On Saturday, January 20, 19-year-old singer and rapper XXXTENTACION posted an Instagram story in which he proposed a collaborative mixtape with Brooklyn rapper and PRO ERA founder Joey Bada$$. Joey subsequently posted a screenshot of X’s story and added: “Let’s go @xxxtentacion.” There is no further indication that the project is in the works as of now.
In 2016, X was arrested on charges of domestic abuse against his pregnant girlfriend as well as accusations of witness-tampering. Although his trial was initially scheduled for May 2017, it was delayed until October. On September 8, Pitchfork published the details of the victim’s testimony against X, to which I will return later.
After another delay of the trial until December 2017, X was charged with eight more felony counts of witness-tampering based on recovered phone messages. After spending several days in jail without bail, he was released for two months of house arrest. He will appear in court again on Wednesday, January 24.
I have never had a more difficult time reading an article than I did when I first read the details of the victim’s testimony. The abuse X inflicted upon this woman was evil, disgusting, and, at some points, downright terrifying. Her story depicts a life of constant fear that this hostile and violent man may snap at any moment for no apparent reason. He is a despicable monster who deserves a life sentence in prison, and I cannot fathom why anybody would continue to support his career. If you are a fan of XXXTENTACION, I implore you to read the Pitchfork article and re-evaluate whether or not you want to put money in this man’s wallet.
To say that I am disappointed in Joey is an understatement. Having followed his mixtapes and singles in the build-up to his full-length debut, B4DA$$, I am confident that he is one of the first hip-hop artists I genuinely loved. His follow-up project, All-AmeriKKKan Badass, one of the best hip-hop albums of 2017, solidified Joey as one of the premiere conscious rappers in the mainstream at the remarkably young age of 22 years old.
To see him grow from the fun-loving kid rapping with his friends on “School High” to the mature man lamenting the evils of institutional racism on “TEMPTATION” has been one of the most gratifying experiences of my musical fandom. Pride is not an emotion I frequently feel when I listen to music. When I first spun “LAND OF THE FREE” last year, I felt proud of Joey Bada$$.
Will morbid curiosity get the best of me and compel me to listen to this collaboration? Yes. Will I continue to be a Joey fan if he goes through with this collaboration? Yes. Will I lose some respect for an artist I have admired since high school? Yes.
Please, Joey. Listen to your fans. Do not collaborate with this terrible human being. You’re better than that.
