Joey Bada$$ is definitely next on the come-up. The New York based young'n has released two mixtapes thus far, both praised highly for their old school sound. However, Joey is more inclined to say he's re-inventing the old, hence his "Pro Era" crew name.
The rapper chopped it up with fellow New Yorker, Peter Rosenberg, and spoke on where he stands with his crew, as well as album and mixtapes in the pipeline. He also lists some important influences on his music.
Although some may think Joey's sound may hinder him from breaking through to the mainstream, Joey is not worried about it. "I honestly don't feel like I'll ever have to go mainstream, I feel like mainstream will go Pro Era," he said.
While fans are already ready for a solo LP from the Pro Era frontman, you'll probably hear another mixtape before you hear a studio album. Joey revealed, "The plan is definitely to give out one more tape til I go to the album."
It may be obvious if you listen to his music that the rapper has some veteran emcee influences, but Joey's names his #1 influence as The Notorious B.I.G. "Yeah, Biggie is definitely one that got me into hip-hop instantly. Biggie was my first favorite rapper, the first rapper I knew about," he continued, "[Next] was Jay. I got into Nas later, Nas and MF Doom."
Finally, good news for those wanting to hear more from the rest of the Pro Era crew. They're dropping a joint tape right around Christmas. "We got this new tape that's coming out on the 21st of this month, new Pro Era tape. It's called Peep The Apocalypse. December 21st."
Check back on the 21st for that collaborative effort. Check out Joey Bada$$' older mixtapes here.
You can listen to the full interview below.
