![]() Virtually every song expresses a pointedly political, antiracism sentiment complemented with a compassionate view towards the suffering of underclass America. But while Kendrick has been politically outspoken for awhile, and remains so on DAMN., he explores a wider range of themes than Joey who is more singular in his vision here, presenting his dissent more overtly than he ever has before. ![]() But only lighter in sound, because content-wise both works espouse a hardcore anti-Trump, antifascist ideology and pro-black values. And there's a lot more singing than on previous releases by either artist, so an overall lighter sound to each LP. ![]() Both have a generally somber, introspective tone underscored by primarily mellow, bass-heavy R&B and jazz grooves (and on a curious side note, both album tracklists stylize the titles in exclusively capital letters). But while those two have found mainstream appeal despite stretching HipHop boundaries into sometimes genre-bending, experimental territory, Joey retains many now-classic elements of underground HipHop in sound, style, and content.ĪMERIKKKAN came out one week before Kendrick's DAMN., yielding comparison between the two albums. With a steady vocal delivery focusing on lyrical prowess and socially-relevant subjects more than braggadocio and glamour, and favouring unvarnished beat production over studio slickness, Joey has developed into one of contemporary HipHop's creative giants-joining the likes of Chance the Rapper and Kendrick Lamar. Hence Joey's success, as his music epitomizes the sound and values of Golden Age HipHop in which innovative songwriting took precedence over superficiality and sensationalism. This has left many artists and fans lamenting HipHop's corruption by the pop music industry and yearning for a return to the art form as it was in earlier manifestations. ![]() As HipHop now enters the third generation after its inception, the movement as a means of cultural expression has been thoroughly co-opted by profit-driven corporate interests. Indeed, Joey's rap style and production aesthetic has been lauded as hearkening back to HipHop's golden era-the end of which he was born, in 1995. ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$ is Joey Badass's second official studio album, but he's had so many mixtapes, EPs, singles, and guest appearances since emerging on the American HipHop scene in 2012 (at age 17) that it feels like he's been around for decades.
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