon, like talk about making a great record like that, and then sometimes people try to pull you and say, well, we want this sort of essence from you, like so boom devastated. Like what I realized is, yes'm I'm an artist, artist,

you know what I mean. Anybody around me can tell you that, like I will. I got ranged like a motherfucker. However, it doesn't matter to your consumers, you know what I'm saying, is like they're used to all right. It's like going to your favorite restaurant and the dish is the feather Chini, you know what I'm saying, and you close down. So you close down for like two weeks, you come back, your client tellers lined up and you ain't got the

fetter Geni on your man. We don't want to Tagle Telly, we don't want the rig of you know what I'm saying, like we want the fetter genie. You know what I'm saying. So, like that was the first that was me seeing that for the first time, like I thought that I thought what was so ill was, yo, how I could make this song and it's so different from any song I've

ever made and it could be this big song. Like everybody, I praise that and I know it's a lot of my fans will do praise that, but for the most part, the majority, they had to disconnect to that song because they didn't see my identity in it. They didn't see my identity in the sound. They didn't see the same guy that they fell in love with in that sound. You know what I'm saying, which is understandable to me now,

like the process that thought. You know, that's the show, because it was a lot of artists, now, the younger artists, to come in and make a big but you don't really connect to who they are yet just love the record exactly. You have built the error. You're from these generation. You know whether it's cold drake, you know you guys, Kendrick, you built your identity not for the before before you made hit records. You have built an identity. The gift is the curse. The give is the curse. You know

what I mean. But is it different understanding? When you have that awareness, it's like, okay, cool, like this is a hit album. You know what I mean? Like that's the difference between the record and you know what I'm saying. So how much proudly do you text? You do the Jay Z almansor like WHO's the best? Mc Kenny Cole? You know you are cold. How probably are you, being

from that generation of hip hop? How proud, very, you know, very, like I feel like what made it special to you, like, because we always draw up the drake Cole Kendrick Narrative. You what made a specialist? That we brought wrapping, rapping, back to the game at a time where it was just kind of, you know, it was if rap was really mainstream. It was, you know, we had greats like little Wayne, Jay z Kanye West, of course, but these

guys were mainstream. Like we brought the underground back. We literally were the underground movement of the time, you know what I'm saying, like we were the guys like, Oh, these guys are next up, these guys, giving these guys up top to pressure. Can you put up where I g up yesterday's say forever underground, infiltrating the mainstream. World Up, world up. You know what I'm saying? That's what it's been.

You know, that's what it always was. You mentioned them on the Baddest, you know, Cole and Kendrick, like, do you feel like those are the only competition right now? Jr D, and that's my brother. You know what I'm saying. Jed Denzel, you know what I mean. These guys are consistent in their crusts metiveness. Oh yeah, F shall FA, y'all, rest in peace, my dog, of course. You know what I'm saying. Um, yeah, these guys are all like in that mindset. I want to be the best. You know

what I'm saying. That's why I keep them close now, but those are really my brothers, though. You know what I'm saying, and it's like it reminds me of back in the days, me Steves and C j. You know what I'm saying. It's like, yeah, like you want to be close to the competition because that's how you stay on your don't you say that? Because a lot of

artists don't feel like they have that competitiveness. Yeah, I mean it's because a lot of artists don't want to give other artists, you know what I'm saying, like the publicly, you know what I'm saying, but it's like, Yo, we are all intertwerined anyway. You know what I'm saying, whether somebody speaks on it or not. You know I mean. I mean, I'm just keeping it real, but these also my guys, you know what I'm saying. That lyrics stood out to me. You say I'm taking steps to be

the best. To Lay me the rest all day I want. Like, what did those steps look like for you man? Just constant elevation, constant elevation, you know what I mean. Just always challenging myself, pushing myself to do things that I've never done and even if I got to reinvent, the will to do it better, you know what I'm saying, to do it stronger and ship like that. How did you of the balance from the you know, a lot of times we see hip hop, somebody's acting thing takes off.

