“Summer Knights” is
the second mixtape coming from 18-year old Brooklyn native Joey Bada$$. His
moniker and age won’t inspire thoughts of anything beyond easy rap, but just
give him a chance and you will recognize him for what he is: a kid with enormous
amounts of potential who’s lyrical maturity and wordplay reach far beyond the
image that he projects.
My Youth – A fun reggae beat, and while Joey’s flow at time
seems to wrestle more than work with the beat it’s never bad enough to distract
from the song. Because I’m a sucker for wordplay: “I don’t drink too much, I
know the Budweiser”
Death of YOLO - Inspired by death of rapper Ervin McKinness
who tweeted “Drunk af going 120 drifting corners #FuckIt YOLO” minutes before his
car crashed killing himself and the four passengers, Death of YOLO is the
standout song off the mixtape. The title
sets the tone for the death of the YOLO mentality, which is reinforced by the
hook and Joey’s first verse. Ironic given he’s among the demographic that affixes
#YOLO#SWAG to everything. “Little did
they know I was about to meet my maker / till an angel came down and told me my
time was later” a simple, yet effective line given context.
Unorthodox – Closing track, “cause money ain’t no thing if I
got it I won’t spend, all I got is my Pros I don’t need to friends” the
wordplay with Pros is too good to pass up – meaning both his prose, and his rap
crew, Pro Era.
All in all a very solid summer mixtape from a young artist
set to do big things in hip hop.
-Marc
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