The 2010’s was a time in HOP music that did not interest me much in terms of new acts. The internet had made music so accessible that not only was it easy to obtain music, which just devalued the product, but everyone was making music. Rarely anything felt discernible which also presented a great opportunity for any “cream” to rise to the top.
During this time there were names consistently mentioned around the internet. Joey Bada$$ was one of these names but this seemed to be due to his “unique” style of music. As a young adult in the 2010’s, “Joey” and his crew PRO Era seemed to be “stuck in the 90’s.” Something that should have easily “moved them out of the paint” as the “old head verses new heads” conflict was really showing face during that decade. Joey Bada$$ and crew made it work somehow and gave a familiarity for those “old heads” while standing out among their peers with the “new heads.”
‘Summer Knights’ is the first release I gave a listen to. Up to this point I had to make sure that this throwback style of PRO Era was not just a gimmick. As I went through this particular release it became apparent to me that Joey Bada$$ was genuine in the music he was creating, but apart of me felt concerned that him and his crew might in fact be shooting themselves in the foot. On ‘Summer Knights’ the production and rhymes is truskool hip-hop music with no compromise. I truly questioned how the younger audience, and older audience who were trying their hardest to seem like they embraced the new acts, would respond to this style of music from Joey Bada$$. I hoped that he was not trying to go so against the grain that it ostracized his creations. Nevertheless he seemed to endure, and ‘Summer Knights’ was like a “stamp;” that him and his crew would lead the charge for the next generation of listeners to not forget a genuine sound of HOP music.
I enjoyed this release and as someone who can’t stand when artist put out projects like this and call it a “mixtape,” I try to look past that and see the bigger picture. Joey Bada$$ created an album that had it been dropped just a decade earlier would have fit right into the days of physical releases. ‘Summer Knights’ is over an hour long with beats and lyrics that would have made for repeated listens. Instead the release had to strive to keep the attention of a new round of listeners that wanted quick audio payoffs. What did you think of the album?
Singles include:
‘Unorthodox,’ ’95 Til Infinity,’ Hilary $wank’ & ‘My Yout’
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