It's hard to get back to that music. You know what I mean. How are you able to like find that balance? It's just alignment really, like, uh, I don't know, to be honest. I just always had a interest for TV and film. I got that first opportunity, knocked it out the park and it's just kind of been a snowball effect from there. At the same time still on my music career. You know, I just feel like this is this is kind of the first time we've seen

it done in this new generation. So I'm almost like right in the blueprint right now live, you know what I mean, in real time. I'm writing the blueprint on how to do that. I'm still figuring this ship out, but it's just I'm just letting it flow, you know what I'm saying, like I'm kind of just rolling with the punchers. But one thing I will say when it comes to TV and film, like I'm very particular about what I do, except what I do take on because one I do have another career, I have a reputation,

you know what I'm saying? That I don't want to talk. So I gotta be Super Selective with roles that I'm taking and TV and film like I can't be out here like playing like a ballerina. Yeah, yeah, just you know, certain roles you did. You supposed to be hard today for right. Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure. Shout to Um my man James. Yeah, we was trying to make that work out during the pandemic. But with the pandemic, plus me filming for Raising Kanan. We couldn't do it. Give Him.

How are you supposed to that? Right, I mean ship. So that role was like a two million dollar role. Yeah, you do touch on there's a lot of there's a lot of there's a lot of money, a little bit of money talk, but you also bring up like stocks and stuff like that. I talk about that transition of like, you know, everybody wants to get the bag right, but then with the bad comes responsibilities, and you're kind of touching that a little bit about, you know, how financial

stabilities kind of change your life. Oh Yeah, you know, I'm big on financial stability, financial literacy, financial freedom, you know what I mean, and since a from a young age, starting my stock portfolio early, my investment portfolio early. You know what I mean. Having conversations with certain people, you know what I'm saying, networking with the right people and things like that, reading books, doing my own knowledge, doing

my own research. That's Um like yeah, you know, we're at a point now where, you know, we could splurge and we can have fun, but the mentality is always

making the right and safe moves and investments. You know what I'm saying, like on cruise control, you kind of touching down a little bit, like you feel like there's a lot of hangar ons surrounding you and like people are just latching onto what we used to do, you know, not necessarily being a part of your life today right like I think there was that lyric was like a lot of people thought that they were there for me.

They were just in the way. So how do you like Navigat and like kind of filter out those people that are in the way? That's a great question. Uh, it's something that I learned with time. You know what I mean? It's just energy, is the first thing. You know what I'm saying. You gotta pay attention to how you feel when you're around certain people or once you leave certain people, once you have a certain exchange of certain people. Do you feel robbed, do you feel liberated?

They feel positive, do you feel negative? To me, starting to pay attention to things like that and just kind of cleaning up my circle and tightening it up and, you know, really seeing people for if they was taking something from me or if they was contributed and there was a mutual thing, you know, and just learning my discern building my discernment from that it's definitely, like I said, something that happened over time because, you know, you got

trials and tribulations, like you learn things about people. Um, one of my recent lessons is love ain't enough. I mean, like love ain't enough for me to bend over backwards. You know what I'm saying, like at first, maybe, but after a while, like not. You know what I'm saying, like it's it's a it's a boundary you gotta set. After a while it's a breaking point. Yeah, but love just Sain't enough. I know you had a spiritual wakening back in junior. You know the album. You say you

meditate every day. Like, how has that helped you? It helps me a lot. Actually, don't meditate every day. I tried to intentionally, like you know, I want to meditate every day. It's kind of like a manifestation. At the point. I was, though, you know what I'm saying. I definitely, when I wrote that Song I was, but it's it's hard to find that stillness in that piece when you're showing the move, you know what I mean, like I've been non stopped since May and I'm just getting back home,

