Joey Bada$$ has been busy on the acting front over the past few years, but looks to refocus some of his energy on his rap career with the release of a new song. Yet, this particular drop, titled, “Head High,” holds additional weight for the Brooklynite, as it’s inspired by late rap star Nipsey Hussle, someone Joey held in high regard.
“This is one of the best records I’ve ever made,” Joey said of “Head High” during a visit to the Ebro Show. “This is an important, special record near and dear to my heart. I started writing it the day after Nipsey passed. And I didn’t have an actual friendship or relationship with Nipsey. I met him a couple times and everything and it was always good vibes, but I was definitely moved by just who he was in this world and in this game. And when he passed, it was extremely unfortunate. And like I usually do with channeling pain, I put it into the music, you know what I’m saying? So this joint is definitely inspired by him.”
This isn’t the first time Joey’s voiced his sentiments regarding Nipsey, as he previously spoke on the importance of cherishing figures of his ilk in the flesh rather than in death. “Nobody thought we would lose Nipsey Hussle,” Joey said during a previous sit-down with Ebro following Nipsey’s death. “He was one of those people that we thought we would have forever,” he added. “As soon as we lose a person like that, everybody want to jump on the bandwagon. He should have been able to see the fruits of his labor… We gotta show love, we gotta spread love.”
The Power Book III: Raising Kanan actor, whose last studio album, ALL AMERIKKKAN BADA$$, dropped in 2017, also revealed that his core base can also expect a new full-length project from him, which is currently in the works.
“We back—the album’s coming soon,” Joey shared. “Listen, once we drop, we going to continue, you know what I’m saying? In this era, what I’m focused on is consistency. Consistency and the quality of my product, so you could definitely expect a lot more Joey Bada$$ in this new time right here.”
Check out the video for Joey Bada$$’s new single “Head High” below.