The Breakfast Club - Joey Badass Talks New Album, Jay-Z, Diddy, Emotional Intelligence, Processing Grief + More

Episode Date: August 18, 2022

Joey Badass Talks New Album, Jay-Z, Diddy, Emotional Intelligence, Processing Grief + MoreSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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It's DJ Envy, Angela Yee, Charlamagne Tha God. We are The Breakfast Club. We got a special guest in the building. Yes, indeed. Joey Badass. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Welcome.

How are you, my brother? I'm great. I'm great. You look healthy. Good to be here. I am healthy. Absolutely. You know, I'm in a group chat, man, with Rob Markman and Hovane and B-Dot.

And a couple weeks ago, they was like, yo, y'all got to listen to Joey Badass' new album. I hadn't gotten a chance to listen to it. Man, I listened to it a couple of days ago. Phenomenal body of work, my brother. Thank you. Like, phenomenal. Like, rap album of the year category.

Thank you. It should be mentioned in that kind of conversation. That means a lot coming from you. You know what I'm saying? I appreciate that. Definitely worked really hard on that. I'm super satisfied with the project. I feel like all of the feedback has been really good.

And those are all my guys, too. You know what I'm saying? Shout out Hovane, Rob, B.Dot. Just saw them the other day. You know what I'm saying? No, I texted them. I was like, yo, why y'all ain't tell me Joey Badass album was so good? They was like, we did.

That's why you listening. And he told me y'all said you sat down with Rap Rad album was so good? They was like, we did. That's why you listening. And he told me y'all said, he said you sat down with Rap Radar recently. I don't think it came out yet. Yeah, shout out to Elliot as well. You know, that was good. Those are my guys, man. We're just keeping the conversation going.

Heavily inspired by the mixtape game, it seems like. Oh, yeah. With some of the first couple of samples, something in the way you make me feel. Ooh, Stephanie Mills. Stephanie Mills. So let's talk about that. Because as soon as I heard it, I was like, oh, you could tell he was raised on mixtape. So let's talk about that, because as soon as I heard it,

I was like, oh, you can tell he was raised on mixtape. So let's talk about that a little bit. Right, yeah, I mean, you know, it was like an ordinary day. Pulled up on my man Static, Shoutout Static Selector. And he played that joint, and I ain't gonna lie, I laid that shit, and I didn't even care about it, really. I was just like, you know, because at that point, I was experimenting a lot, you know because that at that point i was experimenting a lot you know

with my sound so when it came to you know the boom back or the traditional style i would just kind of be bored with that i'd be like this something i could do in my sleep so i just kind of laid it and didn't think about it but i was listening to it the next day and then the next day and the next day i'm like yo this is fire you know what I'm saying? But definitely like with the whole mixtape influence direction, you know, that's what I was raised on. That's what I grew up on. And this project, you know, I'm more of a conceptual type of artist, but this one I really just kind of wanted to speak towards my lifestyle

and things that I was living on a day-to-day basis, you know what I'm saying, bring people to my world. I feel like it's been 10 years since I've been in the game and I feel like it was the perfect time for a reintroduction to Joey Badass. So that's kind of how I structured this joint. Every time I see you, I feel like you should have grew up in

the whole Vinaz era. Even when I see you acting, I'm like you are from that era. Your whole embodiment fits that era. That's why I told him this morning, I was like, yo, I said, it's very New York, but still fresh. That's how you moved me. Very New York, but still fresh with it. Yeah, man, you know, when I came out at the time, man, it was like nobody had seen what I was doing, you know.

But for me, it was kind of like a natural reaction to what was going on, you know what I'm saying? Circa 2010, 2011, you know i'm saying circa 2010 2011 you know a lot of stuff on the radio was like young money dominant then they started going west coast with it you know what i'm saying and um i just felt the need that new york needed something that like represented it again you know what i mean and um that's kind of just where i fell in and um i feel like i filled that void kind of in a way. And, yeah, now it's just kind of part of my DNA. You hated New York radio at that time.

I know that. Well, you know, I was a kid. I hated everything. I hated literally everything. I didn't want to talk to nobody. I didn't want to see nobody. I had no type of gauge on really what was going on and to the magnitude of how it was going. And when did that change?

Because, you know, when you first came out, I guess you could consider it an introvert. Like, you really didn't fuck with too many people. Yeah. You were just kind of on your own. Yeah. And it's changed a lot since then. Yeah, man.

You know, when I first came out, I was very crew-based. You know what I'm saying? Like, I didn't want to go nowhere without my crew, you know what I'm saying? Like if I'm in the spot, my whole gang is in the spot, and if they can't get in, then I'm not going in. You know, and that really had kept me in my own bubble, so a lot of people couldn't like approach me. And I was being told things early in my career like,

yeah, I'm unapproachable and stuff. I was like, word, like I feel like I'm the nicest guy, you know what I'm saying? I could have a conversation with anybody. You know, it was really just time and experience that went on and kind of realizing how many opportunities I was leaving behind because I would straight up not go to certain rooms and tables because I couldn't roll 5D. You know what I'm saying?

And I had to smarten up as I got older. And I realized, you know, you pack light. The lighter you pack, you know, the further you can fly, the further you can ascend. What's the quote they say? If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. You know what I'm saying?

