Joey Bada$$

Why he matters

Jo-Vaughn Scott was born in East Flatbush and raised in Bed-Stuy, and he went to Edward R. Murrow High School to study acting before switching to rap around ninth grade. With friends from school he formed Pro Era, a crew that made its own beats and put out its own tapes and videos. In October 2010 he posted a freestyle to YouTube; it got reposted, and Jonny Shipes of Cinematic Music Group signed on as his manager.

1999 came out in June 2012 as a free download. It’s a tribute to ’90s East Coast rap, mostly produced by Pro Era’s Chuck Strangers and Kirk Knight, with sampled beats from Lord Finesse, MF DOOM and J Dilla. On paper that sounds like nostalgia. On record it sounds like a teenager who studied the era closely and wrote like he had something to prove. HipHopDX named it the best mixtape of 2012.

He turned down the obvious major-label route, saying in early 2013 that he’d rather stay independent for the time being. The DJ Premier-produced “Unorthodox” kept the momentum going, and B4.Da.$$ arrived in January 2015 through Cinematic and Relentless, debuting at No. 5 on the Billboard 200. All-Amerikkkan Badass in 2017 widened the lens to national politics and also debuted at No. 5.

What a working rapper can take from it

Treat your crew like a production company. Pro Era had its own producers, its own visuals and its own release schedule. That’s why 1999 sounds unified instead of like a playlist. If your friends make beats, build the sound together before you chase outside names.

Know your samples, and know the rules. 1999 was a free tape built partly on borrowed beats, and when it finally reached streaming services in 2018, at least one instrumental had been swapped out. If you’re building on old records, the sample-chopping guide covers the craft and the clearance conversation. Clear what you plan to sell.

Give it away to get heard, then sell the next one. The free tape built the audience; the album was the product. The single-release guide covers the paid side once you’re there.