Armed with a quick wit, a fluid style and sharp social commentary, Joey Bada$$ is, like Kendrick Lamar and Vince Staples, one of this generation’s extremely talented rappers. His thick and intricate lyrics and smooth, drum-and-bass beats that are anchored by strings, horns and keys combine to become slightly reminiscent of the legends, but the content and production are still cutting edge in that they live well outside the norm. He seems influenced by equal parts The Notorious B.I.G. and Talib Kweli — culminations of classic Brooklyn hip-hop — but, because it’s a different time, it lives in a different space. Joey Bada$$’s music is both familiar and groundbreaking.