Towards the very finish of the weblog period, New York was searching for its subsequent “rapper’s rapper” champion, and Joey Bada$$ emerged as its fiercest — and youngest — contender. Blessed with uncommon verbal kinesthesia and the spirit of an previous Wu-Tang Clan talisman, the then-17-year-old materialized as an almost full product, with 1999 crystallizing his standing as a younger micro icon. At this time, he turns 30, and issues have modified, however the high quality of the bars haven’t.
When he isn’t showing in motion pictures or TV reveals, Joey reveals off the talents that helped make him a younger legend. A tidy constellation of nimble flows and twitchy rhyme schemes, albums like B4.Da.$ , All-Amerikkkan Bada$$ , and 2000 being vessels for syntactic acrobatics and understated wordplay. With the power to be as exact as he’s unwieldy, Joey has remained one of many strongest technical spitters of his period. He doesn’t drop typically, however he hits when he does. To rejoice his birthday, it’s time to try which bars hit the toughest.
At this time, Okayplayer takes a have a look at Joey Bada$$’s 30 finest verses. Test it out for your self under.
1. “Waves” (Verse 2)
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Accompanied by Freddie Joachim’s luscious beat (significantly, arguably the most effective rap beats of the 2010s), Joey’s raps on “Waves” are primarily his correct introduction to the rap sport — and it’s an electrical one. Right here, he flaunts breathless flows with languid ease as he paints a story of relentless ambition. Fittingly, “Waves” was proof that Joey would quickly be making his personal. —Charles Elliott
2. “Snakes” (Verse 1)
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Like his finest1999 stanzas, “Snakes” verse 1 is as agile as it’s meditative, with Joey flipping by lucid ideas with acrobatic finesse. The alliteration right here solely accentuates the casually profound nature of his observations: “These ain’t honest races, they only let the worry erase us/Adopted by the slums, son of weapons that is how they raised us.” – Peter A. Berry
3. “Survival Techniques” (Verse 1)
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In the event you like layered wordplay, “Survival Techniques” might be one in every of your favourite Joey verses. This one’s an train in homonyms. “I am a martian with a military of Spartans” seems like “I am marchin’ with a military of Spartans.” “Sparring with a knife in a missile battle” which is also “Spawning with a knife in a missile battle.” It might be both an historic Spartan dominating a battle with fashionable weapons, or an area battle with Spartans from the Halo universe, spawning right into a multiplayer sport with rocket launchers. Simply extraordinarily spectacular stuff for anybody — not to mention a 17-year-old.- Patrick Smith
4. “Killuminati Pt 2” (Verse 1)
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Kendrick’s “Management” verse didn’t point out Joey, however that didn’t cease him from responding and refuting Kendrick’s declare to the title of “King of NY.” It’s a toss up, however we like Verse 1 the perfect. In it, Joey has extra homonym enjoyable as he shifts between double meanings whereas bouncing between completely different pockets of the beat. – Patrick Smith
5. “Hardknock” (Verse 3)
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For this one, Joey makes use of dense imagism and tightly wound rhyme schemes to interlock childhood innocence with blockboy trauma. Shifting by recollections, he tightropes light optimism and the truths he’s discovered from a chilly world: “Youngsters don’t play, they’ll erase your head in a race for the bread/Kids on the corners slingin’ some regs, poppin’ some meds.” – Peter A. Berry
6. “#LongLiveSteelo” (Verse 1)
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Saying goodbye to previous buddies by no means will get simpler, particularly once they’re lifeless. It’s a battle Joey’s fought typically because the demise of his good friend Capital STEEZ, and he takes us to the frontline in “#LongLiveSteelo” verse 1. Right here, he makes us really feel the burden of the battle with lucid reminiscences and questions he’ll by no means get solutions to.—Peter A. Berry
7. “‘95 Til Infinity” (Verse 1)
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“‘95 Til Infinity” verse 1 is peak Joey. It’sobtained a dense rhyme schemes, wordplay, metaphors and homonyms–it’s packed. He begins with a staccato acapella to icapture your consideration. He brags about his rap prowess and comfortably finds the pocket because the beat returns, and although the sound of the monitor is laidback, Joey’s lyrics are aggressive. This verse is without doubt one of the many causes Joey will get in comparison with the growth bap titas of yesteryear. – Patrick Smith
8. “Suspect” (Verse 10)
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For his 1999 closing monitor, Joey makes use of the final verse to lean into his NY rap roots. On a tune that quotes Nas, he begins his verse with an allusion to a different Illmatic track (“Life’s A Bitch”) and matches an acrobatic stream to a beat that’s as trendy as it’s preternaturally calm. He caps the affair with the strongest, most emblematic line on the entire monitor: “See God made three Bigs, two Pacs, however he solely made one error, The Period.” – Patrick Smith
9. “The Ruler’s Again” (Verse 2)
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Generally subtlety is overrated, and in Joey’s second verse, he makes his message very clear: The West Coast is getting manner an excessive amount of shine proper now. For a monitor that references each Jay-Z and Nas’ well-known diss tracks, Joey brings the aggression and phrase play he’s recognized for. The power on this verse, and the monitor as an entire, is encapsulated within the line “This that black Air Drive power comin’ out your speaker.” In the event you’re going to ship a transparent shot to the rap sport, you higher be ready to again it up. – Patrick Smith
