In his new album “B4.DA.$$” (read as “Before the Money”), Joey Bada$$ combined future and past musical elements to create a hip-hop album unlike most made in recent years.
In fact, this album could have been made 20 years ago and would have fit perfectly in the mix of rap styles of the early ‘90s. The various musical compositions throughout “B4” contains hints from the decade’s artists such as Outkast Wu Tang Clan. 
However, Bada$$ incorporates many different jazz elements throughout the album which makes his songs even more distinct. 
For example, the track “O.C.B.” (“Only Child Blues”) features a smooth jazz orchestral sounding background music with a piano accompaniment as well as what sounds like a tuba and saxophone solo.
Unlike the somewhat shallow use of these elements that seem to pop up in every Jason Derulo song, Bada$$ takes a genuine approach to infuse jazz and blues into his rap that is refreshing for today’s music industry.
Additionally, his lyrical and rhythmic style is almost a perfect combination of Chance the Rapper. An intense yet controlled flow is kept throughout the record that does not bore the listener from track-to-track.
“Belly of the Beast” featuring Chronixx is probably the best track on the album and could rival Jay Z’s “Empire State of Mind” as far as describing his life and the culture of New York.
One of the most interesting aspects of this album is the way Bada$$ tells an ongoing story of his life and upbringing. Through multiple samples of voice recordings by his family and friends talking to him about life, he infuses his biography into the flow from song to song.
Early in the album, a radio interview with Bada$$ is tacked onto the end of a song where he explains his Caribbean influences from his parents, his mother from Saint Lucia and father from Jamaica.
Though the quality of each song is arguably above par, the album starts to drone on a little bit after around the tenth track. A closer attention to song organization would have done this album well, and honestly a few songs could have been cut from the list to create a more solidified record.
It is obvious that Bada$$ pays great attention to detail in his work, and surrounds himself with artists that compliment his style and add depth to his tracks. He is sure to be a bigger name in the hip-hop community with every new release.