Joey Bada$$Mic killer. No filler.Interview: Georgette Cline Editor’s Be aware: This story seems within the Fall 2025 situation of XXL Journal, on newsstands now and obtainable on the market on the XXL web site.
Rappers usually face a paradoxical scenario after they take a break between albums. Throughout this time, their expertise could also be questioned, particularly in the event that they’ve chosen to work behind the scenes as a component of shock. Whereas not each rap fan subscribes to this concept, it’s a problem that Joey Bada$$ has encountered all through his profession. Nonetheless, he’s discovered methods to vary that notion.
On Jan. 1 of this 12 months, he dropped the Conductor Williams-produced monitor “The Ruler’s Again,” signaling the East Flatbush, Brooklyn native’s return to rap whereas asserting his dominance and aggressive spirit. Extra importantly, it was a reminder: don’t ever rely him out. A lyrical nod Joey made to Jay-Z on the tune ignited a verbal showdown with West Coast rapper Ray Vaughn and MCs like Daylyt leaping into the fray. Within the phrases of Drake, it was a “20-v-1.” Joey become a vocabulary villain with a vengeance and got here out victorious.
Jo-Vaughn Scott isn’t new to this. He’s approaching 15 years sturdy within the sport after unleashing his debut mixtape, 1999, in 2012. The second Joey went to warfare on the mic was a reintroduction of kinds and served as the right lay-up for his fourth studio album, Lonely on the High, launched this previous August. Three years had handed since his final undertaking, 2000, and in hip-hop, that may as nicely be a lifetime relying on who you ask. The 30-year-old MC was by no means stagnant, although.
Within the forefront, he dropped some loosies and collaborated on options throughout that point. Most notably, he turned his consideration towards appearing because the character Distinctive within the acclaimed Starz collection Energy Guide III: Elevating Kanan. Within the privateness of the studio, Joey was fastidiously crafting bars and verses for 2 albums he was engaged on concurrently: Lonely on the High and an idea album he’s aiming to launch subsequent 12 months.
Joey’s pleasure for each is palpable as he sits on a sofa inside Sunday Afternoon’s studio in New York Metropolis on an early September afternoon. Wearing a plaid trapper hat, brown leather-based vest, denims embellished with glowing constellations, Timbs, gold grills and his signature JB brand chain, the daddy of two shares his ideas on having the most popular pen within the sport, catching folks off guard together with his bars, lyrical capability, being among the many greats and having no concern.
XXL: You’ve been within the sport for practically 15 years now. What has helped you keep motivated and hungry to maintain going?
Joey Bada$$: I feel experimentation. What haven’t I achieved but? What haven’t I challenged myself to do but, and, going for these issues, you realize what I’m saying? ’Trigger that feels new and thrilling for me. It has been a very long time, for positive. However I feel simply the ingredient of shock.
One in all my favourite reactions that I get from folks listening to my music is, “Yo, that is you?” “Yo, I didn’t know you had this in you.” I really like that. And I feel that feeling, together with having a loopy show of lyrical capability, can also be what makes it satisfying to see folks break down what I stated, what I meant, what I buried in there.
What are you most pleased with that you just’ve completed in hip-hop?
I feel what I’m most proud about is to be a part of the ecosystem. To have affect and presence. It’s like, sh*t, I stated the road [“Too much West Coast d**k lickin’/I’m hearin’ ni**as throwin’ rocks, really ain’t sh*t stickin’” on “The Ruler’s Back”] at the start of the 12 months, and so many individuals have been reacting to it. I’m like, Oh sh*t, like I actually gotta watch what I say ’trigger persons are muthaf**kin’ listening. That confirmed me my affect, my impression, and I’m pleased with that. To have that kind of gravitas with my pen that may transfer vitality.
To go off that, on “The Ruler’s Again,” you got here in at the start of the 12 months swinging. Going into the making of that tune, have been you out to show a degree? Like, “Don’t rely me out”?
Oh yeah. You realize, folks hyper-focused on the West Coast line, which was a quote from Jay-Z, however the true spirit of that tune is within the strains the place I say, “Yo, that is for each time they left me out the dialog.” I received murals in my metropolis, you realize what I imply? F**okay a nomination, I’m licensed. I’ve confirmed myself. I put the work in. That was the true spirit that that joint was in, however I feel folks within the web actually simply leaned into the controversial side of it and constructed off of that narrative.
How do you fight that or change that when being neglected of the conversations you assume try to be in? Is it by being constant and dropping the album?
Yeah, simply attending to the music and setting your sights on the subsequent product and, you realize, what you wish to talk. That’s like what “The Ruler’s Again” was for me, ’trigger like I stated, I’ve been engaged on a undertaking for a very long time, which is gonna be my subsequent album.
I used to be engaged on that lengthy earlier than I even began the thought of Lonely on the High. So, I feel I received to the purpose the place it’s identical to, man, I received some sh*t to say. I received some sh*t that I simply kinda wanna get off my chest, like lyrically or simply artistically, earlier than I am going right here on this route, you realize?
On Lonely on the High, there are lots of ways in which you do this. One in all them, on the tune “Speedin’ By the Rain,” you are taking the driving theme from the highest to the underside. That’s a showcase of your pen and lyrical expertise. Whenever you’re doing one thing like that, and even simply to sharpen your pen, like your psychological workouts, lyrical workouts, how do you do this? What sort of area do you get in?
