Brooklyn wunderkind Joey Bada$$ kicked in the door on “Survival Tactics” with a spit-fire flow reminiscent of Nasty era Nas. Even if you weren't there when it all went down, there's something about “street's disciple / my raps are trifle / I shoot slugs from brain just like a rifle” that stuck to your skull and kept you lingering on Nas' every move leading up to Illmatic. At 17-years of age Joey Bada$$ is meticulous with words, piecing together subtle associations like “we got them niggas P.E. nuts like they elephants / throw'em in the trunk if they hate though / we don't give a fuck as long we collect pay so / ya'll collect pesos / ya money ain't right here” that prove he's no beginner with the pen.
The second single from his upcoming 1999 tape, “Waves”, switches gears from militant BCC-type vibes to those relaxing we got the jazz Tribe vibes. Bada$$ is in chill mode, reflecting on his career up to the day, even though from our perspective it's at its jumping point. Just Joey on “Waves”, he's frank about his upbringing and how it's shaped him as a young man, which will in turn be his guiding light through life.
