Checking In With Joey Bad@$ - New Rory & MAL

Transcript

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Summary

New Rory & Mal — “Checking In With Joey Bad@$$”
Episode Date: September 5, 2025

Episode Overview

In this wide-ranging, insightful, and often hilarious interview, Joey Bad@$$ sits down with Rory and Mal to reflect on his recent whirlwind year, personal growth, and the creative and competitive spirit at the heart of hip hop. The trio dives deeply into the New York rap scene, the complexities and legacy of recent beef and rap battles, Joey’s new project “Lonely at the Top,” his transition into acting, and the importance of uplifting other lyricists. Joey brings both unfiltered honesty and infectious gratitude, offering a behind-the-scenes look at his journey as an artist and a person.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Tone: Joey as Multi-Hyphenate (02:42–03:39)

Introduction: Joey is warmly introduced as a “singer, songwriter, rapper, actor, stand-up guy,” which Joey himself notes appreciatively as “the first time anybody ever led with singer.”

“This is the first time anybody ever led with singer. I like that.” – Joey Badass [03:30]
Acknowledgment of Joey’s Role in NY Hip Hop: The hosts recognize Joey as someone who helped put “New York on his fucking back,” referencing not just his rap legacy but the breadth of his influence.

“This is what standing 10 toes look like.” – Co-host [03:28]

2. State of New York Hip Hop: Past, Present, and Change (04:54–09:44)

Pride & Passion: Joey reflects on NY’s pride, the ever-present scrutiny, and evolving soundscapes, referencing the rise of “sexy drill” and artists like Cash Cobain, Chef G, and A Boogie.

“We the mecca of hip hop for sure, you know, so we always gonna have that thing. It’s a high expectation… but I think that’s a good thing.” – Joey Badass [05:24]
Radio vs. Reality: He highlights how mainstream radio shapes perception, but in truth, “everything is going on at once,” with multiple diverse sounds coexisting.
What’s Missing?: Joey argues against the idea that something’s missing in NY, asking instead for “more embracing of all aspects of the city…” and greater regional support.

“Maybe it’ll be just more of an embracing of all aspects of the city…” – Joey Badass [09:09]

3. From Blog Era to Streaming Era: Adapting to Industry Shifts (09:44–13:16)

Navigating Industry Change: Joey candidly speaks on how streaming upended the game, admitting he was “closed to it” at first and missed some opportunities.

“When Spotify first came around, I didn’t really fucking understand how was that presented, what it was.” – Joey Badass [11:16]
Rolling with the Punches: Ultimately, Joey says he has adapted, now understanding both the shifting business models and the importance of discovery for new fans.

4. Creative Inspiration & Competition (13:16–14:17)

Favorite Reaction: Joey’s motivation comes in part from surprising listeners and being recognized for his range.

“One of my favorite things when it comes to music is, is to play a song for somebody and somebody be like, yo, that’s you.” – Joey Badass [13:16]
Healthy Competition: The recent spate of rap battles rekindled his love for creative competition, reminiscent of his early days in a collective.

“This year definitely brought that feeling back for me. It’s like, you know, I’m really inspired when I’m feeling the heat of like somebody else’s pen.” – Joey Badass [13:58]

5. The Beef & The Battles: Ruler’s Back, Sorry Not Sorry, My Town (14:17–24:58)

a. The Spark: “Ruler’s Back” and West Coast Reaction [14:17–19:09]

Joey was surprised the Jay-Z reference in “Ruler’s Back” caused uproar—he and even his confidantes didn’t anticipate the internet’s volatility.

“I don’t think it’s gonna really… I don’t think it’s gonna be that big of a deal. It’s the whole line.” – Joey Badass [15:38]

b. Online Narratives & Stand Culture [16:33–17:20]

Once the narrative took off online, Joey “rolled with the punches” and purposely didn’t walk anything back on social media, unlike some of his peers.

c. Competition & Artistic Integrity [18:45–19:32]

Joey reinforces his preference for “commentary” over disrespect, rooting his criticism in hip hop’s competitive culture rather than malice.

d. Battle with Daylyt & Behind the Scenes [20:33–24:58]

Reveals the strategic timing and pre-planning behind some releases, specifically referencing Daylyt’s preparation and response.

“When he did the backpack thing. Cause I’m like, you shouldn’t have to do that.” – Joey Badass [24:22]
Joey credits the uniqueness of the “on-beat” battle format as tilting some advantage toward him, away from Daylyt’s usual stage dominance.

e. Loaded Lux & Battle Rap History [25:30–26:04]

Tells a backstory about his relationship with Loaded Lux and their collaboration, which was planned as an exclamation point on the beef.

“I called Lux, I said, yo, yeah, it’s time. It’s time.” [27:45]
Where does “My Town” rank among diss tracks?

“To me, I think… I think that my town record might be up there in one of the greatest battle records, in my opinion.” – Rory Farrell [28:14]

6. The Aftermath — “Lonely at the Top” and Artistic Evolution (39:05–45:50)

Project Origins: In the heat of the battles, Joey finds renewed energy for releasing non-conceptual music, using the moment to “feed this new listener.”

