Joey Bada$$ 1999

• 1. Summer Knights
• 2. Waves
• 3. Fromdatomb$ (feat Chuck Strangers)
• 4. Survival Tactics (feat Capital Steez)
• 5. Killuminati (feat Capital Steez)
• 6. Hardknock (feat CJ Fly)
• 7. World Domination
• 8. Pennyroyal
• 9. Funky Ho'$
• 10. Daily Routine
• 11. Snakes (feat T'nah Apex)
• 12. Don't Front (feat CJ Fly)
• 13. Righteous Minds
• 14. Where It'$ At? (feat Kirk Knight)
• 15. Third Eye Sh*t (feat Pro Era, Capital Steez, CJ Fly, Chuck Strangers, Dyemond Lewis, Nyck Caution, Kirk Knight)

Joey Bada$$ was 17 when 1999 appeared, which is slightly unsettling when you consider that half the records inspiring it were older than he was. While much of rap in 2012 was busy chasing maximalism and whatever fresh madness the internet had cooked up that week, the Brooklyn teenager was digging through the wreckage of 90s boom bap like an archaeologist. 'Waves' glides along on smooth jazz-inflected production, 'Survival Tactics' finds Joey and Capital STEEZ trading bars with frightening confidence, and 'Fromdatomb$' could comfortably fool anyone into thinking it came from a dusty New York basement circa 1995 (cassette hiss not included). This never feels like cosplay, the talent is simply too obvious.