Save The Children is a mythical title taken from the no-less-mythical classic What's Going On by Marvin Gaye. It also happens to be the title of the opening track of the debut studio album from Joey Bada$$, which was released on the day of the rapper's 20th birthday. It is undoubtedly a nod to the soul which served as an influence to rap in the '80s and '90s, which in turn has a strong presence on this record. Following on from a number of mixtapes which caught the attention of the international rap community, the young Brooklyn MC has produced a record which is notably nostalgic for the Golden Age of rap of the early nineties which was at its zenith before he was even born. B4.Da.$$ (pronouned "Before da Money") makes use of carefully-selected samples, live instruments and old-school beats (with DJ Premier featuring on the record), all with a flow which has much in common with Mos Def, Wyclef Jean and Black Moon's Buckshot. Fans of trap and auto-tune can go home: with this album Joey Bada$$ is a gift for hip-hop purists.
Joey Bada$$ - "Christ Conscious" (Official Music Video)
PRO ERAOriginal article by MARC ZISMAN Translation by RACHEL HARPOLE