The word “woke” is used a lot these days, but 22-year-old Brooklyn rapper Joey Bada$$ — who recently sparked debate after claiming he could flame 2Pac in a battle — is taking the term to new heights on his latest effort All-Amerikkkan Bada$$. Highly anticipated by his core fan base, and a great consolation prize for those who were disappointed Kendrick Lamar didn’t deliver on something he never actually promised anyways, the album is just as great as we collectively imagined it would be. Kendrick’s delay was probably a blessing, as the album is soaking up every bit of shine it deserves.
Cover to cover it’s packed with scorching political commentary. In many ways, it makes a statement. From the album title right down to the tracklist — which deliberately appears in all caps — this is Joey asserting his status as the leader of the millennial revolution. It’s a timely collection of anti-establishment anthems that anyone who considers themselves keeping it real should play on repeat. Also, it’s almost entirely self-produced, which is super impressive.
Just how woke is Joey you ask? Here are 10 of the most conscious and socio-political quotes from the project. If you haven’t already, you can stream it now.
“GOOD MORNING AMERIKKKA”
“Now, what’s freedom to you? Let’s talk about it, take a minute, think it through/I’m all about it, but the concept seems new/The coppers still shoot us down on Channel 5 news/Lock us up for anythin’ we do to pay dues/ Some of us woke while some stay snoozed.”
“FOR MY PEOPLE”
“They don’t wanna see you fly, they just gonna shoot your wings/Everything ain’t what it seem: Wishin’ all these dirty cops, would come clean/Still swervin’ on these city blocks, for one thing/My man just copped a 30 shot, protect the team, know what I mean?”
“TEMPTATION”
“Tell me how we gon’ make a livin’/Hustle on the block, who gon’ save the children?/Man it’s all a plot and I’m just revealin’/The media just tryna make a villain.”
“LAND OF THE FREE”
“Sometimes I speak and I feel like it ain’t my words/Like I’m just a vessel channeling inside this universe/I feel my ancestors unrested inside of me/It’s like they want me to shoot my chance in changing society.”
“Y U DON’T LOVE ME”
“Know it must hurt for you to see me evolve/Why you gotta kick me down on all fours?/Why you can’t stand to see me stand tall?/Tell me why we got a war?/Why we gotta fight? Why we always gotta spar for?”
“ROCKABYE BABY”
“Time is running up, feel the burn in my gut/And if you got the guts, scream, ‘Fuck Donald Trump’/We don’t give a fuck, never had one to give/Never will forget, probably never will forgive/Uh, I guess that’s just how it is/And they still won’t let the black man live.”
“SUPER PREDATOR”
“Call me the general, pushing that new agenda through/For my millennials, troubled youth and the felons too/Tryna be perennial, but chance of livin’ is minimal/She critical, exactly what made my niggas criminals.”
“BABYLON”
“Fifty years later, still see my brothers choked to death/R.I.P. to Eric Garner, only right I show respect/Nowaday they hangin’ us by a different tree/Branches of the government, I can name all three/Judicial, legislative and executive/Lock your pops away, your moms, then next the kids/It’s all consecutive.”
“LEGENDARY”
“It’s clear we livin’ in hell, the life of a black male/Right out the womb, you come out, and it’s a bunch of blackmail/Just waitin’ for you to fail, a special room in the jail/With your name, a number on it so you property now/I see it properly now, it’s what the poverty ’bout/It’s all a game of Monopoly, tryna cop me a house/An elephant in the room until I fit in my tomb.”
“AMERIKKKAN IDOL”
“And they judgin’ just because my skin color is brown/And for that, they wanna leave me dead in the ground/And have the nerve to blame it all on my background/Sorry white Amerikkka, but I’m about to black out.”
It’s a DOPE album. Incredible actually. This whole world is cause and effect. Until you change the cause they won’t give you respect. Joey DOIN IT RIGHT NOW!
Thought it was so basic.., like he wanted to touch deep subjects, but conveyed them so simply like it was a 9th grade conspiracy head lol. You want deep stuff that’s less frank, absoul longerm 2
No disrespect to Joey tho, he’s doing good. Just felt cheesy to me.
I hear you. Those who really about this, done their own research etc., its only basic/touching the surface. But for those who are not aware at all (like Q said on his verse ‘influencing white children’…) I’m sure there are a lot of things that will be eye opening. Hopefully spur them to do their own research. To a certain extent you gotta keep it basic enough to not lose people, but at the same time he did TOUCH ON a lot. I especially was feeling the spoken word piece at the end. It hopefully shakes people enough to start looking more deeply themselves. Joey just tryna be gateway, which is still admirable imo
I respect what he’s trying to do, but the bars that DX picked out really are not that great. Maybe that’s just DX. They don’t always have the greatest taste. I’ll listen for myself
Yep. Theres way better lyrics on the album
Legend in the making can’t believe its been 5 years since survival tactics
It’s a nice album. I hope he continues this way.
Revolutionary how? Please tell me how these lyrics are revolutionary bc I ain’t seein it. F sakes I guess Nicki Minaj is revolutionary too rite foh
It won’t be revolutionary if someone spits bars about unjust politics on the level of a 14 year old.
A lot of people are hating on Joey, Kendrick, logic and Jole, while these mumble rappers are widely praised. What’s wrong with people?
What? Nobody’s hating on Joey, Kendrick or J Cole?
