Friday, April 14, 2017

ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADASS

   Yes, America with three K's. The latest from Brooklyn MC Joey Bada$$, who took the Hip-Hop world by storm just 4 years ago impressing folks with his beats bars and notable fact that he was only 17 at the time and fresh out of high school. As the second track states: "This is for my people, tryna stay alive and just stay peaceful". This album keeps the theme of being Black in America today, as the title and album cover may imply. On the cover, Joey is sticking out of a car window with both middle fingers up, while an american flag made out of bandannas, or at least a bandanna pattern is attached to the car. The bandanna presumably represents the gang culture Black men in America are villainized for, it can also represent that the U.S. is really the biggest gang of all.



 In the land of the free, it's full of free loaders 
Leave us dead in the street to be their organ donors 
They disorganized my people, made us all loners 
Still got the last names of our slave owners
-"LAND OF THE FREE"


    Every song is quite exceptional, from top to bottom this album bumps. With songs that sound GOOD, and raw honest lyrics. Musically this is the pure Hip-Hop you would already expect from Joey, with sounds that are reminiscent of Biggie, The Wu-Tang Clan, and Nas. ALL-AMERIKKAN BADASS is true testimony at its most genuine. There is no fluff, no dilution, just truth. Though, this album is a solid project there are a number of standout tracks. Which include, "TESTIMONY", "LAND OF THE FREE", this first single "DEVASTATED", wait wait wait, Never mind. EVERY song is AMAZING. Every hook, Every bar, every feature. The features also all appear to be a pleasant surprise. Yes, you can just read the titles yet when you haven't and the feature just begins spitting it's like taking a bite out of a fudge brownie lava cake and all the goodness just spills out. Features include SchoolBoy Q, J. Cole, Chronixx, Styles P., and more. I am thoroughly impressed by this entire album, in ways I can not express. Another track to highlight is "Y U DON'T LOVE ME", a direct message to America.

     With the political climate in the U.S., the election of an under qualified bigot as the president, and the Black Lives Matter movement this album is a declaration of what it means to be a Black man in America today, right now, currently. At the oscars three Black films were nominated for best documentary, "OJ: Made in America", "I Am Not Your Negro", and "13th" all providing historical and contemporary facts in regards to the criminalization, the villainization, and assassination of Black Men in America. Also the film "Moonlight" challenging masculinity and the vulnerability of Black men won Best Picture, the most prestigous Academy Award. Not that the topic is new but ALL-AMERIKKAN BADASS is so very necessary, especially right now. This album can easily go toe-to-toe with Kendrick's previous official album 'To Pimp a Butterfly" on the basis of content, context, bars and instrumentation. Not to mention the nod to Hip-Hop legend Ice Cube, who's debut album was titled "AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted".

   Please do yourself a favor and listen to this album. For now, check out Joey's latest video, for "LAND OF THE FREE".


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