So it was kind of like a realization. Now, that's real because I remember when you came out, people loved your music, but they didn't know anything about Joey Badass besides he's from Brooklyn and he runs with a lot of people. But like today, you came in and you talk about cars. I'm like, I didn't even know Joey was in the cars. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

And I do so much cars. I'm like, yeah. But I'm glad to see you opening up people, getting that, understanding you a lot more. You know, when you're a new artist and you're coming into the game, and that's why I have a lot of empathy and patience for these newer guys guys it's like you still introducing yourself you know what i mean people only can identify with the version of you where you caught the moment at so say you got a song and it's about cheeseburgers they like this nigga like cheese they like nigga why are you eating the glizzy you know what I mean you're on the street like what the you know what I mean so it kind of just becomes

a part of your identity and shit like that and the more you grow and expand as an artist you can introduce different sides of yourself

you know what I mean so for me being here 10 years it's like I've been able to implement you know different sides as the time goes on

and I'm grateful for that why did it take so long why 10 years between projects oh nah long? Why 10 years between projects? Oh, no, it wasn't 10 years between projects. It was five years. I thought 99 came out. Well, 99 was 10 years. 10 years.

What was five years ago? Five years was my last album, All American Badass. All American, yeah, All American Badass. Yeah, yeah. But five years is a long time, too, in this business. Why five years? Man, it wasn't no specific reason. Like, it wasn't like I finished my last album.

Like, yeah, I'm gonna take five years. No, nah, it just happened that way, man. You know, I was experimenting, trying to find a new direction, trying to figure out which way I wanted to go. In addition, I had my first kid, you know, my daughter, she's four years old now. Started doing a lot of TV and film stuff.

Started taking off. So it was just really getting used to a new balance. And then the pandemic set me back. Like, I had a project, but then when the pandemic started, I got connected with myself in a different way, you know? And it became a whole different thing, you know? So it was just kind of the way it lined up. But I'll tell you this, like, I ain't never planning on going away for that long again thing you know so it's just it's kind of the way it lined up but i'll tell you this like i ain't never planning on going away for that long again you know well you were still on tv a

lot though so it didn't feel like for sure on tv for sure but like it felt a little weird because i would be going to interviews with like music people and they want to talk to me about acting well you did win an oscar yeah you You know what I mean? That's kind of big. Well, yeah. The movie won an Oscar, but you starred in the movie. But does that make you feel a way when you go to interviews and people don't know you as a rapper and they know you more as an actor? Nah, you know, it don't make me feel

a way, but it just made me feel as if, okay, it's been too long. These niggas about to forget that you rap. You know what I'm saying? These niggas about to just identify you as an actor. you need to come with some now you know that's that's kind of was more the pressure i was feeling but i think it's ill when people you know notice me and they only know me for film and tv because i actually like that opportunity to get to get to introduce myself to people you know what i'm saying like they meet the person first, and then they go check out my music. I feel like it always hit different that way

because right there you could see, okay, this nigga is not no one-dimensional type of nigga. You know what I'm saying? And then you get into the music, it's like, oh, boom, boom. You know what I'm saying? Being an actor opens up a lot more doors, I'm sure, though. Yeah, absolutely.

Absolutely. You know, I done made a lot of connections, you know what I'm saying, with a lot more doors i'm sure though yeah yeah absolutely absolutely you know i done made a lot of connections you know i'm saying with a lot of great people i mean shout out to everybody in the power universe from sasha penn courtney camp fifth um shout to my man james samuels you know i'm saying he's been these are just people who've been looking out for me in the film and tv world and kind of like helping me guide and steer myself into the right places because that shit is hard you know i mean that shit is harder than music like to be the lead role in a movie requires ample amount of time like you got no time for yourself i mean i'm talking about from breakfast club hours all the

way to uh late night with rosenberg hours Every day, Monday through Friday, for about seven months. You know what I'm saying? With music, I mean, you know, the most strenuous part about being an artist is, like, probably tour. And even tour is like, okay, yeah, you probably got to go to the next city, stay on the bus all day,

but the work really is only for about an hour or two hours that night. You know what I'm saying? Everything else is kind of like just the shit that come with it, but acting is a way tougher job. I was going to ask you, how did you get into acting, for people that don't know?

So I was a theater student in high school. I went to Edward R. Murrow. I had, like, auditioned for a bunch of different, like, drama, theater programs because when I was coming up, when it was time for me to go to high school, like I always was into music, but at the time there was no programs to go to to like work on my rap skills or be a rapper, so my next like best thing to me was film.

You know, I know I always wanted to get into that, so I kinda just tried my little early start. I got accepted into Edward R. Murrow. They kicked me out after my sophomore year, though. For what? My attendance was just poor. It was poor. I was like one out of three black kids.

And the great thing about that is I was one out of three black kids. It was me and the homie Sadiq who played Ghostface on Wu-Tang. Wow. So it was dope, you know what I'm saying? Connecting back with him. Yeah, you know what I mean? Connecting back with him the whole full circle joint. Did you ever think you would lose your rap identity as Joey Badass playing Inspector Dick?

