Jo-Vaughn Virginie Scott, better known as Joey Bada$$, writes about the struggles of growing up as an African American in his studio album, ALL AMERIKKKAN BADA$$. Listeners are taken on a journey through the perspective of Joey Bada$$ and the injustices that he faced while growing up. The main theme throughout the album is how racism is an ongoing problem that the African American community is facing. Primarily, Joey Bada$$ highlights the fact that there is a divide in this country. In his album, it seems as if he is preaching to the country of America and addressing its problems directly. Problems such as police brutality, racism and social injustice are all talked about in his album. Even in the title Joey labels America as “Amerikkka”, signifying that our country still is backed by the racist principles that it was founded upon.
One of the most profound songs on the album is, “Babylon”. In this song, Joey tackles police brutality and mistreat of African Americans specifically. He writes, “Tell me America is the land of the free, that’s a lie… cause nobody, nuh free ‘bout yah”. In these lyrics he is mocking the title, “land of the free”. This land may be free for white Americans, but the mistreatment of blacks throughout American history can really make people question the identity of their country.
One topic that we learned in class that is prevalent throughout the album is the concept of the Otherness. Joey Bada$$ constantly points out the mistreatment of African Americans in each of his songs in the albums. Specifically, he focuses on the fact African Americans are at a disadvantage right from the start. In this specific environment, African Americans are considered as the Others, while white Americans are considered the One. There is a divide between these two groups as one is treated far better than the other. This minority, majority identities are constructed by the systematic injustices that America has in place. There isn’t enough representation in the African American community. Joey Bada$$ uses his platform and voice to highlight the problems that African Americans are facing. He wants to eliminate this majority, minority groups and in turn create a singular holistic group.
