Joey Badass, rapper, actor, and aspiring heartthrob, has had fans flustered for the past four months trying to determine if he and actress Serayah McNeill have been dating or not. He first appeared to tease the relationship with a February Instagram post (just a few weeks after Valentine’s Day, mind you), breaking the hearts of women everywhere. Then, he amplified their disappointment with the video for “Show Me,” in which McNeill appeared as his romantic interest.
But then, a few weeks later, Joey denied their relationship in an interview with Complex. “Honestly, it wasn’t anything that was anticipated at first, but when we got back all the assets, like the photos, I started to [think], ‘Oh, it’s something that could be done with these,” he said. “This could tell the story. So, you know, that’s kind of what I wanted to do. I knew it was gonna catch people, like, you know, by surprise a little bit. That was the hardest part — waiting 48 hours.”
Now, though, it appears he’s doubling back (quadrupling back?) on those previous statements with a new post celebrating McNeill’s birthday. In a Reel apparently featuring an unreleased snippet of a song called “Passports & Suitcases,” Joey documents a romantic getaway where the couple lounged on a beach and kissed beneath a cabana canopy. So, it looks like fans were right all along — congrats and condolences.
Throughout this past decade, Joey Badass (stylized “Joey Bada$$”) has built himself one of hip hop’s strongest discographies. He is considered one of the best rappers of the 2010s and is well-deserving of that title. Joey has a music catalog to prove that he is one of the best and has cosigns from many different hip hop legends. He came up as a member of Pro Era alongside Capital STEEZ, Kirk Knight, CJ Fly, Nyck Caution, and others. So far, Joey Badass has released only three studio albums, two mixtapes, and an EP. He has consistently put out great songs with a “quality over quantity” approach.
This list ranks Joey Badass’s studio albums and mixtapes from worst to best. This list excludes Pro Era albums, mixtapes, and the Beast Coast album. Because Joey is so consistent, placing albums at the bottom is challenging, which speaks to just how strong his catalog is. Look at the list below, which starts at No. 5 and works its way up to Joey Badass’s best album.
5. 2000 (2022)
Last year marked the tenth anniversary of Joey’s debut mixtape, 1999, a very impactful project now considered a classic. Following a five-year gap between albums, Joey Badass released his third studio album, 2000, commemorating a decade of success. It is a stellar project but does not quite match the quality of his other albums in terms of both songwriting and production. Though 2000 does not stack up to his better albums, it has many standout songs. What makes it a unique album is that it comes from the perspective of Joey as an OG in the game. He may have only been 27 when the album was released, but it shows just how long Joey and Pro Era have existed in the scene. Essential Tracks: “Make Me Feel,” “Brand New 911,” ”Zipcodes,” “Head High,” “Survivors Guilt”
4. Summer Knights (2013)
Joey Badass’s second mixtape, 2013’s Summer Knights, is easily his most underrated project. While many view it as inferior to 1999, some of the best Joey Badass songs are on Summer Knights. “Hillary Swank” still remains one of Joey’s best songs. The mixtape doubles down on the throwback ‘90s sound he built his style around. It also included more original production, allowing Joey to find his voice.
He showcased new flows and cadences on the album that would become his signature. Summer Knights is also a significantly more personal project than 1999, following the death of Joey’s close friend and groupmate Capital STEEZ. Songs like “LongLiveSteelo” show a level of vulnerability that Joey had never tapped into previously. Summer Knights is a great mixtape, but its lengthy runtime and particular production choices place it at No. 4. Essential Tracks: “Hillary Swank,” “My Yout,” “Death of YOLO,” “95 Til Infinity,” “Unorthodox”
3. 1999 (2012)
When Joey Bada$$ released his debut mixtape 1999, he was only 17 years old and was still a student at Edward R. Murrow High School in Brooklyn. With this mixtape, Joey and his fellow Pro Era groupmates helped reintroduce the classic boom-bap sound of the 1990s to a new generation. He built his sound around the sounds of the throwback style of instrumentals he chose. Some of these beats were original, while others were just some of Joey’s favorites.
Because not every sound is original and Joey hadn’t found his style yet, 1999 ranks third on this list. Joey managed to sound unique over a preexisting style while clearly emulating his influences, making for a quality mixtape. 1999 is now an all-time classic release and fan favorite that still gets brought up in hip hop discussions today. Essential Tracks: “Waves,” “Survival Tactics,” “Killuminati,” “Hardknock,” “World Domination”
2. ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$ (2017)
Joey Badass’s second studio album, 2017’s ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$, marked a significant change in sound and content for Joey. The production was more polished and musical, departing from the boom-bap-inspired sound many still pigeonhole Joey into. The songs on the album included live instrumentation and featured Joey at his most politically charged. The album’s central themes tackled Black oppression, both the past and present.
Even with the album’s serious messaging, Joey finds balance. There are politically-charged songs like “Babylon” and warm, celebratory tracks with catchy choruses like “Temptation.” Essential Tracks: “Temptation,” “Devastated,” “Rockabye Baby,” “Babylon,” “Legendary.”
