After 3 Years of Silence, Joey Bada$$ Returns With a Decent Little EP

The return of Joey Bada$$ is one of the most anticipated things I’ve been looking forward to in the music world for the last three years. After dropping two fantastic LP’s and an undeniable classic mixtape in the form of 1999, Joey has easily solidified himself as a name that’s worth looking out for. Hearing he was dropping some new music had my hype levels absolutely through the roof, and when I found out we’d be getting three new songs instead of just one that hype exploded tenfold. Between that AND seeing that there was a Pusha T feature (on the same day Drake dropped no less…?) I was definitely expecting everyone involved on this EP to absolutely snap. While I had all that insane amount of hype, I think I should have probably dialed that back in hindsight considering that this is (hopefully) just intended to get us hyped up for Joey’s next full length. At least, I would really hope that’s the case, as while I really enjoyed these three new songs they would wind up being extremely underwhelming if we have to wait a long while to hear from Joey again.

If this EP is solely serving the purpose of getting Joey’s name back out there and stirring up some hype, it has easily done its job and then some. These three songs showcase Joey going for the throat with bars and performances that are (mostly) just as electrifying as fans have come to expect from him. Each of these three songs are pretty standard Joey Bada$$ affairs, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing considering the dude has a nearly spotless track record so far. All the instrumentals are relatively minimal and laid back, aside from the vocal sample on Shine. The opener The Light is the one that’s really got me excited for what Joey’s going to come at us with when he really drops a proper record, as his vocals on that track are fantastic and he’s got some pretty unreal bars. While I love 90% of the track though, it’s unfortunately kind of ruined by two lines that just stick out like a sore thumb. If you’ve heard the project you already know exactly what I’m talking about, but those lines are “This is mumble rap extermination” and “I’m like Mahatma Gandhi mixed with Mahommed Ali, trapped in a rapper’s body”. I don’t think I need to explain why both those lines are unbelievably cringeworthy so I won’t bother trying, and while I can understand why some can easily ignore them I find they ruin my immersion with the track. The other two songs on here are both very solid from start to finish, but in comparison to my favorite tracks like Joey I don’t think they particularly stick out. I feel like if Joey had dropped this EP in 2018 I would have been particularly underwhelmed and would’ve just assumed these were B-sides. That’s not to say that they’re bad, but I think my enjoyment of them is boosted by the fact that we all had to wait for so long to hear them. Pusha’s verse is fantastic and delivered on all frost, and Joey does a great job as well, but there’s nothing about these three songs that sticks out in the context of Joey’s already fantastic discography.

I don’t want it to seem like I hated this because no part of me did whatsoever, I just found that it was a bit less than I was expecting given that we’ve waited so long to hear from Joey. However, this did a great job of getting me excited for new Joey Bada$$ music considering his performances were spot on and I’m sure he can drop yet another classic as long as he brings a couple fresh ideas to the table. Despite me enjoying all of this for what it is, I don’t want to act like it’s some incredible return that everybody will remember for years. I’m sure Joey didn’t intend for it to be, but either way this isn’t exactly something I can see every Joey fan writing home about. It’s just some more music of the same style and energy that we’re used to from the guy, though it’s at least up to the same standard and we all know that’s a pretty high bar to reach. Joey Bada$$ returning to the limelight with The Light Pack EP isn’t exactly something that was worth the three year wait, but regardless it’s a really solid effort that maintains the level of quality that Joey has set for himself throughout the years. It doesn’t even come close to surpassing that standard once, but it’s a pretty nice little package that will help tithe fans over until we get a proper album drop. - 6.4/10 (Best Songs - No Explanation ft. Pusha T, Shine)