Joey Bada$$ is the stage name of Jo-Vaughn Virginie Scott, a rapper and producer from Flatbush, Brooklyn, in New York. He is associated with Pro Era and Zulu Nation, and his music sits within boom bap, conscious hip hop, East Coast hip hop, hardcore hip hop, hip hop and jazz rap.

Career

Joey Bada$$ releases music through JoeyBad Publishing. He begins attracting attention with his debut mixtape 1999, which comes out in 2012. The mixtape includes production from fellow Pro Era members, as well as beats associated with J Dilla and MF DOOM, and it earns strong critical response.

He follows it with Rejex, a collection of early versions and tracks left off the debut mixtape, and then Summer Knights, his second mixtape, in 2013. His debut album B4.Da.$$ arrives in 2015.

Albums

In 2017 he releases ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$ under Pro Era Records and Cinematic Music Group. The album includes the singles “Devastated”, “Land of the Free” and “Temptation”, receives generally positive reviews, and reaches number five on the US Billboard 200.

His third studio album, 2000, is released in 2022 as a follow-up to 1999. It includes singles such as “Head High”, “Survivors Guilt” and “Zipcodes”, and addresses themes including mental health, the deaths of his friend Capital Steez and his cousin Junior B, and his wider life experience. The album reaches number 18 on the Billboard 200.

Collective work

Joey Bada$$ is a member of the hip hop collective Pro Era, with whom he releases three mixtapes. He is also listed as a member of Zulu Nation.