Joey Badass 1999 Review 6 years later

Christina Boateng
Nov 1 · 3 min read
Joey Badass 1999 Mixtape

One of the most monumental Mixtapes of 2012 was made by Jo- Vaughn Scott a.k.a Joey Badass. The Mixtape 1999, influenced a lot of young people to appreciate, art, lyrics, and fashion. Listening to this album 6 years later still brings back so many memories. There are 15 songs on the project. The first song Summer Knights sets off a calming mood with talking in the background. It sets the mood of teenagers hanging out listening to music in the summer. The second song on the project waves stands out to me because it talks about how our parents sacrifice as we navigate through the world. One lyric in waves goes like this “since 95 mamma been working 95”. I interpreted it as since 1995 (the year Joey badass was born) Joey’s mother has been working 9–5 shifts. I related so much to that. line because I am born in 1995.

Photo by Javier Salido on Unsplash

Fromdatombs mixes old school and new school with a nice New York twist. Chuck Strangers gives a fun-loving feature on the Fromdatombs he produced. FromdaTombs features DJ scratches performed by Statik Selektah. Survival tactics give you political views from the perspective of two teenagers from Brooklyn. Killumaniti was an okay record, but it didn’t stand out to me in the project. After Killuminati Hardknock comes on and it’s amazing. Hardknock to me embodies everything that young people deal with growing up as a minority in America. I feel Joey Badass poured out his feelings on Hardknock. CJ Fly gave a great verse talking about memories with his cousin before he got locked up. The rest of the tape gets smooth with World Domination, Pennyroyal, and Funky Hos.

Photo by Matteo Massimi on Unsplash

Daily Routine navigating a regular life versus chasing your dreams. What I took from the song is that no matter your circumstances or environment, you got to chase your dreams. The album continues with a nice feature from T’nah Apex. Her soulful sounds remind you of Lauryn Hill. The next song Don’t Front is a love song telling stories about love from Joey and CJ Fly. The last track of the Album is Suspect, where joey features multiple artists from his Pro Era collective. There are several rappers, singers, artists, and producers apart from Pro Era. Pro Era stands for the progressive era and its not just a movement but a lifestyle. Joey Badass 1999 is here to stay. I still recommend you listen.

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade