Song Exploder - Joey Bada$$ - Hazeus View

Episode Date: September 15, 2015

Joey Bada$$ released his debut album on January 20, 2015: his 20th birthday. It hit the Top 5 on the Billboard charts. For the track "Hazeus View," he worked with Kirk Knight, another member of the Pro Era hip-hop collective. In this episode, the two of them break down the process of making "Hazeus View," how the lyrics reflect Joey’s wide-angle take on religion, and how the beat was inspired by DJ Premier and a beat he made for the Biggie song "Ten Crack Commandments."

You're listening to Song Exploder, where musicians take apart their songs, and piece by piece, tell the story of how they were made. I'm Rishi Kesh Hirway. This episode contains explicit language. Joey Badass is a rapper from New York. He's worked with other rappers, like AASAP Rocky and Action Bronson, but he collaborates most closely with his fellow members of Pro Era, a Brooklyn hip-hop collective. Joey Badass released his debut album on January 20th, 2015, his 20th birthday. It hit the top five on the billboard charts. For the track, Jesus View, he worked with Kirk Knight, another member of Pro Era.

In this episode, the two of them break down the process of making Jesus view and how the lyrics reflect Joey's wide-angle take on religion, and how the beat was inspired by DJ Premier. My name is Javar and Virginia. My stage name is Joey Badass. Talking about Hazel's View, produced by Kirk Knight, he made the beat and the beep came way before the lyrics. Kirk Say Hi.

So basically the way how this beat started, basically I made this on the tour bus. I was actually listening to a lot of Primo. At the time, I was listening to Ten Crack Commandments, like back to back to back to back. It's the Ten Crack Commandments, Why? I've been in this game for years. It made me an animal.

It's rules to the show. Even the way manual, step by step, booklet for you to get your game on track, not your wig push back. Even the way that he chopped it, it was kind of like on the one, chopped up in like, d-d-d-d-d-on-on-one. Like, when you nodding your head to the beat, that is like the piano just hits right when your head is bobbing down to the beat, you know what I'm saying? So I wanted to create a beat that was like that. I definitely looked up the sample of Ten Crack Commandments.

If you listen to the full sample of Ten Crack Commandments, he only took like two, three seconds of it. Like literally just took those and made it into one of the most virus beats to me. Like, you know, so I wanted to challenge myself to be able to achieve the same thing. So Kirk found this track by Italian composer Amadeo Tomasi. I found it off the internet. I found it on YouTube because sometimes you can find some heat off of YouTube. The sample for Hazers' view is not that long.

You know what I'm saying? It's literally three piano hits, that's it. I wanted to have, like, all of my kicks together, not like space out. Like, for example, if you had like a p-ch-p-ch-p-ch. I just wanted the kicks to be together. Like, you know what I'm saying? Basically the way that I did it, it was just like I had the high hats run. But I wanted the kicks to be that particular way.

That was basically the inspiration of Hazel's view that. Like, that's exactly what I wanted to do. I didn't give the beat to Joey until like a little later like even after the tour. I was holding it for like a little hot minute. He didn't want to give it to me. Basically. Kirk is that type of dude like anytime on the road he gets really inspired like to create music. So often traveling in between cities or just waiting at the venue waiting to perform,

Kirk would lope out, just go to his bunk and just create beats. So I actually remember the exact moment like he was standing outside his bunk and he had his heaven headphones on and he was just bump into this to something crazy and I'm just like yo what are you bumping to bro like can I hear and then he played me this beat and then I literally told him I say yo bro that's one of the best beats you've ever made I was also aware that you know Kirk was working on his own project so I was definitely aware that you know this might be something that he wouldn't want to keep for himself you know so I didn't like ask for it right away but I was like yo

bro like this right here is fire man Like, you gotta do something great with this. When Kirk finally gave me the beat, I already had my verses ready by then. Because, you know, usually I have just verses in the stash. And then if it matches a beat that I like, you know, then I just lay it down. I remember how it happened though, bro. My engineer came over and he gave me so much energy. He was like, let's work.

Let's work. I'm ready to work. I'm not a drinker at all. But for some reason, this night, I was just like, yeah, let's work and let's drink. And I end up getting like just super faded and I went into the booth and like I just gave it my all. I like the first lines of each verse. So the first verse, You ain't running with the apes yet apex at the empire state neck.

You ain't running with the apes yet apex at the empire state neck. I'm saying that I am the apex. I am the one that's at the top in my city. I'm like King Kong at the top of the Empire State building. You know what I'm saying? So apex at the Empire State Neck. I actually wrote the chorus long before we even went on that tour. It was simple at the time.

I didn't even think of it as being a chorus. I was actually writing a verse and in the first lines of the verse was, And we probably shiver traded to, but I can see what I can't relate to. And we probably shiver traded to, but I can see what I can't relate to. Basically what it means is like, we're all human. We all, at the end of the day, have so many things in common, But we see from different perspectives and, you know, we act as if we have nothing in common. Because we're from different places or, you know, we're from different backgrounds.