“I got inspired to make this other project… that gave me the outlet to kind of like put out a bunch of other music that I wanted to put out before putting out this conceptual album…” – Joey Badass [39:52]
Artistic Freedom: It’s the “quickest project” Joey ever made, breaking personal fears about releasing music that isn’t deeply conceptual, allowing for more spontaneity and authenticity.
Looking Ahead: Joey wants his 30s to be about quantity and consistent output, making up for a relatively slow release pace in his 20s.

“I wanna put out way more music than I did in my 20s… I only gave three projects in my 20s. I wanna give at least five this go around…” – Joey Badass [44:42]

7. Family, Personal Growth, and Roots (45:50–48:43)

On Being a Young Star: Joey credits staying grounded to his family, a deep connection to New York, and never moving away—facing down the pitfalls of early fame.

“My whole adult life I’ve been in some type of public eye. That’s not normal at all.” – Joey Badass [48:05]
Continual Growth: Constant self-reflection and a drive for personal accountability keep him balanced.

8. Lifting Up Other Lyricists: Collaborations & Community (49:08–54:23)

The inclusion of Rome Streets and Kakash on Joey’s album is highly intentional—a move to foster unity among New York’s lyricists and “lead by example.”

“I really wanted to… lead by example… to put somebody who’s on the come up on your shit, I think that’s like the ultimate, like, olive branch…” – Joey Badass [49:32]
Joey calls for more support and less gatekeeping among lyricists, especially within New York.

9. Influences: Bow Wow, Doom, and the Evolution of Taste (58:00–62:53)

Bow Wow’s Inspiration: A humorous and unexpected reveal that Bow Wow inspired Joey—not in sound, but by showing him “a black kid having success.”

“He made me feel like I was closer to the dream because I looked at him like me…” – Joey Badass [58:44]
Doom & Nas: Capital Steez was responsible for introducing him to MF Doom and deeper layers of classic hip hop, changing his trajectory as an artist.

10. Touring & Family Life (63:13–65:33)

Joey admits touring “feels different” post-pandemic and with a young family, missing the camaraderie of youth and being more mindful about health and energy on the road.

11. Acting Career: “Raising Kanan” & Wu-Tang (67:17–77:09)

Impact of Acting: His turn as “Unique” on Raising Kanan made him more visible and beloved in the Black community; he notes a tangible shift in who recognizes him now.

“Black people gravitate to me now, like, in a real way…” – Joey Badass [67:32]
The ‘Death’ and Return of Unique: Joey shares inside details about the fake-out death of Unique, explaining it stemmed from a scheduling conflict rather than creative necessity, and how his “gut” and mom’s advice helped him decide to return.

“One in the hand is better than two in the bush.” – Joey’s mom [73:03 paraphrased]
On Wu-Tang: An American Saga: Joey shares why he didn’t return as Inspector Deck: his acting deal with “Kanan” was exclusive, and also admits his heart “wasn’t all the way in.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On embracing NY’s diversity:
“When you really look at New York City as a whole, everything is going on at once… If there was something I’d like to see, like, as a change, maybe it’ll be just more embracing of all aspects of the city.” – Joey Badass [09:09]
On missing the streaming wave:
“I had a chance to really capitalize and I missed that opportunity. You know what I’m saying? So after that, it just became about, like, rolling with the punches.” – Joey Badass [12:28]
On beef energy:
“For me, what was important… in the beginning… I’m not gonna do is get on Twitter and be walking it back or some shit like that. Like, yo, I ain’t mean it like that. I felt secure in what I meant.” – Joey Badass [18:08]
On artistry in the 30s:
“These next 10 years, I wanna put out the most music I’ve ever put out. You know what I’m saying? …I only gave three projects in my 20s. I wanna give at least five this go around…” – Joey Badass [44:42]
On letting others shine:
“I don’t gotta be afraid to give Rome or Kai some light, you know what I’m saying? Afraid of what?... They should, you know what I’m saying, have some of my fans…” – Joey Badass [50:40]

Important Timestamps

Introduction/Joey enters: 02:42–03:39
Discussion on NY hip hop: 05:24–09:44
The streaming era shift: 10:01–13:16
The Ruler’s Back beef, West Coast reaction: 14:17–19:32
Battle with Daylyt/Loaded Lux joins: 20:33–27:45
Reflection on “My Town”: 28:14
Lonely at the Top & modern artist output: 39:05–45:50
On Bow Wow & early influences: 58:00–59:51
Doom/Nas/Mobb Deep for 1999 era: 61:09–62:53
Touring & family: 63:13–65:33
Acting, Kanan, & Wu-Tang series: 67:17–77:09

Podcast Tone and Vibe

Conversational, irreverent, and deeply rooted in hip hop culture
Mixes humor, storytelling, and candid reflections
Celebratory of competition but advocating for unity and community lift-up
Retains the authentic voices and banter of Rory, Mal, and Joey

For First-Time Listeners

If you missed the episode, you’ll get a nuanced portrait of Joey Bad@$$ at a critical juncture—open, self-aware, competitive but collaborative, and passionate about both his musical roots and new directions. Expect not just tales of rap and battles but a living snapshot of an artist negotiating legacy, evolution, and the future of New York hip hop culture.

End of summary.