HIP-HOP in our modern age takes in a plethora of different styles, ideals and levels of success, with some even associating themselves via misappropriation of imagery and aesthetic.  Simultaneously entrenched in pop culture and clinging to its DIY roots, there is a great deal of derision regarding who is the genre’s leading light for modern times.  Whilst commercially minded individuals and musos alike look to Kanye West, Big Sean, J Cole and artists of a similar magnitude, the underground seek a new prophet.

One artist who has saw his stock gradually rise whilst harking back to the genre’s 90’s heyday is Brooklyn native Joey Bada$$, leader of the Pro Era Crew and boom bap revivalist du jour. Finding an audience for himself in long suffering hip hop fans who have saw their beloved art form prostituted and parodied by the zeitgeist, his trademark sound has enabled him to release a series of acclaimed Mixtape’s and EP’s not to mention undertake a world tour.

However, his newfound notoriety hasn’t been without criticism; with many proclaiming his golden age indebted sound to be a mere rehash as opposed to a renaissance.

Setting out to address his detractors, the Flatbush born 20 year old has released his debut LP B4. DA. $$ (before the money), an accomplished record that goes some way to dispel the concerns of the naysayers but admittedly falls short of a revolutionary release.

Beginning to the strains of uproarious applause and chants of “Joey”, ‘Save The Children’ provides a fitting introduction to the record,  laced with his trademark wordplay and featuring a scratch laden beat in the vein of the legendary DJ Premier. Despite it’s boisterous verses that serve as something as a victory lap for the young MC, it’s sampled chorus provides a much more poignant message; essentially a call to arms for African American society as a whole to continue to make strides towards a brighter future.

‘Paper Trail$’ finds Joey lamenting upon the hazardous nature of his new found wealth, putting his own spin on Wu Tang Clan’s classic C.R.E.A.M acronym, he proclaims that ‘cash ruined everything around me.’ Despite his disdainful remarks,  Joey registers its importance; stating “they say money is the root of all evil, I see money as the route of all people.”

Featuring excerpts taken from a conversation between Joey and an incarcerated friend, ‘Piece Of Mind’ finds him describing how his circumstances have changed since rapping progressed from a hobby to a fully fledged career. In it’s final section, his friend refers to having heard Bada$$’ latest track on (Peter) Rosenberg’s radio show, before the beat gives way to the sinister and brooding “Big Dusty.”

Evoking the dark and disconcerting hip hop of Onyx and Mobb Deep, the aforementioned track enables Joey to demonstrate his propensity for raw, unmerciful lyrics influenced by his harrowing upbringing.

Tracks such as ‘Like Me’  and  the previously aired ‘No.99′ continue to delve into the realms of 90’s hip hop although they evoke different aspects of its vast landscape. The former features a posthumous production credit for the renowned J Dilla whilst the latter finds Joey’s live DJ and frequent collaborator Statik Selektah providing a reworked version of A Tribe Called Quest’s classic ‘Scenario’; over which his intricate rhymes and imagery demonstrate his promise.

One of the album’s most heartfelt compositions, ‘On & On’ features an excellent guest spot from Irish R&B vocalist Maverick Sabre and finds Joey taking an in-depth and at times scathing look at his life. with lyrics pertaining to the tragic death of fellow pro era member and best friend Capital Steez, Joey bares his soul in a manner that exposes a vulnerability that had remained undiscovered in previous outings.

This new found candidness within his verses returns upon ‘Black Beetles’, on which Joey references his anxiety and self esteem issues that have prevented him from reaping the full benefits of his recent fame.

Bringing the album to an emphatic crescendo with the triumphant ‘Curry Chicken’, the youthful and exuberant rapper revels in his success whilst insisting that he has stayed grounded. This is perhaps best exemplified by his direct address to his estranged father in which he states ‘you named me Jo-Vaughn, now that name ring alarms, nearly 20 years later we on a plane to The Palms.’

An outstanding album for the majority of it’s 15 song duration, it is unfortunate that tracks such as ‘Escape 120’ and  ‘Belly Of The Beast’  come across as jarring and a departure from the album’s overarching concepts. If it had been kept ever so slightly more succinct, this debut may have been looked at in the same vein as Illmatic or Ready To Die in its clear and potent delivery of a young rapper’s mission statement.

In summation, B4.DA.$$ is an incredible record that sees Joey begin to enter his prime as a rapper and an artist who has developed a impenetrable niche of his own. surpassing the expectations of critics who have previously deemed his style to be nothing more than a tribute to what preceded him, Joey Bada$$ has established himself as an MC with the potential to reinvigorate hip hop in a manner that hasn’t been witnessed since the early noughties.