No, I didn't think I was going to lose my rap identity, but that is a good question because I was always reluctant about playing roles that were too close to who I am in real life, especially a rapper. I'm like, I don't want to be a rapper because I am a rapper. But when I got offered that, you know, it's Wu-Tang. Like, that's a big honor. And then RZA has been one of my mentors in this game for a long time. So I definitely wanted to come through for him like I feel he's come through for me a

lot of the times. But, you know, then I got power and then I got on Viv, though, for Wu-Tang. The album 2000, right? It's called 2000. By my calculations, you were five in 2000. So what do you remember about that year? Man, I remember so vividly being in pre-K. This was like, this had to be like right before I went to kindergarten.

Probably like May or some shit. I just remember seeing my teacher write on the chalkboard like May 1st or something 2000 I just remember that shit being a big thing and I also remember being terrified because as a kid hearing about the Y2K shit I'm like man is the world gonna end boom boom boom

and you know 2000 came and it was just like a whole it was a new millennium you know V2K and shit was my shit they talk about those years a whole it was a new millennium you know because most people 2k and was my so because most people talk about they talk about those years when they was teenagers is their formative years like i mean you were five yeah yeah i was five but i was very aware i was soaking up game you know what i'm saying i was observing now uh uh tell me about the jay-z connection because you

referenced that a couple of times on the album on Make You Feel and I might be paraphrasing here but you say peep game like Jay that's why he didn't sign me? That's why he didn't sign us keep the game at bay like the 49ers like that line is inspired by

you know because Jay is like definitely Jay is like an idol of mine you know what I'm saying so I read his book, Decoded,

and that line was inspired by a piece in Decoded when he said he met with Russell Simmons for the first time. And he details the experience as him, like, remembering sitting at that table and looking at them and thinking to himself, like, damn, like, I don't want to be signing these niggas. I want to be these niggas. You know what I'm saying?

So that was kind of the inspiration behind that line. It like you know shit didn't work out or whatever for whatever reason it didn't um but shit you remember your first conversation with jay your first sit down with him yeah i was 17 years old you know he flew me off of the tour i was in denver he flew me back out to new york to meet with him and you know I was a funny little nigga so I walked in and I'm like yes like nigga whatever it is he was sitting like behind his desk kind of like how look Charlemagne is right there but he was standing up like you know doing the pacing back and forth and shit and it was a dope experience, man, because at 17 years old, I felt so limitless.

Like, it was probably, like, when I was 15 or 16, like, I visualized in my mind, like, I want to be signed to Jay-Z. So when I was going up in that Roc Nation building, like, a year or two later, I'm like, damn, I could do anything. You know what I'm saying? Like, I'm already intersecting with my idol. I'm already in alignment with my idol. Anything is possible. You know what I'm saying? That's how I looked at it, no matter what happened, whether it worked out or didn't,

you know? Did he tell you why he didn't sign y'all? It's funny. Like, I always see him now, and I be wanting to have that conversation. But the time, I feel like the time never permits, like, where we at. You know what I'm saying? It be stuff going on. But I be wanting to ask him that.

Like, you know what I'm saying? Because I was so young at the time, and to me, there was no reason to not sign to Jay-Z. But, you know, there was other, you know, factors involved and shit like that. So I'm not really sure what exactly happened. Like, if the communication channels was, like, sabotaged or something like that. Like, I don't know what happened, you know? Because based off the album,

it seems like y'all used to be up there a lot, like skateboarding in front of the building. Well, yeah, they showed us a lot of love. You know what I'm saying? To this day, you know, he looks out for me they showed us a lot of love. Okay. You know what I'm saying? To this day, you know, he looks out for me, shows me a lot of love. So,

it's just always been, you know, more like three degrees of separation. You know what I'm saying? Like, knowing mutual people and all that.

And also Chance the Rapper, we had Chance the Rapper up here and he said, you guys are really close. Yeah. How did y'all develop that relationship? How did y'all get so close?

Man, since the beginning, you know? Like, I think I was probably the first dude in the industry to, like, collab with Chance, you know what I'm saying, back in the day. And I remember seeing his video for Hey Miles, like, his first single. I remember seeing that shit right away, like, yo, this dude is a star. You know what I'm saying? And he was from Chicago. We had connected one time. And from there, dude is a star. You know what I'm saying? And he was from Chicago.

We had connected one time. And from there, we was just cool. You know what I'm saying? He was always a good dude to be around. Good energy, good spirit, and just like-mindedness. Shout out to my dog, Chance. We got the highs and the lows out right now. I think it's definitely one of the best songs that dropped this year.

So check that out and i like what you said about this being a reintroduction to joey badass because you do tell so much about yourself you talk about your uh cousin richie rich writing you writing your first rap yeah what kind of battery did that put in your back man i mean he just like really gave me structure you know what i'm saying like he taught me how to count balls and all that because i'm like what is a 16. he kind of broke it down for me. It's kind of like, he's like, it's kind of like a line, a line by line. You know what I'm saying? So having characters like that in my life at an early age definitely gave me like the extra confidence, you know what I'm saying? To do it

because while other kids was like kind of struggling, trying to figure out what they were doing, I actually had guidance. You know what I i mean some type of guidance like you know look this how you write a rap boom boom you write your first rap for you let me get you set up and then you know i had other older cousins who's a rapper shit like that for a long time it was a running joke because when i was a kid i used to always tell them yo y'all y'all need to bring me to the studio boom boom boom and then my shit blew up and i was like ah y'all nigg need to bring me to the studio boom boom boom and then my blew up and i was like ah yeah they bring me to the city do you remember writing your first rap um my first rap nah nah like i don't remember writing my first rap but it must have been in like first grade because that's when i was introduced to poetry and And I identified it as, like, I was like, oh, this is the shit that Biggie doing.

