[ad_1]
It’s hard to find a rapper more instantly recognizable than Joey Bada$$. In the year He spearheaded the pro-era union that revived the clinically dead East Coast sound of the mid-1990s, earning Monopoly at the age of 17 with his acclaimed debut mixtape ‘1999’, earning comparisons to Nas in the process.
It was revealed earlier this year that he would be dropping his third LP, and people have been eagerly anticipating the MC’s five-year album hiatus for a much-needed fix from Bed-Stuy’s finest.
The release of “2000” was celebrated on July 22 as a national holiday. The hip-hop community was very happy, and the first series received its hands. This was Joy’s most personal album to date, serving as a reflection on the past ten years and the rewards he’s earned while navigating the inescapable grief of that time.
Most of the “2000” braggart bangers make a good impression that makes one proud of its longevity and output. However, that complexity is eclipsed by the closing stories that hauntingly detail his relationship with the late Jahseh Onfroy — better known as XXXTentaction — and Courtney Everold Dewar Jr., better known as Capital Steth, who took his own life in 2012.
We like to believe we know who X and Steez are outside of their music when they’re alive. According to what we have seen on the internet, X has been referred to as an angel with demons within or a demon among humans, while Stez has been referred to as a third eye guru and extreme martyr.
Joey X and Steez on “Head High” and “Survivors Guilt,” respectively, reminding fans that they weren’t the artists they were, but the people they were.
When Joey shared a story on “High Head” “?” Many listeners saw a disconnect between their limited knowledge of a controversial artist and Joey’s close friendship with X, how he invited X to stay at his house to help him work on. The song serves as Joey’s two cents on the debate surrounding X’s character, with the former addressing the latter’s stand-up nature and care for others.
Similarly, when Joy opens “Survivor’s Guilt.” Without understanding the full scope of Dewar’s mental health struggles, listeners were reminded that if he could do more to be on his side, it’s impossible to put yourself in someone else’s shoes.
Estez’s suicide is a tragic event in and of itself, but it’s made all the more so by the fact that there’s a void in hip-hop for openly discussing mental health. Joey Stiz admits to not having that conversation when he dies on “Survivor’s Guilt.”
Conversely, the evolution of hip-hop over the past decade has allowed artists like XXXTentacion to share their deepest suffering for public consumption. That’s not a bad thing – many fans love artists like X so much because they can relate to songs like “Jocelyn Flores” that touch on depression and suicidal thoughts.
I’ve written in previous pieces about how critical it is for high-profile rappers to express vulnerability in their craft – ask Pete Davidson and other Cudders around the world and they’ll testify that Kid Cudi saved their lives.
People praise XXXTentacion on the same level, but the problem that still plagues many after X’s passing is precisely because of his publicly acknowledged mental struggle with his horrific history of violence and abuse.
A March 2022 biographical documentary, “Look at Me: XXXTentacion,” chronicles the late rapper’s complex life and legacy. The film is so contradictory that it is impossible to convey what “Survivors Guilt” and “Head High” convey – giving the viewer a closer look at the controversy surrounding XXXTentacion through unreleased audio tapes and interviews with those who were with him.
During the documentary’s two-hour running time, I – as a fan of X’s music – had to admit what director Saba Folian told X’s own mother, “I don’t know if this is going to be a redemption story or not.”
Considering the past reports of armed robberies and home invasions, it only takes one interview with Geneva Ayala, X’s ex-girlfriend, to realize that X’s crimes are unpardonable. Beating and trying to drown someone who is believed to be holding a child is hard to explain, to say the least.
I’ve always been grateful for the flawlessness that X brought to his fans in his music, and there’s no doubt that he saved lives when dealing with demons — bipolar disorder is well-documented in the film — and songs like “Head High” are a note of the good-natured side of X that cares more about his audience than himself. Regardless, X is someone who can’t easily be idolized, and I don’t think he can be called mentally ill because of the horrible things he’s done.
With mental health being a hip-hop focal point, many benefits have come. When artists can talk to the demons that keep Estez in a box, they save themselves and their progress helps millions of others along the way. That’s not to say that mental illness should be an excuse for evil in the genre, and recognizing how inappropriate hero-worshipping XXXTentacion is is a good starting point to end that altogether.
[ad_2]
Source link
