After a month-long delay, Joey Badass‘ third studio album, 2000, has arrived. While he is known for taking a long hiatus between projects, Joey reminds from the very beginning that he is among the greats, and he’s not going anywhere anytime soon.
On 2000‘s opening track, Joey lets us know that he believes that he, Kendrick Lamar, and J. Cole are currently the best rappers alive.
“F*ck your favorite, I’m the greatest / They never could degrade us and I did it with no major/ I made a lane for [rappers] by going my own way / I paved the way for a lot of these rappers you see today / So act like you know, b*tch, I’ve been had the flow, penetrating souls / Who the best MCs? Kenny, Joey, and Cole / The holy trinity, it’s that nine-fives in affinity / Energy knowing when I’m gone and forever remember me,” he raps over a piano-driven Erick The Architect-produced track.”
Neither Kendrick nor Cole have responded to the track, however, fans have noticed that the line is reminiscent to a line from “Where I’m From,” a cut from Jay-Z’s 1997 album In My Lifetime, Vol. 1, in which Jay raps, “Who’s the best MCs, Biggie, Jay-Z or Nas?”
Check out “The Baddest” above.
2000 is out now via Columbia Records. Stream it here.