like off the tour. You know, trying to find that

stillness and everything. But it's very important, man, because you gotta be able to slow down time a little bit and really premeditate things that you want to do and decisions that you want to make, because when you're just living on the pulse all the time, it's Um so it's like a bunch of doors, you know, and if you if you're living on the post every time, like you don't, you ain't got time to really consider which doors is necessarily the best to take you just so

it's instead of it being five doors, it's just too you're just gonna, you know what I'm saying, choose left or right. You know what I'm saying. So it's important because you you get to maximize opportunities. That way. You gotta take that stimmus. You gotta have that moment of clarity because also, if you're burnt out, that don't serve anybody. You know what I'm saying, you can't. You can't do anything to the best of your ability if you're not

feeling your best self. You know what I'm saying, you can't give nothing you. So, whatever it is, you know what I mean, you should you you show up to work, like beat out, not a hundred percent this rap radar interview. It's kind of like like it was good, but I don't know what's wrong to be I'm sure having you know, your daughter, it sent to you as well. Right, absolutely, I mean not only did this censer me, but like

it really softened me, you know what I mean? It made me much more patient, much more gentle and delicate in my approach. Yeah, I read on the stars. You said that was the wake up. Right, it was a wake up because that was at the point in my life where I was taking care of so many people and I thought that I had to, like I thought

it was my absolute responsibility. So when I had my kid, it was like, Oh, shift, I only got one you know what I'm I only got one person and I'm really actually obligated to provide for and it was a big wake up call for me because now I was like all right, like it almost was the right excuse to right, you know what I'm saying? It's like all right, yeah, my kid is here. You know what I'm saying, I

gotta get yeah, this is this baby girl. No hard feelings. Absolutely, family seems to be like an underlying theme throughout the project. I mean I've been introduced to Richie. Rich it was like your cousin. Yeah, he said You wrote your first round for you. Yeah, my cousin Richie. Do you remember that wrong? M My name is little Jay and I got the nine. You messed with me and I blow off your mind. They hating couse. I'll be on my grind and I always shine, while you acting like yourself.

Clocks Fall, put a pipe bomb in your mailbox. You'all was like six, seven, eight, rapping that verse, I not even knowing what the funk I was talking about. I remember one time, like my mom was like, you know, she was hosting the fans, like she had her friends and over about the house, and like they was asking me what you want to be when you grew up, and I was like, I want to be a rapper. And then they're like, you want to be a rapper

and you gotta know how to wrap. You rap them like yeah, they're like rap, and I wrapped that verse. My mom looked at me like she said, you know where the nun is? I said No. She said, listen, if you want to wrap, you rap, but you make sure you stick to what you know. Wow, that's what my duds told me, you know what I'm saying, that from there. I looked it up. I was like, oh, that's a good it's good. But then did you feel

like you want? You wanted to be a rapper. I wanted that quick kicking, that that could be a reality for you. Always, there was always a reality, I mean since I saw a biggie on the TV. I don't know, it was something about Biggie that just made me feel from a very young age that I could be that.

You know, I remember going to first grade for the first time and being introduced to poetry and I was like, Oh, like the way my brain registered it is like this is what Biggie does, and then from there I would write poems and rap structures, you know what I'm saying. And that's that's where it started. Right there. You mentioned, it always comes up a lot, the infamous meeting with Jay z right you said on the record. You say I pete game like Ja. That's why you didn't sign us.

Can we speak a little about that? Why? Why did you go there with it? You know what I'm saying? I mean, you know, just pretty much being like all right, so I read Jay Z's book to Code It, and one of my biggest takeaways from that was when he had that meeting with Russell Simmons when he's like Yo, he said he realized in that moment I don't want to sign to these Niggas, I want to beat these niggas. So that was that. That was like a nod to that bar. You know what I'm yeah, shout out to