That's, like, what my brain said. You know what I mean? And from there, I got into poetry. But I would always do, like, rap style poems. What did your family say back then when you started rapping? Because you got accepted to this great school. Right. But you wanted to rap.

Well, the thing is, I was already rapping before the school. You know what I'm saying? My family already knew that that's what I liked to do. I ain't going to lie. My family wanted to rap. Well, the thing is I was already rapping before the school. You know what I'm saying? My family already knew that that's what I like to do. I ain't going to lie, my family always been supportive. You know what I mean? They was pretty much more amazed by my conviction. Because my mom used to kick me out. We used to fall out.

And then I would go by my grandmoms. And I would set up a makeshift studio in the basement. So it was like, you know, it would be a running joke on my family, like, oh, yeah, don't go down there and mess with Javon's studio stuff. You know what I mean? I would have, like, the towels hanging from the ceiling, create, like, a whole little booth. But I remember the first time I spit that verse

that my cousin wrote for me for my moms. I was, like, nine years years old and shit went something like, my name is Little J and I got the nine. You mess with me and I blow off your mind. They hating because I be on my grind

and I always shine. Why you acting like you sell Glocks? Well, I put a pipe bomb in your mailbox. Some shit like that, right?

I'm nine years old. I don't even know what the fuck I'm going to talk about for real. Nah, she even snatched me up. She was like, do you? I'm nine years old. She snatched your ass up. I don't even know what the fuck I'm going to talk about for real. Nah, she even snatched me up. She was like, do you know what a nine is? And then I was like, to me, I'm like, I'm nine, so it just sounded bad.

Nine years old, you feel me? I'm like, nah. She was like, it's a gun. First of all, I was like, what? And then she gave me the realest advice. She was like, yo, look, if you want to do this, you could do that. But you just got to be true to yourself. And from there, I just kind of took that and ran with it.

She didn't say nothing about the pipe bomb? Nah, she didn't say nothing about that. I think she kind of figured out that it wasn't my words. You know what I'm saying? Somebody else was involved in that now i love written in the stars too you mentioned your daughter earlier you said your daughter was your wake-up call what did what did that wake-up call look like to you yeah you know when i had my daughter it was like oh shit i only got one kid you know what i mean i was i felt so obligated

in the earlier years of my career to take care of people and, you know, look out for people. And to the point where, you know, a lot of the times it burned me out, you know, feeling like guilt, survivor's guilt and things of that nature. But, you know, when my baby girl came, it was like, oh, OK, this is really the only person I'm responsible for. You know what I'm saying? And now that she's here, it's different. Like, if you can't respect that, then, you know, we can't even be cool no more. How's your life changed?

How do you move differently now that you have a girl? Do you have more conviction? Do you invest more? Like, how does that change you as a father to man? Well, yeah, you know, definitely more focus, definitely more intention in everything that i do especially when it comes to you know spending and living i mean shit i was i'm a very spontaneous type of dude so one thing that i realized quick was like oh shit i don't got the same freedom i

used to have like i would be able to go to africa tomorrow now you know what i'm saying i gotta set it up make sure everything's good she good like weeks in advance um you know what I'm saying? I got to set it up, make sure everything's good, she good, like weeks in advance. You know, I say it made me more patient. It made me more gentle. It made me more willing to learn and listen. You know what I'm saying? Like, especially with a baby girl, I feel like it's way more delicate.

How did it change your overall perspective of women? Definitely, like, you know, from time to time, I would have the thought, like, hmm, I wouldn't want my daughter to, you know what I'm saying, being in a situation like that. So it definitely kind of gives you a heightened state of awareness, I would say, you know, when it comes to that interaction. But, I mean, I've always been a super respectful man anyway but like you know with my baby girl in my life it definitely kind of shakes my mind in a way like all right let me try to be more like the version of the man that i would want my baby girl to grow up and you know deal with do you ever look at it like, I was this way as a man, and now I got to change because I don't want my daughter to like that as a man? Yes and no, because life is about growth.

Nobody's going to come straight off of the tree like, boom, perfect, solid. The full man that they're supposed to be like, nah, you got experience. And I don't want none of that to be hidden from my child like I don't want her to ever view life as a thing where you could skip steps and still get by you know I'm saying it's like everything counts to whatever point of time you were you know I mean everything is added up you know we all got we all got all types of childhood traumas that we couldn't even run from if we tried to.

