ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$, an Album Deconstruction

Today, i will be going over the message and meaning behind "ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$" by Joey Bada$$. I will display what each track means and how it adds to the concept. Hope you enjoy the read!

RT's and Likes appreciated too :)

Disclaimer:

I mean to not offend anyone. My main goal here is to simply review the concept of the album, and appreciate what it is. I only mean to ever spread good intent on what i do and not harm. If you do get offended, i sincerely apologize and understand it. I love you all.

1. GOOD MORNING AMERIKKKA

Joey starts off the album that is “ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$” by starting off cleverly with a play on words here in the title. Notice how there are three K’s in the “AMERIKKKA.” Well, 3 K’s represent the KKK, which is a white supremacist group so (1/4)

you already get a jist of a theme that MC, Joey Bada$$ will be talking about, which is Racism/Prejudice. On this track he explores other themes, such as Politics, freedom and the pursuit of happiness which all can define America, as it is defined in the declaration of (2/4)

independence where It can be stated that Americans want “Life, Liberty, and The Pursuit of Happiness.” Instead of rapping just simply about it though, he questions it. He mentions how (3/4)

people are fake “woke” meaning that they act aware but in all reality are not and how African Americans are still mistreated in modern day “Amerikkka.” (4/4)

2. FOR MY PEOPLE

We now transition to Joey talk more about black prejudice and injustice in this American Society. He paints a picture of how his “people,” which in this case African American (1/2)

People, don’t have someone to look up to. So, Joey takes a stand for them and says that he’ll be a hero for them and speak out against the racism. He expresses that he can use Music to do so. (2/2)

3. TEMPTATION

Joey then takes the perspective of a young African American person, and expresses that he has been fighting “Temptations” such as living a life of crime, being (1/2)

drunk all day, becoming a drug addict, etc. He tries to spread the message of how Change is necessary to take a stand against the government and mistreatment and rid of these “Temptations.” (2/2)

4. LAND OF THE FREE

LAND OF THE FREE details America in a more sinister way, talking about mass incarceration and how America is a land of racism and deceit. He touches on Systematic Racism and how African Americans (1/2)

are oppressed and stuck in a cycle of being poor due to the government and how the police act against more biased against them because of their skin color. (2/2)

5. DEVASTATED

After talking about his struggles with being an African American person in modern day America, Joey then turns it into positivity and a sign of strength. This is a turning point in the album, Joey used to (1/2)

express the struggles and see it in a more pessimistic way, but now he sees it in a more optimistic way and how his poor, prejudiced person helped him grow and change for the better. (2/2)

6. Y U DON’T LOVE ME (MISS AMERIKKKA)

Shortly after, Joey recognizes “Miss Amerikkka’s” flaws, stating how “She” or in this case is America, doesn’t love her African American people. He asks her why she doesn’t love him for who he is and instead, judges him and asks why (1/2)

she doesn’t trust him. He goes into more depth about it, truly questioning “her” inner thoughts, and how all he wants to succeed but he can barely even do that with her always wanting him to fail. (2/2)

7. ROCKABYE BABY

With the first feature of the album being, ScHoolboy Q, the duo reflects about their respective places in American Society and their come-ups, detailing the unfortunate drug dealing they used to commit and the gangs they were in when they were younger (1/2)

because of their circumstances. This mainly is just a reflection track thus far, and a representation of the lives that many African American people live and encounter in present day America. (2/2)

8. RING THE ALARM

This track doesn’t really contribute to the main themes of the project, though it shows how Joey and his group are on top and dominant compared than others, through a display of their lyrical ability and their verses.

9. SUPER PREDATOR

Getting back to the main themes of the album, Joey contrasts the idea of a “Super predator” which means, a youth who commits repeated crimes as a result of not being raised right. He explains that people only describe young African American (1/3)

youth as this “Super predator”, because they don’t empathize with them and what their background is like. At the end, he realizes that he is a super predator but not in this negative aspect how people make it out to be. But a positive one, as he recognizes that America fears him.

10. BABYLON

Joey now uses the religious city of “Babylon” as a representation of America. He brings in the “Rastas” who were also oppressed by the cops, to make a comparison of how America acts today, as the Rastas are representation of (1/2)

African American people, and how the cops are the cops, oppressing their power and growth. The feature, Chronixx, is a follower of the “Rastas” and comes to talk about his own oppression. (2/2)

11. LEGENDARY

We then move on to yet again, a more optimistic light, as Joey talks of spirituallity and inner peace within himself and each other. He realizes that him as a person is a “legendary” being and that his will and spirit will never die no matter what. (1/2)

The feature J. Cole, then comes in to talk about how he is legendary himself and always real and questions a few things. Joey now realizes his worth and be a better person. (2/2)

12. AMERIKKAN IDOL

Joey finally wraps up this project and calls out the government’s plan to try to exterminate African American people, by theorizing that they are trying to start a civil war among skin colors after what happened after the 2016 presidential election (1/2)

with all the stereotypes of his people, and how they want them to rebel so they can kill them easier. He expresses as well that news outlets only portray what the outlets want, and not the people. He then ends it by warning everyone and something will happen soon. (2/2)

Conclusion: Joey Bada$$’s album, “ALL-AMERIKKAN BADA$$” is a representation of the struggles of an African American individual living in America with lots of corruption in it. Joey uses himself as an inspiration of staying strong, optimistic and become someone who is fully aware.

Thank you for reading, i hope you enjoyed! ill catch you on the next deconstruction as always!