Jay said obviously have a great relationship. Yeah, no, we're here, we're good. I mean, you know, we cord you, like, you know, I don't call him or anything, but like every time we see each other we have a great convo and it's just last time you see me. Actually he was like Yo, it's hard for me to differentiate you from your character, which you as colleague of jail. But said like, man is kind of one of the biggest forces behind the scenes. Like what's it like working

with him? Yeah, man, me and manly we've been working for the last five years. It's great, man, we got this really good dynamic. You know what I'm saying? UH, should I hope, like brand CEOS and ship don't be tuning in wrap radar, because the suppose a little joy, but like we got this good bad cop, good cop like dynamic, you know what I'm saying, and it's it's a really good approach. We got this good chemistry and report like manily is my man for Real, you know

what I'm saying. He has helped me turn my ship around, make all my ship makes sense, because before I met him, my ship was a mess, you know what I'm saying, like all my ship was convoluted. I ain't so all over the place and hours altogether and organized. John. Yeah, you said you feel like you're the most underrated, but you leasie, ain't the most underpaid, right. Yea. One of the records that stood out to me too on the album is survivor skill. Yeah, obviously touched on like Steves

and other family member, junior beat. Can you talk about him and like the impact that he had in your life? Yeah, man, junior B was that was my older cousin. It was junior and it was my cousin Craig. Junior was an older brother. Craig was a younger brother and like growing up they were like almost like these big brother figures in my life. You know what I'm saying, and you had a lot of cousins rail too. Yeah, I mean my I got a big ass family. I got a

big ass family and yeah, I'm grateful for that. I remember at the end of thirteen, like I was really depressed. I was adjusting with the fame. It was like my second year in the game. Just lost my man a

year ago. Still dealing with that, not knowing how to deal with it, you know, and not knowing how to grieve, just a little bit in over my head and, Um, you know, I was venting the junior one day and I told him, like, I need help, you know what I'm saying, and he was always somebody who was very responsible and very, you know, put together and organized, so I knew I could kind of lean on him a bit.

And he said, yeah, I'm gonna finish this semester school and I'm gonna Clump there and he came up the year and that whole year like really helped me get my ship together, you know what I'm saying. Like he was my day to day, my assistant, my tour manager. We lived together every day. He woke me up, you know, saying the first voice, first face I would hear, last voice, last face I would see. You know, what I'm saying.

We was doing a tour at the end often and Europe tour, and he had to go home because he couldn't come to a certain country because his passport or whatever, and he went back home for Thanksgiving and that's when he had passed away. And Uh, tragic Carson and like a block away from his career. You know what I'm saying. And Yeah, that was that was real hard on the family. Um, super hard on me too. I mean I was on the road, not knowing what to do. He was in

the hospital. He was in hospital for about like six days, six seven days before he passed. So I didn't I didn't know how to feel. I didn't know what was gonna happen. Like I felt like he would have wanted me to stay on the tour, so I stayed and then I didn't get to see him before he passed. And you know, that ship always played a big part in my grieving and everything. You know what I'm saying. So yeah, man, Um, that's how how tough was it?

The records if I was guilt and like you don't really lay it out there because you're touch on a lot of the only thing that was tough about it was that I had to record it in front of other people, but it was cool, you know what I'm saying, like it was. It was my people, so, you know, I wasn't bugged out too much. But the recording process was good. Man, it felt the reputed to get that out, to get that record. Like even writing it was such

a therapeutic process. And I also didn't write it like it just was coming to me, and I'm just the whole song, the whole song, the whole first verse. It was just coming to him, you know what I'm saying, and I'm just reciting and reciting it over and over, and that's what makes it so, you know what I mean, real like. I don't think I could even wrote that on paper, like it had to be like that because of the way I was speaking, you know what I'm saying.

And Yeah, even like steel, you talk about mental health and how we look at that now compared to how we looked at it back then and how important we view it right and back then it was so much more taboo, you know what I mean? It was so much more taboo, like especially for black people, you know, like black people are just don't open up to it

a little bit, a little bit. You know what I'm saying, like I'm, I'm, I'm I've been telling a lot of my niggas that you need to go to therapy and they still want some, you know, like Kend the real niggas don't need therapy or whatever. So how about what stecy's family? How have they received that record? Because I felt like you kind of not say you apologize, but just you know, you spoke about your relationship with them. I mean, you know, I gave my perspective on this situation. Um,

you know, unfortunately I don't speak to them anymore. I don't really have a relationship with them, so I'm not sure how they received it, you know, but my attention was definitely not for them to receive it any bad type of way, and I think that's kind of understood in the record. If anything, I was looking forward to this uniting something, to possibly have his music come out, you know what I mean. And how did as get

on the outro of that record? It's kind of to have him because it felt like that record that he had on book a soul Um. So AB got her homie named Doe Burger, which is like his brother when he was also like my brother. You know, we got really close since when we all met, like as my brother. You know what I'm saying, we got matching tattoos, we got forty seven, you know what I'm saying, like that's my dog, ad man dough. So do pass back in December and that was that was like I didn't go

to l a without hitting though, or seeing though. I wouldn't even see solo a lot of the times, but I would see though, and like that was me connecting with Solo. You know what I'm saying. That was his standing pretty much. Do you feel me? And like those just hold all of the homies older than homies. You feel me? So when he passed, that hit us really hard and with this new album coming out, like I

really wanted to channel his energy through it. So I asked for Solo and you know, Solo and Steve's also had an interesting Russia too, so I thought that was just a good way to kind of tie it together Solo, to say some words, like you know what I'm saying, and dropped doeburger name in there too. So that that's the homies right there. You feel me? I kind of

like how like on the track list. You don't see nos, you don't see a Solon you know, it's just like you gotta listen to minute features in addition to the ones. That's soon. Yeah, yeah, yeah, thanks. Thanks for appreciating that. What do you say about the album I just said? I just said fire. You didn't say fire, but it was a genuine fire, though. I was like no, be that really fuxing my album. Something he got makes a

lot of list. We don't talk about that, but you know, not to stay anybody's opinions, the opinion, but if you put me outside of the top ten, motherfucker, that to stay too, boy. But before you release this album, you had to record with Russ and danger mouse because right he talked about a shooting that happened on thirty Fourth Street. He said they're still haunt you. Can you talk about

that moment? Man, I was really young and I think I was with my mom's in like a tilor shop or something like that, right on Church Avenue and thirty four street. It was just like out of nowhere. It was just mad shot, you know what I'm saying, and that was the first time that happened to me as a kid. You know what I'm because it's it's many of the Times after that, like just being in proximity of gunshots or whatever, but that was the first time.

So that was like the real first traumatic experience, you know what I'm saying, and that just always like kind of run with me because I remember how terrified I was in that moment, like I was a little kid. I'm like Yo with somebody just gonna running this store and just shoot us, you know what I mean, like you don't know what to think at that age. It was don't to hear you and rust connect on that record. We had an interview with him. He talked about it on his book, about how he met you before he

became famous. Do you remember that moment? Oh yeah, absolutely. I'll never forget that moment because even that day, like he had this confidence about it. Guys, I pulled up to my my homie kids superspot, because he got that. We the old one that he had in Brooklyn right on Broadway, and you know, just regularly just pull up there and just hang out. Um, he had like a little makeshift soccer field in his backyard. We play soccer.

So one day I pull up and Russ is there and, you know, we're just kicking there, we're playing soccer, and he just like, I liked this energy, you know what

I mean. He had this real confident energy, like he seemed like he was very self alware and knew what he wanted to do and, like, you know, we spoke and it was something about the exchange that I've seen that he what I saw, where he got from it, and it was interesting because years later in his book he actually detailed the experience, which is how I actually perceived it, and what he said is that when he met me, like the fact that we were just there,

was playing soccer and I was just chilling. I was so humble. He said it made him see like like, like it just feeled the fire under him, like he was already had his plan, but meeting me like kind of cemented in his brain that he was gonna make it happen for real, for Real, you know what I'm saying.

