Joey Bada$$ jumped on Twitter to announce that his heralded debut 1999 will be available on all digital streaming platforms as of June 12, next week. The album came out in 2012, during the early stages of the digital era, and was thus overlooked because of a toss-up concerning publishing rights. As always, time is a great healer, and Joey's discography will now be traceable up to its point of origin.
1999 came out at a time when sampling in hip hop had become less of a staple due to exorbitant clearance costs, and Joey saw to his ideals being heard from the onset. The mixtape was a stark reminder that New York thankless reputation was long overdue and as always, a strong proponent of the culture. Critics lauded his efforts to define his ideals, while some rap fans felt the chip he wore on his shoulder was nothing more than a sign of age. He was but a teenager when "Survival Tactics" was released as a video.
Never the less, Joey Bada$$ still maintains that hip hop is in a "very trash space." Maybe that's why Joey decided to go ahead with his revisitation of 1999. There are many cases of artists summing up their base instincts on their debut. 1999 may go down in history as prime example of that, or at the very least, a reminder that revivalist movements can push the debate into new territory.