Early this year, I was intrigued by Joey Badass’s return with “The Ruler’s Back”. A song aimed to call out Hip Hop’s recent cultural fascination with the West Coast, courtesy of Kendrick Lamar.
Many others would say that the emcee had a good trajectory for album of the year. He released songs that sounded like “B4 Da $$$” era Joey. Though he faced D-List competition (In the form of Ray Vaughn and Daylyt), Joey held his own and eventually won the battle, “My Town” being the best song out of that battle.
Named “Lonely At The Top”, It was looking like a hefty rollout. Originally slated for August 1st, the album was then pushed back by Columbia Records. Singles “ABK”, “Dark Aura”, and “Still” were released with live performances and music videos attached. A couple weeks later, it was announced that the album would be released on August 29th.
Did the album match the energy of the title? No. It goes through the same problems that plagued his last album “2000”, three years prior: samey production and no artistic evolution. Most of the songs on here are empty and boring. He lacked the grit that he showcased earlier this year.
“Supaflee” is the worst offender. It sounds like a throwaway Neptunes beat that found itself on a soundtrack to an early 2000s NBA Street videogame. Needless to say he sounded out of his element which is shocking given he made “Devastated” eight years ago. A track that felt authentic and motivating. Can’t believe that his Pro-Era brethren Kirk Knight made this beat. Such a shame.
Outside of the typical Neo-Boom Bap, there was one track that stood out: “Swank White”. Featuring Westside Gunn of Griselda fame, Joey was talking that talk and he sounded natural over the drumless production.
Plus, “Highroller” wasn’t so bad either. It had ASAP Ferg and one of my favorite R&B artists, Kelz2busy. The latter as per usual stole the show with beautiful, whispery vocals. Shout out to Joey for adding him on the track.
Overall, the album did not match the hype. A squandered opportunity on all fronts. It isn’t that many in East Coast hip hop circles don’t believe Joey to be the “King Of NY”. A lack of musical output and his 5 year sabbatical where he focused on acting (“Mr. Robot” and “Power: Book 3”) stunted his claim to the top.
“Lonely At The Top” with its bizarre album cover and mediocre songs doesn’t do the Pro Era/Beast Coast leader justice. It’s clear that he needs to rap on more interesting production to ignite his musical integrity. This ain’t it
Suffice to say, it gets deluded at the top.
