Joey Bada$$ turned 20 years old on the 20th of January, the same day his debut album dropped. Listening to B4.DA.$$ makes you pretty insecure, pretty gutted that you're not 20 years old with a wealth of knowledge, wisdom and an ear for the traditional hip hop sound that has captured the hearts and souls of many people around the world.

Some celebrate Joey because he's bringing the 90's sound back, but for me that's definitely not the case. First of all the overall sound of B4.DA.$$ is just a nice hip hop sound, but secondly and more importantly it's equal parts forward thinking as it is trapped in the 90's. Forward thinking as in it's unique, every aspect of the album is uniquely Joey Bada$$ and it's pretty hard to box it in as boom-bap old school hip hop. It's a product of that, but it's got a Bada$$ twist mixed in.

Take 'Escape' for example. It's an uptempo song that is largely a reflective, semi depressing song where the beat is juxtaposed with the subject matter. But it sounds like a Bomfunk MC's song, yeah you know that one. It was kinda odd, unexpected to hear 'Escape' as well as 'Teach Me' which is a bonus track as they're both far from the sound that Joey is apparently known for. They are jams that not only get your head bobbin' but it's hard to not scratch that itch and get up and get loose. There's nothing boom-bappy about them, just fresh musical funk.

B4.DA.$$ is a pretty simple concept to grasp, although I'm sure Joey has many layers to the meaning and idea behind the album but the title only gives you one perspective. Listening to the album, it's hard not to notice the passion in the voice of Joey. Aggression mixed in with love kind of gives you passion, you can feel how much this all means to this dude and I think a lot of that has to do with the message he's trying to convey to the listener.

You can only be so passionate when spitting the usual rapper bravado, there's plenty of that from Joey but when the album kicks off with 'Save The Children' you get this weird mix. A mix of the bravado and the greater purpose, which is essentially Joey Bada$$.

The theme or idea of money within B4.DA.$$ is enough to be a class or two in high school English. The only interlude on the album is 'Greenbax' which comes at you second up. Whether it's the voice of a child talking about getting money or "we'll never be broke again" being repeated a few times, you get one side of the desire for money. But the next song on the album, third up is 'Paper Trails' where Joey spits wisdom about the other side of the desire for money, switching up the idea of getting C.R.E.A.M - "Cash Ruins Everything Around Me".

Also on 'Paper Trails' is the legit bar - "They say money is the root of all evil, but money is the root of all people". This all served up within the first three songs, a bunch of themes and ideas sprinkled with witty word play and some very legit techniques on the mic.

The start and the end of the album give you the most food for thought with the last three jams - 'Black Beetles', 'O.C.B' and 'Curry Chicken' more reflective. They offer you the greatest insight in to Joey's mind and insecurities, it's probably the most personal group of songs but the level of funk is high and you can't help but not feel the vibe going through you while you try dissect the stories and perspective he's gained recently. I don't think it's by coincidence that these three songs centre on the idea of having achieved what he has, ya know, gettingDA$$. Not just the $$ but everything that comes with money with the end of the album more rooted in the place where Joey is right now.

You may be thinking that the middle stages of the album aren't a whole lot, but this is where you find the aggression. This is where you find the bars, the techniques, the paying homage and the leadership of Joey. The 'fuck the system' idea is served up to you along with a simple message that Joey Bada$$ isn't to be fucked with lyrically.

In terms of production, Joey has a close bond with Statik Selektah and he chimes in on a few songs while DJ Premier, Hit Boy, Lee Bannon, Freddie Joachim, J Dilla, The Roots, Basquiat, Samiyam and Soul Rebels also feature. Plenty of variety, but that doesn't negatively impact the overall sound of the project, they all have a soulful element and just sound like funky hip hop. The most notable production though is done by fellow Pro Era members Kirk Knight and Chuck Strangers, who do two songs each and fit in perfectly with their more esteemed peers.

My Bang Up Banger is 'Black Beetles' which is produced by Chuck Strangers. It's not a banger in terms of chucking it on to get you and your homies hyphy ('No 99' and 'Christ Conscious' do that) but it's a hearty joint from Joey while the production encapsulates the vibe. It kind of makes you want to fly, or at the very least dream big.

What is it? B4.DA.$$ is what we've wanted from Joey Bada$$, what we've waited for. I don't think I'd be going overboard by saying that we need this bit of Joey to get by as hip hop fans. The dude's 20 years old, there's plenty of water to go under the bridge and if Joey continues to serve up the strong willed funk, hip hop is on the brink of an interesting time. Pro Era dropped a 5 song project last year called 'The Shift' and for me this album from Joey Bada$$ reinforces the idea that things are on the up, things are heading in a positive direction. Take that last sentence however your third eye perceives it.

Shout out to Capital Steeze and Junior.