You understand what I'm saying? And we probably should have a traitor to. But I can see what I can't relate to. Hey, Jesus. Will I ever get to see you through my hazel's view? When I'm looking through my hazel's view, I'm looking at things from a perspective that's like aerial, looking down and seeing everything for what it is, the macrocosmic view of everything. I was combining two godly elements, which is Jesus and Zeus, you know, the sky god.

My Jesus view is basically the view that I can look at everything from and know that everything is, you know, equal is the same. So it was just like, yo, I wonder if I would ever be able to see my Lord and Savior with this view, like what I'd be able to meet him knowing what I know. I consider myself a spiritual person. As I grew up over time, I realized, you know, God is something that you could connect to anywhere you are. And at any moment in time, you know, you don't just have to go to church. The way I was raised, I remember it was this one conversation I had with my mom. I had to be like six or seven, but I decided to ask her, I said, Mom, what is our religion?

I knew that I went to church and we had a very strong connection with God. So when I asked my mom this question, she said, we don't have a religion, but we believe in God. This conversation is definitely one of the conversations that I will remember to the day that I died. And one of the conversations that changed and shaped my life for the better. I just feel like, you know, if there's just a whole bunch of religions out here, but, you know, essentially there's one God, then, you know, why I just confine myself to one religion? You see, the thing with me, there's no limits with me. Now, here's Hesu's view by Joey Badass in its entirety. Push back tonight to 1999

Who'da door that 19 I might be in my prime Throwed up the right scheme everything else anon Here's a penny for your thoughts another one another one Eventually the dream was bought Now that's a real real real mind fuck mine Fuck up your mind if you're lighting up Make sure the tickets tight enough If you tough by my titan like two sire lighting them

Kick flows till this kung fu fighting them Is it him? Is it you who was nice to him? I don't see nobody no no no No, no, no. And we probably shir-a-trade a two, but I can see what I can't relate to. Hey, hey, Seuss, will I ever get to see you through my hazo-so, hey, too? And we probably shivered traitor to, but I can see what I can't relate to. Hey, Jesus, will I ever get to see you do my hazo-soz, you rap-nickers ain't safe?

Yeah! I keep the bombs in my basement. When I detonate, you can feel the vibrations. I got your mind shaking. Am I right? My life going to spark for generations. One day my voice will be heard on every radio station because fainter irration you're changing.

And it's everyday living in this life I see that in every way they want to see my life deceased. But I saw fine. The question is for high long. Since my homey days of my life is now all gone, but I cope with that weed out smoking right in these songs. But this should I stay? No, let me know see what I can't relate to.

Hey, hey, soos, will I ever get to see? I can see what I can't relate. Who's what I ever get to see? Cool like in the state of mind that the state of my correct. Cool, calm, collect, deflect, deflect, I talk too much. The jig is up. He has risen up from a division of most kings with their vision, position for position. It's mind splitting and soul uplifting, but still feel so trapped in the soul is this.

And we probably should have traded to. for I can see what I can't relate to. Hey, hey, Seuss. Will I ever get to see you through my hazos? And we probably should have a traitor to, but I can see what I can't relate to. Hey, Jesus. Well, I ever get to see you do my Hezos, Hayzossos you. Well, I say you through my Hazo's you.

If I see you do my Hazo's, you, see you through my... For a complete guide to the songs and samples mentioned in this episode, Go to songexploder.net. You'll also find links for more info on Joey Badass and Pro Era, including a link to buy this song. Kirk Knight has a solo album coming out, and there's a link to that as well. I have a new album of my own coming out on April 24th. It's been about 15 years since I last put out of full length, and this is the first one that'll be out under my own name, Rishi Kesh Her Way.

I started making Song Exploder when I was feeling lost in my own music career. And then for over a decade, I've gotten to have these incredible conversations about the process of making music, talking to other artists. And it made me completely rethink my relationship to music and my way of writing songs. And this album is the product of all of that. It features contributions from some of my favorite artists, including some folks that you may have heard on this podcast, like Iron and Wine, Kevin Morby, Vagabond, Fenlily, and the producer Phil Wine Rope. I'm going to be on tour playing in cities across the U.S. starting in April. and I'm trying to bring the spirit of the podcast with me.

So every show that I'm playing will begin with a conversation about the album with a different amazing guest moderator in each city, like Adam Scott, Samin Nasrat, Jason Manzukas, Josh Molina, Minjin Lee, Ken Jennings, John Roderick, Austin, Cleon, and more. They're all going to be my conversation partners on stage, and then I'll play with my band. The album is called In The Last Hour of Light, and the first couple songs are out now. You can listen to the music and get tickets for the shows on my website, rishikash.co, or just go to songexploder.net slash live.

That's songexploder.net slash live. Thanks. You can find all the past and future episodes of SongExploder at SongExploder.net or on iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever you download podcasts. Find the show on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at Song Exploder. Next time on Song Exploder, The Magnetic Fields. Song Exploder is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX, a curated network of extraordinary story-driven shows.

Learn more at Radiotopia.fm. My name is Rishi-Kesh Hereway. Thanks for listening. Ad-driven, Radiotopia.