Following the release of 2012’s ‘1999’, Joey Bada$$ garnered a substantial amount of hype and was perceived by many as reminiscent of an Illmatic era Nas. Wearing his influences firmly on his sleeve, the old school aesthetic that is prominent throughout all of his material has provided him with a fervent core fan base.
At the midway point of his well attended performance at The Garage, he made it all too clear that this gig was for them. The Pro Era affiliated rapper remarked that he had been asked frequently why he’d embarked on a worldwide tour whilst his highly anticipated debut album ‘B4 DA $$’ remains incomplete, Joey’s response was that he wanted to engage with those who had been there from the start in an intimate setting, before his album grants him further recognition and leads him into the mainstream consciousness.
His performance was well received from his first masterfully crafted utterance into the microphone, with a set that encapsulated his entire career thus far. The energy in the crowd did not take long to pick up as the opening section of the show was reserved for well established tracks, drawing in particular from the aforementioned ‘1999’ and last year’s ‘Summer Knights’.
Early highlights included The Chuck Strangers produced ‘Fromdatomb$’, featuring an unorthodox jazz sample from Rockstar Games’ ‘LA Noire’ soundtrack, debut single Waves’ and The Brooklyn native’s verse from A$ap Rocky’s star studded ‘1train’.
It is evident throughout Joey’s catalogue that he worships at the altar of 90s era hip hop, it can be seen in his intricate wordplay and menacing beats, equal parts Reasonable doubt era Jay Z and an early incarnation of Mobb Deep. Therefore it was unsurprising to hear him drop a couple of verses over classics such as M.O.P’s ‘Ante Up’ and House of Pain’s anthemic ‘Jump Around’, inciting a riotous reaction from those in attendance.
Whilst he stated that this show was essentially a celebration of the formative years of his career, the set wasn’t without new material. Recent singles such as ‘Big Dusty’ and ‘Christ Conscious’ received airings.
As those familiar with his Pro Era crew would have assumed, a poignant tribute to the late Capital Steez occurred, with Joey seeming genuinely moved by the Glasgow crowd’s emphatic response.
With the manner in which he transfixed the audience, perhaps one day he’ll be held in the same esteem as those MC’s who inspired him.
Words: Robert Blair
