Joey Bada$$: B4.Da.$$ (Cinematic/Relentless) Since I liked his 2012 mix 1999 a lot and still think the 11-minute “Suspect” is an exquisite song, I find this debut studio LP to be a huge step backwards. Where did his personality go? It seems to have disappeared whilst the Illmatic influence (the hip-hop equivalent of being influenced by Pet Sounds) has increased. It’s too safe, wanting to impress rather than entertain and trading in choruses for flows. He’s so opposed to entertaining, in fact, that he reserves a song featuring both Elle Varner and Action Bronson to a bonus track (another featuring Kiesza suffers a similar fate). In the end, all this ends up being is a nostalgia trip for hip-hop fans who think the genre peaked in ‘94. Let’s hope he eventually learns how to write a hook and releases better albums. Nas did. B-
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