Hear Joey Bada$$ Bash Trump on Funky New Song ‘Land of the Free’
Joey Bada$$ observes a fractured political and social landscape on his funky new track “Land of the Free.” “Sorry, America, but I will not be your soldier/ Obama just wasn’t enough – I need some more closure,” he rhymes over slap bass and a spacey synthesizer. “And Donald Trump is not equipped to take this country over.”
“Land of the Free,” released purposely on Trump’s inauguration day, is the first sample of his upcoming second LP, AABA. The release date also marks the rapper’s 22nd birthday and the two-year anniversary of his debut album, B4.DA.$$.
2016 was a breakout year for the rapper, with his hit “Devastated” and first major acting role as Leon in acclaimed TV drama Mr. Robot. When the rapper spoke to Rolling Stone about his busy year, he said he envisioned “Devastated” as a “feel-good, uplifting song … different from the rest of his catalog.”
“A lot of music in my catalog is really introspective or meditative, critical-thinking type of vibes, or really aggressive type of vibes,” he said. “So I wanted to switch it up and give my fans something new, like something they can listen to and feel good about. Something that you could play for the whole world – you know, kids, grandmoms, everyone. Something that everyone could relate to.”