DX confuse revolutionary with conscious. Revolutionary is groundbreaking, and with all due respect, this is not. Still like the album though and more power to Joey doe droppin some conscious bars.
Joey is a decent mc heard the album it was alright but to say your better than PAC and drop an album that’s short of a classic c’mon dawg this is no where revolutionary listen to Me against the world and makaveli 2 classic revolutionary albums dx
Wtf is ur problem? He didnt say he was better than him he said he was a better spitter, which he is. A lot of people are better than Pac One on One but they cant mess with pacs song writing abilities. KRS- One is better than Pac but that dont mean shit when Pac is revolutionary rapper with crazy song writing capabilities. My top 3 is Krs, Pac, Nas. Joey is on his way to top 15
Don’t be a dick rider bro. Let’s be honest Tupac had a great voice vocally that appealed to the masses. I respect PAC tremendously BUT PAC BARS WERE SUBPAR. Bar for Bar the guy was average. Shit name me one double entendre or Near rhymes or anything like that.. the guy practically hit the HENNESSEY for his ENEMIES on every fuckin song bro I mean come on get serious. There’s a lot of rappers that killing PAC i know y’all hate to hear that but shit it’s true. Pac couldn’t even tie biggie shoe strings.. BAR FOR BAR, not hit for hit PAC’s the guy but Bar for Bar nah the guy was about as much of a force as Derrick Rose to the knicks bro
Biggie got spanked by 2pac. Don’t give me this bar for bar crap. HIT EM UP is the one of if not THE greatest diss of all time and if Pac was here he’d take a belt to Joey’s young azz. Biggie or Joey couldn’t EVER drop a diss that heavy because they just don’t have the FIRE like Pac and they NEVER will…not even Eminem has put down a greater diss than Makaveli
I don’t disagree with what ya sayin, BUT I do disagree that Em couldn’t drop a better diss. Bully (Ja Rule diss) and Girls (Limp Bizkit diss) are 2 of the greatest lyrical diss tracks in hip hop history
Nobody remembers Eminem, JaRule or Limp Bizkit as D.O.A for a beef so just how ”REAL” did it get?
Ether is a better diss than Hit Em Up
Pacs songs touch the heart and minds, that inspired a lot of people and rappers, got a lot of people though some hard times and to me that’s what hip hop is about he had messages in his music. Go listen to pain, dear momma, baby don’t cry, straight balling, how long will they morn me, no other rapper has songs like him full stop. Shall I carry on listing songs so I can educate you youngster?
Great album
DX chose the “black parts” but completely ignored Joey real message, which is humanity. Here are the lyrics they shouldve included for American Idok. “//With all of the conflict of propaganda, I believe they are simply tryna slander
Start a Civil War within the USA amongst black and white and those alike
They are simply pushin’ us to our limit so that we can all get together and get with it
They want us to rebel, so that it makes easier for them to kill us and put us in jails”//
Damn
The album was very basic, the lyrics were something like C-grade poems from a 9th grade creative writing class.
But the worst thing about Joey Badass new album were the beats, they sound like instrumentals you hear on smooth jazz radio stations playlists designed for 55 year old white people.
If Joey Badass wants to take this rap game seriously, he needs to get better producers like Metro Boomin or Mike Will Made It on his album because those beats were embarrassing.
Bro I guarantee the Migos album is way better than joeys. I like Joey but I don’t even have to listen to it to know that it’s not better than the culture album.
Hahahah these lyrics are “revolutionary”?!?!? TF is wrong with these DX writers? Y’all stay reaching with shit. Must be a boring as hell at that office where you gotta make news stories up outta thin air.
listened to my first bad ass project gotta say its mixed..his verses and lyrics are sharp and dope…but his hooks and songs are just awful. its almost like he worked 100 on his verses then got to the hook said fuck it and threw on his first sentence he could think. very lazy..the potentials there
Yeah his hooks have that old school vibe from 90s. Hes dope though, his 1st album is very good too check it out
I have to agree here. Especially the hooks on the first half are just so… bland.. feels like not much thought went into some of them, like you said.
PARIS – PISTOL POLITICS is WAY MORE revolutionary than this confused triple K wannabee…It’s 2017 and this fool still can’t live up to the 1990’s
Mate, Joey does not think of himself as revolutionary, that’s HipHop DX, go blame them.
what dictionary did you look up revolutionary with?
How revolutionary of him, saying “Fuck Donald Trump”, just like everybody else who is too stupid to think for themselves. A real daring rapper who wanted to go against the grain would point out that the hysteria surrounding Trump and Black Lives Matter is a media manufactured farce being promoted to divide people, say that white people aren’t the problem, the bloods and crips are. THAT is what today’s struggle is and THAT would be revolutionary. This ultra liberal crap is playing it safe, there is no risk to his career in anything you listed here whatsoever, because everyone has been indoctrinated to agree with him. Trump is the man, Fuck Joey Bada$$ until he takes the red pill.
Trump is a racist pig, a zionist. Make Israel Great Again.
You obviously haven’t listened to the whole album
He’s a great artist and performer, but I wouldn’t go as far as to say revolutionary. He might be if you’re not of working age and have limited exposure in general, but other than that I don’t think so. If he is to some kid though, then that’s great.
Is this a joke list? Is it April fools day still?
hahahahah this guy sucks
Joey is dope! Wow I can’t believe all the hating going on in this thread!
So basically a bunch of whiny bullshit from someone who makes millions touring “hell” on earth. Go visit South Sudan.