1. B4.DA.$$ (2015)
Joey Badass’s first two mixtapes were amazing on their own, but they showed signs of potential that had yet to be unlocked. The mixtapes slowly led up to his highly-anticipated debut album, 2015’s B4.DA.$$, which is easily his best work. The album is phenomenal from top to bottom, balancing different moods and styles while sticking to a cohesive sound. A lot of the best Joey Badass songs are on this album. From the explosive “No. 99” to the nostalgic “Curry Chicken,” Joey showcases his versatility while remaining true to his sound.
B4.DA.$$ is a culmination of all of the best qualities of Joey’s previous releases and is undoubtedly his best album. It is a classic hip hop album and ranks high in his catalog and among the best rap albums of the 2010s. Essential Tracks: “Save The Children,” “Paper Trail$,” “Big Dusty,” “Hazeus View,” “Christ Conscious.”
Overall, Joey Badass has made some quality albums throughout the years, each with amazing songs. He has no bad records but has evolved so much over the years that some albums are more refined. The ranking of Joey’s catalog comes down to whether one prefers a more raw or refined style of rapping and production. Joey Badass started rapping at 17, and now over a decade into his career, he is still only 28 years old and continues to put out great albums. Hopefully, he does not take too long to release more music.
It looks like a new era of Joey Badass will soon be upon us. Tonight, the New York-bred rapper has shared his new single, “Fallin.’”
On “Fallin’,” Joey displays some of his singing chops over a smooth R&B track, as he expresses that he’s ready to give up his player ways for a special woman.
“I’m fallin’ for you / And I don’t wanna catch myself / No, I don’t wanna catch myself / And I don’t wanna catch myself,” he sings on the song’s chorus.
He continues, singing, “Comin’ down, I feel I’m comin’ down / This feels like summer now / I need you to love me now / Won’t you love me now?”
The accompanying visual feels like watching a moving portrait, as Joey is seen repeatedly falling into bed, and rose petals fall upon him.
Earlier this week, Joey teased his new era in an interview with Complex.
“I’m sharing a, I feel like, a new side of my artistry that my listeners haven’t heard yet,” he said. “I’ve been teasing [‘Fallin’] for a minute, but I’m singing a lot on this one.”
Known for maintaining a reclusive air, and taking a long hiatus between projects, Joey Badass is looking to make some more musical contributions.
On Thursday (March 30), the “Cruise Control” rapper took to Twitter to reveal that he is planning on giving some features to some of his peers in the game.
“To all my musical friends, peers and colleagues, who have a collaborative interest, nows the time,” he said in a tweet. “Knocking out any and all features over the next month. My pen is hot, it’s a fire sale. $$.”
To all my musical friends, peers and colleagues, who have a collaborative interest, nows the time. Knocking out any and all features over the next month. My pen is hot, it’s a fire sale. $$
Though he did not indicate pricing points, several artists took to the replies to express interest in working with Joey.
Last year, he released his third studio album, 2000, and hasn’t slowed down since. He recently starred in his Grownish co-star Chlöe’s video for her Future-assisted single, “Cheatback.” He’s also been acting on shows like Power Book III: Raising Kanan.
In a recent Instagram live, Joey revealed that he is already hard at work on his fourth studio album.
“Yes, I am actively knee-deep in working on my new album, and I’m trying to get it to y’all as soon as possible,” he said. “I ain’t gonna say no dates ’cause I don’t wanna let you muthaf*ckas down and get y’all hopes up but I am working on it.”
Chlöe’s fans have been wishing she’d manipulate time to go faster since the January announcement of her debut solo album, In Pieces, which finally dropped today, March 31. Along with it came the video for “Cheatback” featuring Future, and in that video, Chlöe goes back in time to process her pain.
Directed by Audrey Ellis Fox, the nearly four-minute video begins with the reversal of Chlöe smashing out the windows of a car’s windshield — perhaps a subtle nod to Beyoncé’s Lemonade baseball bat? — and a stream of tears erasing from her cheek. She sings, “I’m not gonna cry anymore / I’m not gonna wait up at night / I’m not gonna answer your calls / Whenever you’re down / I’m not gonna bleach your clothes / I’m not gonna do you like that / What I really, really want / Is to cheat back.”
But Chlöe is not going to do that, even though she’s tempted by “another boo from the hood with some tats,” played by Joey Badass. She spends the rest of the video fighting against that impulse and instead spending a night out with her girls.
Future (and an exceptional floppy hat) understands, singing from the strip club as dollars cascade down on him: “The beauty of you, that’s what do it for me / No one above you, girl, you the best / Should’ve never let you down, feelin’ embarrassed.”
Nearly one month later, Joey confirmed that, in this particular case, life isn’t imitating art during an interview with Complex posted yesterday (March 28).
“We’re not,” he said when asked if he and Serayah are together.
And then he was asked to explain the idea behind “Show Me” rollout.
“Honestly, it wasn’t anything that was anticipated at first, but when we got back all the assets, like the photos, I started to [think], ‘Oh, it’s something that could be done with these. This could tell the story,’” Joey responded. “So, you know, that’s kind of what I wanted to do. I knew it was gonna catch people, like, you know, by surprise a little bit. That was the hardest part — waiting 48 hours.”
“Show Me” is housed on Joey Badass’ 2000 album from last July, which also boasted “The Baddest,” “One Of Us” featuring Larry June,” and “Wanna Be Loved” featuring JID. He’s next set to feature on Larry June and The Alchemist’s forthcoming project, The Great Escape.
