Joey Bada$$ – “No. 99”

Joey Bada$$ – “No. 99”

Joey Bada$$ built his entire career on nostalgia for early ’90s New York hip-hop, but the motif that felt exciting circa 2012 debut mixtape 1999 was wearing thin by the time Summer Knights rolled around the following summer. He sounds invigorated on “No. 99,” the latest single from his official debut album B4.DA.$$, perhaps because it delves past simple nostalgia into outright repurposing a classic from his favorite era. Fellow boom-bap enthusiast Statik Selektah offers up a minimally altered version of the beat from A Tribe Called Quest’s 1991 hit “Scenario,” and although Bada$$ doesn’t replicate Tribe’s glory here, the song also doesn’t sully Tribe’s legacy by simply existing, which is its own kind of achievement when you take this approach. I like it! Listen below.

The album’s tracklist also came out today. It features fellow teenager Raury plus BJ The Chicago Kid and, on a pair of bonus tracks, Action Bronson and Kiesza:

01 “Save The Children”
02 “Greenbax (Introlude)”
03 “Paper Trail$”
04 “Piece Of Mind”
05 “Big Dusty”
06 “Hazeus View”
07 “Like Me” (feat. BJ The Chicago Kid)
08 “Belly Of The Beast” (Feat. Chronixx)
09 “No. 99″
10 “Christ Conscious”
11 “On & On” (Feat. Maverick Sabre & Dymeond Lewis)
12 “Escape 120″ (Feat. Raury)
13 “Black Beetles”
14 “O.C.B.”
15 “Curry Chicken”
16 “Run Up On Ya” (Feat. Action Bronson & Elle Varner) (Bonus)
17 “Teach Me” (Feat. Kiesza) (Bonus)

In other news, Gigwise reports that Bada$$ canceled the remainder of his European tour after the death of his cousin.

B4.DA.$$ (“before the money,” get it?) is out 1/20 on Cinematic.

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