Joey Badass – Land of the Free

Pro Era wunderkind Joey Badaas has always shown a predilection for vocabulary and deep thoughts, evidenced all the way back to his attention-grabbing 1999 mixtape that greatly elevated the young Brooklynite’s visibility.

Tidbits of introspection and socio-political thought has been sprinkled throughout his work since then, and has made its way to the forefront with Joey Badass’s latest song, “Land of the Free.”

The song, which sharply criticizes America’s treatment of minorities, dropped on the date of Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration, a timing which was surely not coincidental (though it was also his birthday).

As we’ve been stating for some time, despite a recent consensus that “hip-hop with a message” is staging some sort of resurgence, it’s important to point out that artists like Joey Badass and many others within New York’s independent hip-hop landscape have been delivering thoughtful lyrical content for some time.

Here’s to hoping more start to realize it instead of listening to fading radio DJs, cynical close-minded fans and others with ulterior motive who continue to try and relegate these kinds of artists and songs to the background.

We need them now more than ever.

“Land of the Free” is the first release from Joey Badass’s upcoming album, ABBA.