1999 (Joey Badass album)


1999 is the debut mixtape by American rapper Joey Badass. It was released on June 12, 2012. It features production by Chuck Strangers, Lewis Parker, Lord Finesse, MF DOOM and J Dilla, among others. The mixtape also features guest appearances from members of Pro Era, a hip hop collective of which Joey Badass is a member. The mixtape is based heavily around musical samples. Music videos have been released for "Hardknock", "Survival Tactics", "FromdaTombs" and "Waves".

Release

1999 was a free digital download, but after B4.Da.$$ was released, 1999 and another mixtape Summer Knights became available on iTunes for sale.
On June 12, 2018, 1999 was released on Spotify and TIDAL.

''Rejex''

In September 2012, Joey Badass later released a mixtape named Rejex, which contains 14 tracks of primitive recordings, or material that did not make it to the final version of 1999.

Critical reception

1999 was met with widespread critical acclaim, and general interest upon its release. The mixtape was nominated for mixtape of the year by BET. Pitchfork Media gave the mixtape an 8 out of 10 rating and praised his old soul, and Golden age sound. Tom Breihan of Stereogum wrote: "What confounds me is that a high school kid from Flatbush is making music this era-specific, and, more importantly, that he’s so good at it." Joshua R. Weaver of The Root remarked that 1999 "showcases the burgeoning renaissance of a hip-hop sound and vibe that far precedes the teenaged rapper."
Jesse Fairfax of HipHopDX opined that the mixtape's "careful tracing of long established blueprints gives rise to debate on whether the newcomer presents a worthwhile reminder of Hip Hop's so-called glory days or if he risks placing himself in a nostalgic box". 1999 was ranked the 38th best album of 2012 by Complex. The Versed named it "Mixtape of the Year". It was also named one of the best mixtapes of the year by HipHopDX.

Track listing

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes, unless otherwise indicated.
Notes
Sample credits