That's right. You know what I'm saying? It was inevitable. There was no way to get off that path or whatever. And these are the things that affect us and, you know what I'm saying, ultimately shape who we are. You know what I mean? But as long as, you know, you got that growth mindset or as long as whoever she's with got that growth mindset, then I got some patience. You i got some sympathy you talk about that being your only

child like did that inspire the line on cruise control and i'm no i'm paraphrasing again but it's like you basically said you had to cut off friends you outgrew because you was just holding on to them because of the history right that y'all had right. When did you realize that fully? Yeah, I'm going to say definitely close to that time that I had my child, you know, and starting to kind of put my life into perspective, looking at assets versus liabilities. Like, what was, you know, my dad always gave me this analogy, especially when it comes to money is like it's

like having a bag right and you're filling it up with water but it got a hole in it right and the hole is representative of your liabilities or your overhead so i was really starting to look at it like that like who's helping me close this hole who's helping me make this bigger and that's when my discernment started to come in and to develop and you know that's how i was able to separate the real from the fake really you know and now i just roll i just way i move around is like way lighter you know i'm saying like and that's part of it too but then also you have the friends who even if you're doing for them they feel like it's never enough yeah man like they're entitled that's what entitlement creeps in. You know what I'm saying?

Yeah, you got to be real careful with that. I mean, I'm in a headspace now where as soon as I feel those negativities or those disconnections, that's it. I'm done. You know what I mean? Because I ain't about to sit here and drain myself out and try to make somebody happy who can't make they self happy. You know, that's like a waste of your time.

You know what I'm saying? And I'm done wasting my time. Like, I'm trying to elevate, trying to be the best me. And, like, that type of shit is just detours. What do they say? Joey Hollywood now. Nah, Joey Hollywood because I ain't never

move out of New York. You know, I mean, shit, I mean, you know, new Drew's, but, you know, still here. Now, in the baddest, first of all,

you and Diddy seem like y'all have a strong relationship. Absolutely. How you and Diddy get so cool and so close? Man, I met Diddy when was this, 2016 or 2015? 2016, coming out the rihanna met gala after party

and one note he was walking out i was walking in and he was just like yo king i've been trying to connect with you for years like i was trying to sign you back in the day and i'm like this is old news to me you know i mean it's the first time i'm meeting him i'm like wow word boom boom and in that same week i had rolling out in miami and then i ran into him again and then from there it was just like we was just road dogs you know i'm saying like he would be going something yo joey i'm being new york boom pull up you know and we just kind of developed that relationship like that and it's like i'm ep two distant strangers too yeah exactly shit because of me you know i mean i got him on that project. I got him involved.

I made a phone call and made it happen. You know what I'm saying? And I'm super grateful for that relationship because me, I'm a sponge. So it's like you bring me around to the right rooms and tables. Like I ain't taking that shit for granted. I'm connected. I'm networking. You know what I'm saying?

I'm using the opportunity fruitfully, you know what I mean, as it should be. So that's how he's always – the fact that he could identify that in me, I'm very appreciative of that, you know what I'm saying? And it's like, as like his little bro, like I want to maximize on those things. I don't want to let them down, you know what I'm saying? I want to return plus interest, you know what I'm saying? Return on investment. And it ain't even that type of situation.

There ain't no business involved. It's really just love. But that's just my mindset. That's my character. You know, he did the intro and the outro. And the outro, he said something to the effect of, you know, we got to bring that New York feeling back. Like, you know, people are, sometimes we lost ourselves a little bit.

Are those conversations that y'all have? And do you think that you can actually bring New York back if you live in someplace like Miami or L.A.? Don't you got to but you gotta be here yeah i think you gotta be here for sure because you gotta connect with the pulse of the city you know i'm saying like i was talking to my boy ferg the other day and we definitely plotting on like just bringing some synergy back here you know i mean having like different events i feel like the city is kind of disconnected dead it's dead right now. Like, there's a lot of disconnection.

You know what I'm saying? Like, we all know each other, but ain't nobody linking up. Ain't nobody got no central spot, no safe spaces. Ain't enough safe spaces no more. It's just random little events. You're like, should I go here? Should I? I don't know.

You know, what was the question? The question was, do y'all have those conversations about bringing the feeling back? Oh, yeah, you know, yeah, yeah. Me and Puff, we've spoken about that over the years. Like, you know, I'll play him some songs. He like, yeah, like, this is the vibe. This ain't the vibe. Well, you should do this.

You should go more here, you know. But that's usually the focus of the conversation, you know what I'm saying? We always trying to stay in that essence. He still got an ear? 50 said Diddy don't got no ear no more. 50 said Diddy ain't got no ear no more? Yeah, that's what he said last week. That's a lie, that's a lie, that's a lie.

Puff, I feel like he always gonna have an ear, you know what I'm saying? Now, who do you respect lyrically now? Cause you know, of course in the baddest you talk about, of course Kenny, yourself and Cole. So who do you respect lyrically now? Lyrically, shit. You know, I feel like there's a lot of people doing anything right now like you got Griselda you got Freddie Gibbs you got JID you know you

got my homie Flapper Zombies been doing they shit and people don't never mention Flapper Zombies who the Flapper Zombie yeah I mean I'm a real Brooklyn New York nigga East Coast nigga so I'm gonna to put on for my city and shit. But you got Denzel Curry doing this thing too, you know. That's just a few. I want to be loved. I love that hook. You said, I want to be loved and, you know, not judged.

Why is that so hard for us to just love and not judge people? Man, because societal norms, you know what I mean? Like the society, the world that we live in, and the agreements that we have, the ego. You know what I'm saying? I mean, social media in itself is just a judgment app. You know, you're scrolling down and you're just analyzing and judging and making observations, inferences, and, you know,

you're just looking at everybody, highlight reels, and you think, you know, you start comparing it to yourself, it's your life, like, you know, I feel like if we could just learn how to love and, you know, detach ourselves from ego, like, you know, the world would be a better place, obviously.

