Listen: Joey Bada$$ – Word Is Bond

‘Word Is Bond’ is the first taste of New York hip-hop artist Joey Bada$$’s new Summer Knights mixtape, due out on 12 June.

Opening up with a tenderly kissed piano solo and Joey’s breathless, incisive verses, ‘Word Is Bond’ steadily unravels over three and a bit minutes with producer Statik Selektah inviting crackly snares to jab away at his otherwise sparse melody. The stylish end result comes over like Bada$$ taking an elegant, loving strut through the golden age of hip hop.

The Summer Knights tape will be followed by Joey’s debut LP, entitled B4DA$$.