In the song, Joey uses themes of light and darkness to elaborate on the experiences he’s gone through since his last solo release in April 2017—a topic that he announced in his May 2020 interview with COMPLEX. The rapper boasts his comeback and standing in the rap game while questioning his “inner light.”
The music video sees Joey paying homage to American singer and rapper, Bobby Brown, who produced one of Joey’s favorite albums—June 1988’s "Don’t Be Cruel". In the video, Joey wears Brown’s red outfit from a 1989 party.
The Light
Joey Bada$$ Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mic check of the Gods, nigga
Mic check of the Gods
Yeah
The shining
Represents the light that's in the darkness
A diamond
The timin'
Remarkable and in alignment
Anything is possible, I promise
Yo
I admit it, I was gone for a lil' minute
It's like I lost my glow, yo
My inner light was dimmin'
Now I got my mojo back
Joe don't know how to act
About to black out
I never back out
Unless we talkin' bringing gas out
And every show is packed out
We bringin' cats out from South Africa to Glasgow
I guess you could say I got this shit mapped out now
World domination by determination
This is mumble rap extermination
This is Godly interpolation
This is that, "Who ya top 5?" conversation
Type of rap that "Fuck a Grammy nomination"
Type of rap that "I'ma take 'em to my basement"
Bring it back 'cause when they come to leavin' mic's ablazin'
I'm adjacent to that nigga Satan
That ain't for debating
No more time for wasting
Yeah, yeah, yeah
The shining
Represents the light that's in the darkness
A diamond
Y'all niggas ain't ready when I drop this
The timing
Remarkable and in alignment
Anything is possible, I promise
Unstoppable if it's divinely guided
I'm like Mahatma Gandhi meets Muhammad Ali
Trapped in a rapper's body
Another old soul, in every lifetime you find me
My angels who surround me
Niggas was frontin' now they all behind me
Funny story how I beat the odds so oddly
Funny how I dropped all these bombs so calmly
Funny how I never found this shit, it just found me
It just, yeah, yeah
The shining
(Something's gonna happen in your life
That is going to affect everybody's life)
For the good)
The shining
Represents the light that's in the darkness
A diamond
Y'all niggas ain't ready when I drop this
The timing
Remarkable and in alignment
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
These lyrics from Joey Bada$$'s "The Light" are about a rapper who lost his inner light and spent some time away from the spotlight, but is now back stronger than ever. He drops some hard-hitting rhymes about his determination to dominate the rap game and how he's divinely guided by angels who surround him. The shining refers to the light that's present in the darkness, represented by a diamond that he's about to drop on his fans who aren't ready for what's about to come.
The rapper implies that he's been tested over time and knows what he's doing. He's confident about his ability to drop the hottest rap lyrics and take the world by storm. He doesn't shy away from challenging conversations about who's the best rapper and is more concerned with leaving a lasting impact than winning a Grammy nomination. He also drops a hint that he's different from others, implying that he's adjacent to Satan, which isn't up for debate.
It's a high-energy, politically-charged song that shows Joey at his best, spitting wisdom and truths over beats that are sure to move you. Overall, the lyrics connect with people who have struggled to find their light at some point in their lives and provide a hopeful promise that anything is possible if you believe in yourself and keep pushing forward.
Line by Line Meaning
The shining
Refers to the light that represents hope in the midst of darkness.
Represents the light that's in the darkness
The light is the hope that can help restore the good in a bad situation.
A diamond
Refers to Joey Bada$$'s music which is of great value.
Y'all niggas ain't ready when I drop this
Joey Bada$$'s music is a force to be reckoned with.
The timing
The perfect timing of Joey's music release.
Remarkable and in alignment
Joey's music has unique qualities that stand out while fitting perfectly in the music industry landscape.
Anything is possible, I promise
Joey Bada$$ is confident about his music and believes that it can do great things.
I admit it, I was gone for a lil' minute
Joey Bada$$ acknowledges that he took a break from music for a while.
It's like I lost my glow, yo
Joey feels like he lost his creative side or the pizazz in his music for a while.
My inner light was dimmin'
Joey's creativity was declining or burning out.
Now I got my mojo back
The inspiration and creativity are back and better than ever.
Joe don't know how to act
Joey feels like he's unstoppable.
About to black out
Joey feels like he's about to give an outstanding performance, creating an electrifying atmosphere.
This is that, "Who ya top 5?" conversation
Joey's music is up there with the greats of the industry.
Type of rap that "Fuck a Grammy nomination"
Joey's music is not only award-worthy, but it should be accepted without the need to win an award.
Type of rap that "I'ma take 'em to my basement"
Joey's music is so good, the listener will need to escape reality and just jam out.
Unstoppable if it's divinely guided
Joey Bada$$ believes that he cannot be stopped if he follows divine guidance.
I'm like Mahatma Gandhi meets Muhammad Ali
Joey combines the ideologies and life experiences of these two legends in his music.
Trapped in a rapper's body
Joey Bada$$ feels like he's more than just a rapper, he's an artist as well.
Another old soul, in every lifetime you find me
Joey feels as though he's been here before and will continue to be reborn.
My angels who surround me
The positive people surrounding Joey that inspire him and keep him moving forward.
Niggas was frontin' now they all behind me
People who doubted Joey Bada$$ in the past are now supporting him.
Funny story how I beat the odds so oddly
It's astonishing how Joey Bada$$ came out on top despite the many challenges and obstacles he faced.
Funny how I dropped all these bombs so calmly
Joey's music has great impact despite having a relaxed delivery.
Funny how I never found this shit, it just found me
Joey feels as though music found him, not the other way around.
Something's gonna happen in your life
That is going to affect everybody's life)
A life-changing moment is coming for Joey Bada$$'s fans, and it will impact everyone.
For the good
Despite the struggle that may come with the life-changing moment, there will be a positive outcome.
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: Jo-Vaughn Virgine, Patrick Baril, Michael Legrand, Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Eric Martinez
It’s so crazy how people like Joey, Kendrick, and Cole can go for years without releasing music and not be irrelevant.
Mitchell Juchno
Good art always ages with time
Spiritualgeneration11
Chosen ones never die
stay 《 humble.》
Yup took the time to build an actual fanbase not just blow up off one track or a meme
E. Park
They ghostwrite for the best. Joey Badass, for example, gave Post Malone the song Rockstar. The real artists lies in the shadows.
Spiritualgeneration11
@E. Park Nobody chillin in the shadow we are light!
Herofix TV
52 years old and still recognizing real hip hop when I hear it , and this is that .
Justin Scott
💯
Dee Jones
Amen brother.
Bizz With Da Rizz
Agreed I’m only 19 but I love real hip hop Ill bring it back to the game when I make it ‼️🖤