You know, I never realized, too, man, just listening to that, I never realized how much you sound like Mos Def. Yo, people i don't hear it on this project especially i was like damn i was like he really sound like most i don't hear it i do a lot most is like you know one of my favorite rappers like umi says it's probably one of my favorite songs of all time so i would love to sound like that but i don't hear it though you know i hear it. I mean, and it's not, you know, the rhyme style. It's not like you're imitating him or nothing. It's just the voice.

It's like, man, he sound like Mosley. People always say that. Now, you can tell that you've really been doing the work on yourself mentally, too. You know what I mean? Like, you go to therapy? I do. I do go to therapy. I started going to therapy back in 2020.

You know, as unfortunate as that pandemic was for a lot of people, you know what I'm saying? Like, I definitely don't want to be insensitive when I say this, but for me, I needed that shit. You know what I mean? Like, I didn't know stillness in my adult life. Like, I hit the ground running at 17 years old, I was still a kid, still in high school, and was forced on accelerated growth, you know what I mean? Just pushed out there, just had to keep it going. And I didn't realize for about five, six years I didn't stop. I hadn't stopped. I hadn't gotten any type of still time. I hadn't had real time to connect with my family,

even more importantly, myself. You know what I mean? So when I finally got that space and that time, it was like I just went real deep inside, you know what I mean? And I realized things that I needed. I was like, okay, I need therapy. You know what I mean? Like I need to be held accountable for my shortcomings.

I need those to be pointed out to me because I'm what you call a self-improvement junkie. Like, I'm committed and devoted to being a better version of myself every time I show up. You know what I'm saying? Like, you could see the evolution in all the Breakfast Club interviews. I think this is our third one.

You know what I'm saying? So I pride myself on that. You know, so therapy was definitely an outlet that I saw to bring me closer to a higher self-awareness and just state of being. What introduced you to it? How did you decide to do it? What was that decision like?

Well, you know, I've always been open-minded and I started to resonate with that idea that black people tap, uh, therapy being so taboo to us you know i'm saying like what it was is i was introduced to the concept of emotional intelligence and that kind of blew my mind that opened so many doors for me because i'm like wow like we really wasn't taught this how important it is to identify your own emotions in relation to the people around you you know i'm saying like shit we might just wake up in a bad mood and you wearing that mood. And now your household is feeling that mood

and you don't even realize you just passed that mood on to your son. Now your son is in school with that mood and he passing that on to, you know what I'm saying? Energy is so contagious. And once I kind of like realized that, it started to, you know, open little pathways in my brain like, damn, even identifying with frustration as an emotion. You know what I'm saying? Like you tell a lot of black men, if you tell a black man, yo, you being emotional, that's like offensive.

But people don't realize that, yo, yo if you angry if we having a conversation you just screaming because you mad you're in your emotion you know i'm saying people get emotion emotionally hijacked every day b that's right every day like blinded by emotion blinded by rage so i just kind of started on that path for understanding myself more because i grew up i had like anger issues and stuff like that it was hard for me to identify a lot of things that I was feeling. Did you figure out where that anger came from? I think, now that I think about it, looking at hindsight, I think a lot of it came from when my parents split.

You know what I'm saying? And me not knowing how to process that and it manifesting to something else. Like, me trying to find a reason for it elsewhere. You know what I mean? I can't do that same realization in therapy. Like, I didn't realize how much my parents' divorce had impacted me and how angry I was at my pops for that. Word up. Word up.

You know what I'm saying? That should do something to you, especially as a black man. You know what I mean? Because now you got that separation from your father and it's like you need your father. Word up. As a black man, you know what I mean? Because now you got that separation from your father, and it's like you need your father as a black man, especially in this fucking world. That's why I love that Kendrick record, what is it?

Father Time. Father Time, man, because I'm like, yo, that's how every black man feels when it comes to their relationship with their dad. Like, that's our first hero. That's who we really want validation from, and when we don't have that it does make you feel like less of a man and he might implement you know uh ideas of manhood in you that aren't

really manhood but it's also like a gift and a curse because what he's saying on the song too is like his pops is on some like like fuck your emotions nigga like ain't nobody don't nobody care you know what i'm saying like yo i was just my pops just went on a vacation for the first time in, like, 30 years. Wow. You know what I'm saying? Like, I'm super proud of him. Like, to hear him say that, like, they say you can't teach an old dog new tricks. You know what I mean?

So, like, I was very excited to hear that, like, he, something awoken in him to like break past his comfort zone you know cuz especially with our parents and shit like they locked into a lot of their mindsets and a lot of they thinking and they think like this new generation is way more open-minded it's a lot of new concepts being introduced and stuff like that that our parents were seeing you know did you have that conversation with your pops cuz you know one of the best things that helped me was having a conversation with my pops and realizing that he was going to therapy two and three times a week back in the day he tried to kill himself

back in the day he was on 10 to 12 different medications it made me give him more grace because i realized damn he was somebody before he was my parent right and you know he was just doing the best he could but what he had yeah you know i have two i have great conversations with my dad all of the time and it's like i have my own interpretations of it because i feel like my understanding and his understanding is definitely different and it's like a generational difference and i came to kind of grow and accept that because i just i for me, what fulfills me, what I appreciate, what I'm grateful for is that I can hear my old man's wisdom. You know what I mean? And it's up to me to interpret that however I see fit.