The perfect is when it occurs naturally. Once I gotta kinda like power myself to go there, shouldn’t be that enjoyable, you realize what I imply? As a result of it’s like I begin straining my mind, making an attempt arduous. “Speedin’ By the Rain,” was simply a kind of moments the place I all the time say that tune wrote itself. I heard that beat, after which immediately what I heard was “Pedal to the metallic on the street to the riches.”
After which simply from there, I simply thought up the driving scheme, and I didn’t even assume to myself, that like, Yo, let me maintain it going for the entire tune. It simply flowed that approach. I received to the tip of the primary verse, and I’m like, Rattling, can I do it once more for a second verse? After which I did. And it was identical to, Yeah, that is tight. That is what makes this enjoyable. That is what I really like about writing music and being a lyricist.
What makes you are feeling that you’ve the most popular pen?
Sh*t like that, you realize, “Speedin’ By the Rain,” seeing reactions of individuals after they catch the bars. Proper now, we in a tradition the place there’s a number of reactors, so once I see them reacting to the music they usually catch a bar, and it’s like them having that response. They rise up out the seat, they shaking they head, they begin hitting sh*t.
’Trigger it feels that strategy to me once I’m writing ’em. However one actual factor, although, is there’s all the time gonna be a crowd for lyricism. And I’m glad 2025 occurred as a result of I really feel prefer it actually put an emphasis again on the lyrics.
There was a degree in my profession the place I intentionally was like, OK, let me concentrate on songs as a result of I’m placing loads into these lyrics, and persons are not getting it. It’s like going over they head, and it’s like, you don’t get that creative satisfaction whenever you really feel like your artwork shouldn’t be being appreciated correctly, you realize what I’m saying? So, I’m glad that we’re again at a degree the place it’s like, oh, so, y’all listening now. Y’all really are breaking down double entendres now. OK cool. Watch me prepare dinner.
You say, “Got here to assert my place” in your tune “Nonetheless.” In hip-hop, the place do you really feel like your place is?
My place is amongst the greats, you realize what I imply? My place is a part of the ecosystem of what our tradition is right this moment and influencing that and having a profound voice. I really feel like we get caught up on like, “the king,” this, that and the third or The Huge 3, however I feel that everyone is contributing in they personal form of approach. Everyone’s particular in they personal regard, ’trigger there’s solely certainly one of every individual. So, I might say that, enjoying my place as certainly one of them. One of many ones.
Between you and Ray Vaughn, and a few others, you have been battle-tested this 12 months, and also you confirmed and proved. Trying again on that have, what was an completed second for you?
Effectively, shout-out to Daylyt. One of many issues that made me be like, OK, I’m gonna have interaction, is, one, I really like battle rap, and I feel Daylyt is arguably among the best battle rappers there are. I used to be identical to, bro, you realize, I’ve by no means battle rapped in my life, but when my pen might go along with one of many greats in that sport, then I feel that claims loads about me as an MC, as a rapper. In order that was one of many important deciding components of why I even engaged.
After which two, I felt that, at first, I didn’t see the chance, ’trigger I’m like, I’m a extra completed artist than my adversaries have been. However then I began realizing that there’s lots of people who really not hip to what my pen might do. So, I feel that simply participating. I’m proud that I did as a result of I actually was ready to simply kinda take the excessive street the entire time and not likely have interaction, as a result of I’m like, what do I get from it? However ultimately, I did see a win and got here out with it.
What did you take pleasure in about that aggressive standpoint?
Simply being on my toes, and like having to be quick on my toes. I don’t assume I’ve ever had to do this. That’s like a lyrical train in itself. No, it actually was. ’Trigger to carry out at such a excessive stage so rapidly, I don’t assume I’ve ever been challenged like that.
Plenty of the instances, we work on songs for years, after which by the point we put it out, they’re like years outdated, or we had a number of time to refine lyrics to good it, you realize? This was positively an occasion of give it the perfect you bought and let’s go. So, that was cool. I don’t assume I actually knew how nicely I carried out below strain.
You showcase totally different sides of your self on the album by rapping and singing. “3 Ft Away” is a spotlight of that. Why do you wish to put that a part of your artistry on show at this level in your profession?
I feel if it doesn’t develop, it dies. I’m a agency believer in that. So, I’m all the time seeking to develop and to develop. I like to take a look at music in a meals kind of analogy, proper? The place it’s like folks go to the eating places that they like. You go to an Italian restaurant for Italian meals. And I do have that understanding, however on the identical time, I feel that I’m all the time looking for methods to introduce my shopper base to new dishes.
Don’t fear, I’m all the time having that fettuccini for y’all. That’s all the time gonna be there, however do that crudo. It’s a brand new taste. Like “3 Ft Away,” “What the f**okay? This ni**a’s singing.” I’ve by no means rapped like that on a tune. The vocal inflections. It’s certainly one of my favourite songs, for actual, and I’m glad that I put it out.
That was one of many later additions to the undertaking, too. I knew I cherished that tune, however I used to be identical to, are they prepared for it? And I’m like, f**okay it. That is the second in my profession the place there’s no concern. Do it.
It takes a number of time for sure artists to get to that time. Why are you in that place now the place you don’t have any concern?
’Trigger I feel that I’ve achieved it, and you realize what? I feel the 12 months that I’ve had gave me extra confidence, too. It’s like, don’t y’all ever attempt to play with me in relation to the bars, you realize what I’m saying? I displayed I can do this at any time when I wish to, and it’s best to know that by now. Don’t ever attempt to play me. Let me present you one thing new now.
Hearken to Joey Bada$$’s Lonely on the High Album
Joey Bada$$ xxl journal fall 2025 digital cowl
