On April 7, 2017, he released his second studio album ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$ under Pro Era Records and Cinematic Music Group. The album was supported by three singles: Devastated, Land of the Free and Temptation. ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$ received generally positive reviews from critics and debuted at number five on the US Billboard 200.
Five years following the release of his second studio album ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$, he released the follow-up to his debut mixtape, 1999, ten years later on July 22, 2022. The name of this album, his third studio album, was 2000. During 2022, Joey released multiple singles to the album including Head High, Survivors Guilt, Zipcodes and 2 more. In the album, Joey goes over plenty of topic matters such as dealing with mental health, the passing of his friend Captial Steez and his cousin, Junior B, ten years later, and his overal life. 2000 debuted at No.18 on the Billboard 200 chart and sold roughly 22,000 album-equvialent units in its first week. The album was well perceived by fans and critcs, and was deemed to be a generally good lead up to his mixtape 1999.
GOOD MORNING AMERIKKKA
Joey Bada$$ Lyrics
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Free your mind (I said wake up)
Good morning America
Good morning America (I said wake up)
Good morning America
Now, what's freedom to you?
Let's talk about it, take a minute, think it through
The cops will still shoot us down on Channel 5 news
Lock us up for anything we do to pay dues
Some of us woke while some stay snooze
Zombies walking around trippin' over its shoes
The knowledge is official but it's often misused
America my masseuse, massaging my back
Tryna' act like, she ain't gonna do me like Pratt
Geronimo, take a leap and lay flat
I'm down to go for my message to spread across the map
Holy, cross on my back got a bullseye on it
I gotta get stoned to fulfill my moment
Oppress my oppressor, suppress the opponent
Channel my ancestor, he wouldn't condone it
In search of the healing components that you would notice
If you took notice, but you too nosey
Time to wake up
Won't you come and smell the hot coffee
Stick your nose in the wrong places, no wonder you OD
I swear the whole world on me
I'm nothing close to the old me
If you never knew me then it's too late to be homies
Homie say fuck what you told me
I'm riding all by my lonely
Waiting for the big homie to take these chains off me
I came from
A dream
That the black man dream is long ago
I'm actually a therapist
Sent to you by your ancestors
In "GOOD MORNING AMERIKKKA," Joey Bada$$ critiques the superficiality of American society while commenting on racism, police brutality, and the ongoing struggle for black liberation. He starts off by telling listeners to "wake up" and "free your mind" while addressing the concept of freedom. Bada$$ points out the contradicting notion of freedom in America, where although the country claims to be free, black people are still being marginalized daily by the police through shootings and incarceration. He shows his displeasure with the fact that oppressed black Americans have to work twice as hard to pay dues and with those who are still snoozing to the reality of the systematic oppression.
Bada$$ then comments on the mentality of people living in society, comparing them to zombies that trip around and don't appreciate the knowledge they are given. Despite the availability of vital information, people misuse it and make detrimental decisions. Still, he acknowledges the positive aspects of America while comparing the country to his masseuse "massaging his back," alluding to hoe despite the pain and oppression he is still proud to be American. Bada$$ continues to rap about the journey of his life, the path he has taken, and his unhappiness with the way things are. In the end, he seems determined to create change and to bridge the divide between oppressed black Americans and those who think they are doing enough.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah (wake up, wake up)
Joey Bada$$ calling out to his listeners to wake up
Free your mind (I said wake up)
He urges the listeners to free their minds and wake up
Good morning America
Joey Bada$$ is greeting America on behalf of the woke people
Good morning America (I said wake up)
He greets America again, urging the listeners to wake up
Good morning America
He greets America for the third time
Now, what's freedom to you?
Joey poses a question on the definition of freedom to his listeners
Let's talk about it, take a minute, think it through
He implores the listeners to put thought into coming up with an answer
I'm all about it, but the concept seems loose
Joey agrees with the necessity of freedom, but sees flaws in the implementation
The cops will still shoot us down on Channel 5 news
Joey is commenting on the police brutality towards black people
Lock us up for anything we do to pay dues
He is saying that often any wrong move on a black person's part can result in them being locked up as penance for their skin color
Some of us woke while some stay snooze
He acknowledges that not everyone is following the idea of awareness and many are complacent and uninformed
Zombies walking around trippin' over its shoes
He uses the metaphor of zombies to describe those who are not aware and have no idea where they are headed
The knowledge is official but it's often misused
Joey is implying that the awareness that the woke people possess is often misdirected or misused
America my masseuse, massaging my back
Joey inverts an American Dream metaphor to imply that he considers America to be gently beating him down
Tryna' act like, she ain't gonna do me like Pratt
Joey is referencing the death of a person beaten by the police to show his mistrust in the police
Geronimo, take a leap and lay flat
He speaks about being ready to put his life on the line for his message
I'm down to go for my message to spread across the map
Joey wishes for his message to be heard nationwide
Holy, cross on my back got a bullseye on it
He references the cross of Jesus being carried amid persecution, saying that he too has a target on his back
I gotta get stoned to fulfill my moment
He uses wordplay to imply his need to become elevated through marijuana use to communicate his message to the world
Oppress my oppressor, suppress the opponent
He wants to oppress those who are trying to oppress others and suppress their bigoted opinions
Channel my ancestor, he wouldn't condone it
He suggests following the mindset of his ancestors who wouldn't stand for oppression and racism
In search of the healing components that you would notice
Joey is searching for things that could potentially heal the racial divide in society
If you took notice, but you too nosey
He is saying that if people were not so nosy in the wrong places, they would be able to see the struggle of the oppressed
Time to wake up
Another reminder to his listeners to wake up to the reality of the world
Won't you come and smell the hot coffee
A metaphorical invitation for listeners to face reality and the problems of society
Stick your nose in the wrong places, no wonder you OD
Joey implies that looking for distraction in the wrong places could lead to a disastrous outcome
I swear the whole world on me
He is feeling weighed down by the struggles of the world on his shoulders
I'm nothing close to the old me
Joey wants to distance himself from his past self and grow with the times
If you never knew me then it's too late to be homies
He doesn't have any interest in false camaraderie, and only seeks to associate with genuine people who understand him
Homie say fuck what you told me
He dismisses people who are conformists and go against his way of thinking
I'm riding all by my lonely
Joey is on this journey alone, taking on the responsibility of being an agent of change
Waiting for the big homie to take these chains off me
Joey wants the established powers that be to hear him out and start bringing about change
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: JO-VAUGHN VIRGINIE, KHALIL RAHMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind