Joey Bada$$--B4.Da.$$

Could any of you imagine having a successful music career before turning 20? Brooklyn-born rapper Joey Bada$$ lives this dream every single day. Born Jo-Vaughn Virginie Scott to a St. Lucian mother and Jamaican father, Joey Bada$$ was always interested in the arts. At first, he intended to study acting, but in 9th grade changed gears and started writing raps. This stemmed from his precocious love of poetry. By his current age of 19, Joey has released a mixtape to widespread acclaim,started rap collective Pro Era with the late Capital STEEZ, and spearheaded the Beast Coast hip-hop movement with other rappers from the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn. Not bad for somebody who can't even drink, wouldn't you agree?

Joey Bada$$'s new release, "B4.Da.$$" (pronounced "before da money") is actually his first full-length studio album, having only done mixtapes and features up to this point. "B4.Da.$$" mostly follows suit with his previous releases. In true Beast Coast style, this album is really an homage to classic east coast rappers. Joey obviously idolizes artists such as Nas and Biggie Smalls, as he emulates them throughout the album. This usually is done well, although some of his rhymes that hearken back to the golden age of hip-hop seem a bit clunky and forced. Overall, production is very good, too. The record is full of jazzy, downtempo beats perfectly compliment Joey's assertive, bouncy style.

The album starts out with the track "Save The Children", opening with what sounds like fanfare at a Joey Bada$$ concert. It then grooves through many different tracks, interspersed with the occasional skit. These skits include simulated voicemails, interviews, and radio lead-ins, and make the album feel almost like a news story. As a whole, the album flows very well, climaxing with the leading single "Big Dusty". It is a very cohesive record, which at some points makes it slightly uninteresting. While the overall quality is good, the artist didn't really take any creative risks, which could get stale by the end of the hour-long record. However, the quality of Joey's flow and the production overcomes this in most spots. Also, his ability to emulate classic rappers whose heyday was long over before he was even born makes Joey Bada$$ a force to be reckoned with in hip-hop. I wouldn't be surprised if we see a lot more from this teenager in the coming years, as well as his cohorts in the Beast Coast movement.

SCORE: 3.5/5

HIGHLIGHT: "Big Dusty"