Joey Bada$$ has defended working with Chris Brown on “Welcome Back,” a track that appears on the Brooklyn rapper’s long-awaited new album 2000, which arrived on Friday (July 22).
In support of the new LP, Joey hosted an AMA on Reddit on Monday (July 25), where he took questions from fans spanning a multitude of topics.
One fan asked why Joey would work with Chris Brown given the singer’s troubled past, including the time he assaulted ex-girlfriend Rihanna in a Lamborghini the night prior to the 2009 Grammys.
“Chris Brown is one of the most talented artist musicians of all time are you kidding me?” Joey Bada$$ replied. “It was an honor that he was even so willing to be a part of my album.”
He continued: “He’s also a friend of mine. I get it, you guys may not think he’s perfect or cool because of things he’s done in his past, but which one of you guys are perfect?”
Joey then shut down a fan who called the Chris Brown question “brave,” instead referring to the individual as “close-minded.”
Elsewhere during the chat, Joey Bada$$ hinted that his next project would focus more on his previous relationships and romance while channeling his inner-Kanye West circa 2008’s electro-pop 808s & Heartbreak album.
Joey Bada$$ Hints At Channeling Kanye West's '808s & Heartbreak' On Next Album
“With 2000 I wanted to have fun and not think too much. Flex up and talk my shit a bit,” he wrote in response to one fan. “I definitely can see myself visiting the [All-AmeriKKKan Bada$$] more conceptual and socially aware but a part of me wants to touch on love and my experience with romantic relationships a bit more.”
He added: “Something like a boom BAP and heartbreak album. I know my fans will probably hate that but that’s a direction I’ve been wanting to take for a while now whether you motherfuckers like it or not.”
2000 served as Joey’s first album since 2017’s All-AmeriKKKan Bada$$ and he’s currently on pace to sell 22,000 total album-equivalent units, according to Akademiks.
Shouldn’t have addressed it. Now he just look dumb. Yea, we’ve all made mistakes, none of us are perfect. But there is a very large gap between being perfect and abusing women.
“Chris Brown is one of the most talented artist musicians of all time are you kidding me?” said no one ever except perhaps for Brown himself and his mom…
Thirteen years. How many murderers, rapists, and drug dealers done came in the game and got support, this mf did his time. I ain’t taking up for him but that mf did his time. At this point, that stain on him forever, fresh as the day it happened.
I just don’t know how you can fuck with someone who beat the shit out of a woman. It’s really weird in this crazy cancel culture era we live in that Chris Brown is still selling out tours. Plus it’s easily the worst song on the Joey album.