A Day in the Life of Joey Badass

Brooklyn rapper Joey Badass is one of hip-hop’s most incisive, most politically engaged young voices. Despite being just 22 years old, Joey has been a fixture in rap circles for half a decade now. His breakthrough mixtape, the 2012-released 1999, quenched the thirst of those hoping for a return to the gritty sounds of New York in the ‘90s. His second studio album, All-Amerikkkan Badass, arrived on April 7th, and it takes aim at politicians and authority figures across the map. It’s Joey’s most considered and mature work to date, incorporating live instrumentation and an outward worldview that sets him apart from his peers. He’s also tapped into his extensive Rolodex to work with contemporary starts like J. Cole and Schoolboy Q as well as New York legend Styles P. 


We followed Joey the day before All-Amerikkkan Badass was set to be unveiled to the world. While the promotional efforts were in full force, Joey carved out time to pick out some clothes for the day, to stop in at his favorite restaurant, and to make sure the sound was just right for his performance at his Beats Presents album release party.

The show was a reunion of sorts: his parents were coming in to the city for the show, and fellow members of his Pro Era collective were constantly in touch to hear updates and offer encouragement. Together with his driver, Lex, and his manager, Blak Foks, Joey hit an insane number of locations in a short amount of time, all in the service of rolling out his album.