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New Song: Joey Bada$$, 'Unorthodox'

Joey Bada$$ does things a little differently on "Unorthodox."

Joey Bada$$ is definitely riding some '90s nostalgia vibes on his latest track, "Unorthodox," with a classic hip-hop beat produced by none other than golden era icon DJ Premier. It was only a matter of time until the Brooklyn-bred '90s hip-hop revivalist (and MTV 2013 Artist To Watch) would hook up with hip-hop's Brooklyn godfather, and the beat is an instant classic, similar to DJ Premier's own (former) group, Gang Starr. With some obscure record samples chopped up with drum machine patterns and his signature scratches, Joey spits a super-lyrical flow, running through an endless string of multi-syllabic punch lines that would even make New York greats like Big Pun take notice.

Listen to Joey Bada$$' "Unorthodox" after the jump.

"Unorthodox"'s high-quality, substantive sound is what we've come to expect from the soon-to-be legal MC (he turns 18 on Jan. 20, ladies) -- it's a rapper's rap song that's sincere, yet fun, and brings you back to the days of needing to rewind lyrics because they're so damn complex (Like, on cassette tapes. Remember??). These days, "'90s throwback" hip-hop is likely to fade into the background (because why not just listen to the real thing?), but Joey Bada$$ is hip-hop's own Lena Dunham -- he's an industry baby, an NYC native, and possesses a ridiculous amount of beyond-his-years skill and awareness. Perhaps a "Girls" cameo is in his future? Or even better, a song placement? Fingers crossed!

+ Listen to Joey Bada$$' "Unorthodox."

Photo credit: Green Label Sound

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