And I thought that that was dope, because that's always my approach, that's always my intention, like I always say, like when fans or whoever approached me on the street, I try to always show love, because you never know where they at in that in life, in that moment where they were in life when they first heard your music or got introduced to you, what you did to them, how you influenced them, like you would never know, you know what I'm saying, so that one interaction could go

such a long way, you know what I mean, based on the energy that you give to these people. You know what I'm saying, because that's really hobby. It's like, Damn, like you right here outside, like you outside and I'm you, were I'm at. I could be where you at, like that's like how the calculation works. You know, if you could do it, I could do it. Like, Yo, I touched right here, you know. So I definitely like to

give people that experience. You know what I'm saying, because I feel like that's one of my that's probably my sole purpose alone, is to inspire. You definitely inspired us on this project. Man, we're gonna wait five years for another album or no, that happens, I need you to run me down. I remember back in tweeted that you finished the album like three times. Did you save any of that older material? Absolutely, I got like there was like three albums, three or four albums that I did.

You know what I'm saying. Like I said, the first two, which could just probably be uh combined into one, was depression. You know what I mean. It's a real somber project and there's one song of for their Cool Ground Zero, I see my fans ask me about all the time because I had performed it on the beast coast tour like every night. That's just an unreleased song. So like, yeah, I definitely have plans on that music coming out in the future, but I just gotta find the right opportunities.

You know what I'm saying, because I want to be very intentional with my music, like I want to make sure that, like, when it comes out, it's aligned with how my current feelings are or my current sentiments are, you know what I mean. So, which song were you the most proud of on this project? It's a great question. You talking your ship on a lot of them. Man, I really love shown me. I really love showing me.

I just think it's like it was just the way, just the whole way it came about like that was I've never detailed a situation that I experienced so perfectly, I feel like, into words and it's just the mood of it, the man, I trust sample, like I'm just really how I put that on it, you know what I'm saying, and I definitely want to tune into that lane a little bit more. Like I look at showing me like in the in the vein of love is only a feeling. You know what I mean? It's like

that Lane and love is only feeling. Is My biggest song. Like I think people have an affinity or appreciation of love for my love songs, a couple of them. Yeah, I like make me feel cruise control, even just having did these presents on their over to the bar. Sample. When you talk about my favorite songs like it, then they change every week. But the baddest uh make me that whole for one, Dude. Yeah, man, it's but in

the head high is another one. Like I feel like head high is just gonna be one of those songs that, no matter what year, no matter whatever you play, then it's always gonna be strong, it's always gonna have that vibe. Like to me that's just a quintessential hip hop record. You know, it's storytelling, fucking flow sound. It's just I love that right. It's ill on eulogy, because I don't even realize was realized it was you on the second verse.

Oh Yeah, yeah, when I pitched this, that's just joey. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Thank you, joey brother contended. Man, I'm just I'm putting out there that that man, I'm here. I didn't even have to say it myself. You know what I'm saying. Something happens. Become yourself proclaiming. I'm just letting the people speak. There's people that I've known that not necessarily with Joey Badass fans prior, that have like, Yo, that Joey Badass albums, like kind of like a word of mouth album. So

I told you your bars in there. Like it's definitely my favorite project you put out. Thank you, thank you. I appreciate that. It's my favorite project I put out too. I think it used to be, yes, but I think my best project is still all American Badas. Yeah, really, okay, we'll start that debatable comments. Ye Ja. Yeah, rap Rador is an interval presents original production from Hyper House, produced by Laura Wasser, hosts and producers Elliott Wilson and Brian

B Dot Miller. Her medival presents executive producers Alan Coy and Jay Kleinberg. Executive producer Paul Rosenberg, editing his sound design by Dylan Alexander Freeman, recording engineer Mike Urban, visual director Josh Perez, Operations Lead Sarah You, business development lead Cheffie Allen Swgg and marketing lead Samara still. Make sure to follow rapperator or listen on Amazon music or wherever you get your podcasts.