But just being able to hear that, like, you know, I might feel a little bit more spiritually advanced than my dad, but I could never be more experienced than him. You know what I'm saying? And that alone just makes me so grateful for any time we connect, you know what I'm saying? Because I feel like it's a meeting of the minds, and you can learn from anybody.

You know what I'm saying? I like to say I'm a student in every room. You know what? I could be the teacher in the room, and I'm still a student. Do you really meditate every day? You say that on the album. You say you meditate every day. Nah, it's hard to meditate every day. That's more of still a student. Do you really meditate every day? You say that on the album. You say you meditate every day. Nah, it's hard to

meditate every day. That's more of like a manifestation. I would like to meditate every day. At a point I was, you know, in the pandemic. For sure. But one thing I try to do is pray every day because I feel like it's a form of meditation or just a form of

being able to program your thinking in the right way. How were you during the pandemic with everything going on? Because you were in New York during the pandemic. I was in Jersey, yeah. You was in Jersey. So how were you during that time? Man, I was just to myself, bro.

Like, I call it a time of internal retreat. You know, like, I was doing a lot of things. I was practicing celibacy. I was reading a lot of books. You know what I'm saying? In six months, I probably read, like, 10 or 15 books. That was, like, the most a lot of books you know i'm saying um in six months i probably read like 10 or 15 books that was like the most in one setting you know um watching a lot of videos i started cooking i was making salads like you know i was just cooking and making salads well yeah

facts i was making salads b i learned how to make salmon, all of that. My shit was slapping, too. What did you see about it? Because I always say, you know, the pandemic, like you said earlier, made all of us be still for the first time. A lot of us had to really be still for the first time and deal with ourselves. Couldn't run from our traumas or nothing. What did you see that made you be like, oh, nah, I gotta go do some work on

myself? I saw... I felt like I saw how much I was settling for the short end of the stick like you know i spent a lot of the the like the first half of my career really focused and obliged to taking care of other people and in that i put a lot of people before myself so in the pandemic it kind of put things in perspective to me it's like damn i got i did this one for that one that one for this one but what the fuck do i have to show for myself what have i done for myself and then that shit was a whole reset because then i came out the pandemic pandemic selfish but in the best way possible because i've never been that person

you know like the shit is evident, too. Like, I'm glad you noticed that. You said, yo, you look healthy. Like, this is what I look like when I'm focused on myself. This is what I look like when I take that time to, you know, take care of myself. Like, to love myself. This is what it look like. You know, like, before that, it wasn't too much love for self.

Did the pandemic finally give you the opportunity to grieve, Steez, the right way? It definitely gave me opportunities, but I would say my grieving has probably, like, finally— I don't know. Is grieving—is it a complete process? I don't know if it's a complete process, but I was going to say when I listen to Survivor's Guild, I feel like you have finally started processing his death. And that's where I was getting at.

Yeah, and that's where I was getting at. Like, this is the first year where I definitely feel somewhat like a little bit of peace. You know what I mean? It's 10 years later. It's like I'm finally feeling that bit of peace. You know what I mean? And it's 10 years later. And it's like, I'm finally feeling that sense of peace. But just with Steezes, you know, I still, I'm still majorly grieving my cousin Junior death. Junior, yeah, Rezby P. Yeah, cause it was just a whole different situation.

You know? How did, how did you, how are you processing it? Like, you know, did it make you look at, because I had a friend commit suicide in 2020, and when she did that, it made me look at suicide differently. Well, listen, man, it definitely brought me to a very dark place. And, you know, me, I'm very intuitive. So something inside me told me,

because I remember coming from the funeral when me and CJ was on the way back to the crib, and I remember telling him, like, yo, bro, we got to be strong for everybody else. You know, because it's easy to fall right now. You know, it's easy to get pulled into that low energy. And I got pulled into that shit even after saying it even after having that awareness and that understanding that I couldn't go there I still got sucked into that you know what I mean it brought me at a very low low place I was depressed like I felt so many ways I'm like

damn like 17 years old like I know so many people who's so much older than me and they've never lost somebody this close to them. You know what I mean? It was just a lot of unsettling emotions and feelings, and at the same time, dealing with fame for the first time, dealing with, you know what I'm saying, like, the ills of that. It was bug. That's natural, though.

