Joey Badass

Fans of ‘Temptation’ and ‘Devastated’ Brooklyn rap protégé Joey Bada$$ can’t wait until the 22-year-old rapper finally hits our shores, with shows in Auckland, Brisbane, Perth and Sydney on sale now and selling fast.

Illusive Presents and Frontier Touring are pleased to announce a Melbourne headline show by the acclaimed MC/producer. Bada$$ will perform at the Forum Theatre on Friday 19 January – with tickets on sale Thursday 30 November. Following on from that headline date, Bada$$ will also take to the stage at VIC’s most acclaimed boutique festival, Sugar Mountain.

2017 saw the release of the prodigious rapper’s second studio album, ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$, which hit the top five of the US Billboard album charts thanks to track such as ‘Rockabye Baby’, ‘For My People’ and ‘Land of The Free’, earning hundreds of millions of views on YouTube along the way.

In a recent chat with UK’s The Evening Standard (read here), Bada$$ discusses everything from politics to race relations, hitting right at the heart of same issues he addresses on his latest, and most lauded record:

“We got problems, we got struggles, and that’s the very macro-cosmic elements of this project. It transcends just being a black man in America and it becomes just being a human being in the world.”

Watch Joey perform for BBC Radio 1’s Piano Sessions with Huw Stephens here.

One of the USA’s most auspicious rappers, catch Joey Bada$$ live – don’t miss out! 

He’s a 22-year-old politically-charged hitmaker, whose carefully worded, confident social critiques are re-writing the rules of hip-hop. Illusive Presents and Frontier Touring are thrilled to announce a tour by Brooklyn rap protégé Joey Bada$$, who will head to Australia and New Zealand in January 2018.

The ‘Temptation’ and ‘Devastated’ rapper kicks off his tour with an exclusive date in Auckland, before landing down under for three special headline dates at Brisbane’s Eatons Hill Hotel, Perth’s Metro City and Sydney’s Enmore Theatre. While in Australia he’ll also be appearing at Melbourne’s most acclaimed boutique festival, Sugar Mountain.

Fresh from the release of his second studio album ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$ (out now through Cinematic Music Group/Pro Era Records), Bada$$ has received serious acclaim for his raw, original sound. Featuring the likes of ScHoolboy Q, Styles P and J.Cole, ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$ is an open letter to America: tracks such as ‘For My People’ and ‘Land of The Free’ see Bada$$ magnifying the nation’s flaws in hopes of prescribing solutions to remedy the issues at hand, leaving fans and critics impressed:

‘It’s concise and straight-to-the-point, with no signs of over-indulgence. In short, it’s the album fans of the New York rapper always knew he was capable of making.’ – Line Of Best Fit

‘Bada$$ is no longer just a kid inspired by early ’90s hip-hop trying to out rap a never-ending army of whack MCs. Now he’s a self-assured adult who is using his art to examine the world around him.’ – Consequence Of Sound

‘ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$ is a needed hip-hop album in 2017’ – Hip Hop DX

Breakthrough single and centrepiece of 2012’s debut mixtape 1999, ‘Survival Tactics’ showcased Bada$$ as a prodigious MC with a strong vision. Starting his career as the founding member of Brooklyn hip-hop collective Pro Era, Bada$$ has maintained a unique and versatile sound, taking risks on his debut LP B4.da.$$ and in songs such as ‘Front & Centre’, ’95 Til Infinity’, ‘Ready’ and ‘My Yout (feat. Maverick Sabre)’.

Featured in Forbes magazine in campaigns for Adidas and Calvin Klein, he’s screened on TVs as part of the cast for Mr. Robot, and is a true family man – watch here!

One of the USA’s most auspicious rappers, catch Joey Bada$$ live – don’t miss out!