10. “King to a God” (Verse 1)
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The beat barely has sufficient time to construct earlier than Joey hits the monitor along with his sprightly assault. He quickly fires inside and finish rhymes to overwhelm the listener earlier than casually settling into the beat with shapeshifting rhyme patterns. Earlier than his verse is finished, he’s moved to extra slant rhymes to proceed boasting about his rap abilities. That is Joey doing his finest “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” He even says it himself, “I transfer indubitably and put these phrases collectively so fantastically.” – Patrick Smith
11. “PE Cypher” (Verse 11)
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Joey’s homage to Biggie’s “Kick within the Door” is gritty and relentless. Whereas Biggie glided over the beat, Joey nearly growls, doubling down on the aggressive nature of his verse. His lyrics vary from playful metaphors to straight up boasts, and whereas his rhyme scheme isn’t too difficult, his tempo provides the verse all of the power it wants. At solely 18, he confidently raps over a traditional Biggie tune, welcoming the comparisons and scrutiny at a time when New York’s boom-bap spirit was severely missing. – Patrick Smith
12. “Babylon” (Verse 1)
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As visceral as it’s skillful, “Babylon” verse 1 is a considerate rumination on police brutality. Whereas he will be mournful right here, his fluttering intonations really feel like a name to motion. It’s technically exact, however his vocal efficiency is probably the most potent component — the form of supply that may solely come from somebody who’s genuinely exasperated (or simply actually good at rapping). – Peter A. Berry
13. “America” (Verse 4)
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Earlier than really placing the world on discover, a pre-1999 Joey served up a standout visitor verse on Mac Miller’s Macadelic mixtape. His diction is as crisp as his stream as easy. His potential to pile intricate rhymes is obvious from the leap. Solely a phenom can generate these bars on the age of 17: “Now all people love him and chicks supply high for fame/To the highest I intention, testin’ waters, so I have been afloat/No deal however stream so actual, he been within the scopes” in a verse that says your upcoming solo debut. He was actually nonetheless in highschool writing rhymes like this. – Patrick Smith
14. “Phrase is Bond” (Verse 1)
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As the primary single from Summer season Knights, “Phrase is Bond” served as a reminder of Joey’s snappy wordplay, whereas signaling his ever-evolving lyricism and supply. The verbal creativeness is as spectacular as his syntactical precision: “Tetrahedrons, take a dose of Patron / With information juice and deuce Cubes of Metatron.” Associated: “Hit him in his Charles Dickens and strip him for his Scottie Pippens” is as fireplace then as it’s now – Charles Elliott
15. “Paper Path$” (Verse 2)
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It’s actually the second verse the place “Paper Path$” shines, with Joey rapping on the ills of cash and flipping Wu-Tang Clan’s traditional “C.R.E.A.M.” manifesto right into a critique on being avaricious: “‘Trigger money ruined everythin’ round me.” It’s a essential commentary, with Joey in the end chatting with the damned for those who, damned for those who don’t relationship many people are compelled to have with cash. – Charles Elliott
16 .“Let it Breathe” (Verse 1)
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“I got here on this at 17 and gave the sport a weddin’ ring,” Joey declares towards the tip of his first verse on “Let it Breathe.” The ultimate strains he presents in that verse are a end result of his rise and simply how effectively of a rapper he’s grown into since then. As he states in these final rhymes earlier than hitting the tune’s break: “Go in opposition to the God, you would by no means win.”—Charles Elliott
17. “Survivors Guilt” (Verse 1)
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In a tribute to his cousin, Junior B, in addition to the late Capital STEEZ, Joey presents some extremely susceptible raps devoted to those people who find themselves not with him. The primary verse for Steez is especially gutwrenching, with Joey sharing his guilt at not with the ability to assist him, and even claiming that some individuals blamed him for STEEZ’s demise. “Lyrically could not high him, he was the ni**a with the belt,” Joey declares of the late rapper. – Charles Elliott
18. “Christ Acutely aware” (Verse 1)
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In the event you didn’t know any higher, you’d suppose “Christ Acutely aware” verse 1 was an audition for the Wu-Tang Clan. If it have been, Joey would’ve simply made the reduce. For this one, Joey leans heavy into the exaggerated theatrics as he piles syllables atop syllables and creative boasts, channeling the spirit of the perfect ’90s rhyme-slingers earlier than him. – Peter A. Berry
19. “My Yout” (Verse 2)
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An ode to Joey’s Jamaican heritage, the beat could be very light-hearted, however Joey continues to be packing his verses with lyrical density. Within the second verse, he’s hitting on a number of ranges, with a number of rhymes schemes, homonyms, slant rhymes and extra. He’s in a stream state, just like the star in a kung-fu film, simply surgically hitting your stress factors after which calmly strolling away whilst you lay on the ground. – Patrick Smith