I'm sure your therapist told you that you got to allow yourself to feel your feels. Like, all those feelings are natural. And that's what i realized too like for like i was first of all i'm grateful for the fact that i was able to put a lot of my trauma off because i was so busy because i don't know what i would have did with that idle time you know what i mean like i was highly depressed like i felt suicidal all of that you know what i mean like i was very convinced that i wasn't gonna live past 25 like at 17 18 i was very convinced of that i'm like there's no way like i didn't see life after 25 even when i turned 25 that was a mind fuck for me because i'm like damn like it really hit me

hard i'm like i did not realize life i did not visualize life this far wow and then right there i drew up a 20-year plan yeah because you look at suicide differently because a lot of people especially in new york is probably all over the world but especially in new york when growing up as a kid when you think of suicide the first thing that people think is you're sore for your week right but then when you start having those emotions and that feeling you are you realize it's far from that first of all like it's weird to say this but like i think suicide is a incredibly brave thing it is no it is you have to have a lot of fucking like audacity to do that to yourself you know what i'm saying and then it's like to withstand that pain or

whichever way like you know like it's it's heavy's heavy, but it's like, that shit, there's nothing soft about that. Nothing at all. Ain't nothing soft about that, you know what I'm saying? Like, I remember when I was at that point, I'm feeling low, and, like, as low as I was feeling and as convinced I was that, like, I didn't really want to live, I couldn't find that courage to actually do it. You know what I'm saying?

I just couldn't find that. It's a lot. My homegirl, Jazz, rest in peace, she did it in 2020. She completed suicide. That's what they say to say, Shanti Doss. But Jazz said she was so intentional and so calculated and so strategic that when she did it, in my mind, I processed it like she just knew it was her

time to go. Yeah. Like, you know, I've never had that feeling like it's time for me to exit, you know, but even if you go look at her Twitter, she was saying things like, I wonder what my next life is going to be like and things like that. So something came over her where she knew today is my day. Yeah, nah, Steeze, it was the same way with Steeze, you know what I'm saying? Like, he definitely was vocal about it leading up to it happening. You know what I'm saying? Like, he definitely was vocal about it leading up to it happening.

You know what I'm saying? And, like, when I, it was just, it was weird, man. It was weird. So. Now, did the Porsche, buying that new Porsche 911, did it really help your mental health? That's what you say on the album? Yeah, a little bit. You know what I'm saying?

Because sometimes you got to show yourself, like, what you can, like, achieve. Like, with it being a superficial item and a material thing, to me, it more represented, like, me having a goal. You know, and me proving to myself once again, like, anything is possible. Like, that was my dream car. And I could have got it for a long time, but then one day I just decided, yo, I'm going to do it. And I remember shit, like, waking up the next morning and seeing it in my garage. I'm like, damn. And yeah, it really did something for my state of being, my state of mind.

You know what I'm saying? Like I had to prove to myself, like, I know all I got to do is be connected to the source, but nah, I need the Porsche. Nah, what I love about you, Joy, man, is like when you see a black man doing the work, it does reflect in his life. It reflects in the way he looks. It reflects in his career professionally. It's probably your best body of work album-wise.

Word up. You see what you're doing in Hollywood. Appreciate that. So that's why, man, when I see that and I hear you telling these stories about going to therapy and everything, I'm like, that's going to convince so many more black men to go do the work.

Absolutely, man. It's like, you know, I always pride myself on being some type of role model. Because it's like with this position I got, with this stature, with this platform, it's like I got so many people listening. seeds that'll sprout like you know more opportunity for these people or just you know wisdom that'll transmute into the right directions for these people and stuff like that and also just making them not feel alone like i realize that like my most relatable work is my most vulnerable work and usually when i go there like a survivor's guilt or show me people relate to that shit more you know i'm saying because yeah let's get into a joint off the album. What you want to hear, brother?

Let's hear Where I Belong. Where I Belong. We appreciate you for joining us. Joey Badass, man. Keep growing, my brother. It's Joey Badass. It's The Breakfast Club. Good morning.

Had enough of this country? Ever dreamt about starting your own? I planted the flag. This is mine. I own this. It's surprisingly easy. There are 55 gallons of water for 500 pounds the flag. This is mine. I own this. It's surprisingly easy. 55 gallons of water, 500 pounds of concrete. Or maybe not.

No country willingly gives up their territory. Oh my God. What is that? Bullets. Listen to Escape from Zaka-stan. That's Escape from Z-A-Q-a-stan. On the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey guys, I'm Kate Max. You might know me from my popular online series, The Running Interview Show,

where I run with celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs, and more. After those runs, the conversations keep going. That's what my podcast, Post Run High, is all about. It's a chance to sit down with my guests and dive even deeper into their stories, their journeys, and the thoughts that arise once we've hit the pavement together. Listen to Post Run High on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hey, what's up? This is Ramses Jha. And I go by the name Q Ward. And we'd like you to join us each week for our show Civic Cipher. That's right. We discuss social issues, especially those that affect black and brown people, but in a way that informs and empowers all people.

We discuss everything from prejudice to politics to police violence. And we try to give you the tools to create positive change in your home, workplace, and social circle. We're going to learn how to become better allies to each other. So join us each Saturday for Civic Cipher on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, everyone. This is Courtney Thorne-Smith, Laura Layton, and Daphne Zuniga. On July 8th,

1992, apartment buildings with pools were never quite the same as Melrose Place was introduced to the world. We are going to be reliving every hookup, every scandal, and every single wig removal together. So listen to Still the Place on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, 1974. George Foreman was champion of the world.

Ali was smart and he was handsome. The story behind The Rumble in the Jungle is like a Hollywood movie. But that is only half the story. There's also

James Brown, Bill Withers, B.B. King, Miriam Akiba. All the biggest black artists on the planet. Together in Africa.

It was a big deal. Listen to Rumble, Ali, Foreman, and The Soul of 74 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.