Joey Bada$$ Pays Tribute to the Notorious B.I.G. on "Brooklyn's Own"

RIP Biggie.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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Today was the 19th anniversay of the death of the Notorious B.I.G., and Brooklyn native Joey Bada$$ decided to honor the rapper's legacy with a new song "Brooklyn's Own." Produced by Pro Era mainstay Statik Selektah, the song shouts out many of the borough's famous neighborhoods, including Flatbush, Coney Island, Brownsville, Bed-Stuy, East New York, and more. "Resurrect my soul and come back as your favorite rapper," he asks, before launching into a treatise about his borough. "Don't get your chain took when you're not looking/Ain't nothing worse than a Flatbush man/With a gun in his hand/Ready to die for a rubber band filled with just a couple grand," he warns.

While he doesn't specifically name-drop the legendary rapper, it's clear that Joey's throwback-New York style and heartfelt tribute to their shared borough of birth are meant to pay tribute to the style Biggie pioneered. It's great to see him carrying on the classic New York sound, especially in light of the fact that he was only 2 years old when Biggie was killed. Clearly all the passing years can't compete with the Brooklyn soul.

You can stream "Brooklyn's Own" on SoundCloud below.

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