20. “Amethyst Rockstar” (Verse 1)
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It’s the power and starvation in Joey’s supply right here that leaves an impression. It’s equal elements humorous and enthralling, as if he’s channeling the animated eccentricity of a younger Busta Rhymes when he rhymes, “Suck a dick dilated, inform my previous hoes / Hit my major bitch within the Poconos.” – Charles Elliott
21. “Wendy n Becky” (Verse 1)
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It is a nice instance of Joey’s dexterity. He’s capable of change his cadence and rhyme construction mid verse. He begins to make use of inside rhymes in his bars and slows his cadence to imitate a dialog, all whereas utilizing his trademark homonyms. And whereas it’s not a verse that you simply’ll consider as an all-time rap traditional, you danger underestimating it as a result of Joey makes it look really easy. – Patrick Smith
22. “Distance” (Verse 1)
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Among the most modern and essentially sharp wordsmiths can have hassle letting free, particularly once they’re featured on a tune that’s meant to be extra playful than lyrically dense. However Joey finds his pocket on the tune, embedding quippy bars with melody and flyguy grace. All of it seems like he’s taking you on a joyride, even when he’s not flaunting his usually elaborate rap pyrotechnics. Joey’s recognized for doing rather a lot with rather a lot, however for this one, he proves he can do rather a lot with a bit, too. – Patrick Smith
23. “Unorthodox” (Verse 1)
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With its double-stitched rhyme schemes and a few succinct reflection, Joey evokes traditional rap traditions with a verse that defies the tune title. It’s all as uncooked as it’s skillful — an ideal microcosm of apex growth bap.—Peter A. Berry
24. “Zipcodes” (Verse 2)
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Joey faucets into his celebratory fly man mode as he dives out and in of pockets with the managed ease of a Shai Gilgeous-Alexander crossover. The quotables abound right here, however what impresses greater than any couple bars is the precision that ties them collectively.—Peter A. Berry
25. “Legendary” (Verse 1)
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It’s laborious to match J. Cole on wax, however Joey did precisely that on “Legendary,” the place he makes use of vivid couplets to color a mosaic of hope, aspiration, and desolation. It’s all succinct and considerate, however once more, it’s threaded by Joey’s rarefied agility, proof of a skillset that’s legendary.—Peter A. Berry
26. “Gotham Fucking Metropolis” (Verse 2)
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Combining informal rhyme schemes with a comic book guide artist’s creativeness and a beat that sounds precisely just like the tune title, this one embodies completely traditional Joey; succinct, athletic and verbose in one of the simplest ways potential.—Peter A. Berry
27. “Head Excessive” (Verse 2)
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Joey goes full story mode within the second verse on “Head Excessive,” recalling how he first met XXXTENTACION and developed a detailed bond with him. It’s as uncooked and private as we’ve ever seen Joey, who retains his private life intently tucked. You’ll be able to hear the ache as he reminisces about dropping X, and the way he’d reminded him of Capital Steez. Joey initially launched the primary verse as a free monitor after the passing of Juice WRLD and Pop Smoke, and ultimately completed the tune on his album 2000. – Patrick Smith
28. “Sup Preme” (Verse 2)
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“Sup Preme” verse 2 proves each Joey’s writing abilities and penchant for theatrics. Right here, he alters his tempo to play with the beat. It’s not one in every of his extra difficult verses, it’s largely about how he doesn’t must work, he can simply roll up and spit some bars to become profitable. And but, his piercing diction and energetic stream present an engrossing distinction to the mellow soundscape — proof of his prodigious management behind the mic. – Patrick Smith
29. “Daemons” (Verse 2)
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For this posthumous XXXTENTACION monitor, Joey delivers a verse that’s brooding, darkish and guarded. It’s a uncommon, really introspective verse from Joey, so it’s all much more placing than traditional. It’s an train in bleakness — this monitor is supposed to exorcise his demons, not make us really feel any higher. “I see demons, and there is nothin’ they do not know about me/Regardless of how a lot I attempt to disguise, they gon’ discover me,” he spits, along with his dreary intonations underscoring that inevitability. – Patrick Smith
30. “Land of the Free” (Verse 1)
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Joey has by no means been afraid to handle politics and analyze present occasions in his rhymes, and his album ALL-AMERICAN BADA$$ is proof. For this one, he directs a heaping dose of mistrust in opposition to America. The second single of his sophomore album, Joey didn’t maintain again, calling for mass political consciousness within the wake of Barack Obama leaving workplace and Donald Trump turning into president. Whereas Joey doesn’t get too elaborate right here, he makes positive to talk from his coronary heart and let his viewers know precisely the place he stands on an essential political difficulty. In an age of indifference, Joey reminded us to really feel. – Patrick Smith
