Joey Badass and Powers Pleasant chop it up about Pro Era memories, their new albums & much more
Musical chemistry is a meaningless phrase until two people like Pro Era brothers Joey Badass and Powers Pleasant show what that really sounds like. The pair not only have a high-octane collaboration called “Rumble” that pushes Joey’s pen into seldomly explored spaces out now, but they have over a decade of experience knowing what each other’s limits are and where to push. When you hear “Rumble,” understand it’s a new Joey.
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“There’s nothing as high energy as ‘Rumble’ [on my album]. It’s more conceptual and chill. It’s cool that ‘Rumble’ is coming out and I’m able to give people a different flavor than what I'm about to start rolling out,” Joey Badass tells REVOLT.
In this installment of “Studio Sessions,” the Pro Era partners explain what Gucci Mane did in the studio to surprise Joey, the cramped bedroom where Pro Era classics were created, and how their latest collaboration, “Rumble,” is just the start for two men with albums coming out. Read the exclusive chat below.
What’s the earliest recording session you each remember being in?
Joey Badass: I remember I was 15 years old, and I was quite nervous 'cause I hadn’t ever been in a professional studio before. My pops was with me 'cause he was just trying to make sure nobody was trying to take advantage of his son.
Powers Pleasant: It would have to be “Survival Tactics” with Joey and Capital STEEZ. We were in Joey's crib. He had a setup in his room. We used to record in it sometimes after school. Mind you, his room was very tiny. It had to be about four or five of us in there. The energy was at an all-time high. I'm not sure if I heard the verse before. That was the first time. They played the beat, and Joey went in and killed that.
I wasn’t doubting STEEZ, but I was like, “How you supposed to rap after that (laughs)?” Then he came through and killed that. I thought, “What the f**k?” I think a painting dropped while he was rapping because his energy was so crazy. You could actually hear it in the song. It's one of the most memorable sessions I've ever been in.
Joey: It really wasn't nothing but a laptop, a microphone and a USB condenser mic plugged right into the computer. Back in the day, I used to record all of the homies and all of my own s**t. I learned how to mix a little bit too.
Powers: No shade, but his room was probably the size of a large closet (laughs). There was enough room for a bed and a small desk.
Joey: We were nine deep in there, so it was hot as s**t. Just a bunch of high school boys smelling like a bunch of teenage spirit in there.
Now you two are back together again for Powers’ new single, “Rumble.” How did the song come about?
Powers: We made this remotely during COVID. I was in LA, he was in New York, and I was just sending him beats. He was just freestyling to them. He made “THE REV3NGE,” the song we dropped a year or two ago, in the same session. He’s a genius. He’s a different kind of monster, but when he gets in that zone, the creativity and the energy is just flowing. I remember he sent me the song back, and it was like 100 bars, bro. It was like a freestyle, but I chopped up the verse, structured it, and made it into the song format as you know it today. I was blown away. It’s been a long time since we heard him spit like that.
Joey: I was just in the crib. He caught me on a good day. He sent me about three songs, and I was pretty much at a point where I hadn't recorded myself in a while, but I had my home studio. My pen was just moving that day. I was pretty inspired. I sat at my kitchen table and wrote it.
Powers: We made that in 2021/2022, but then we revisited it because the people working on the Spider-Man movie actually hit us up and wanted to use it. That brought it back to my attention. They wanted to speed it up and do these types of things. They didn't end up using it, but I definitely made a mental note of it to put it on my album.
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You both have albums in the works. What can you tell us about them?
Powers: This album is full of all my friends and a lot of new people, as well. I wanted to definitely collaborate with my homies and people I normally work with, but I also wanted to expand and work with different artists. So, it's a combination of both. I know I came into the game as the “posse cut guy” who was throwing all these crazy features together on songs with all these artists. But this album is more focused on making the best song. So, it's not a ton of features on every song. It’s my most experimental album I've dropped.
Joey: My album is an entirely different vibe than “Rumble.” It’s nowhere in the arena of what “Rumble” sounds like. It doesn’t really have any up-tempo, trap-type energy to it. There may be a moment or two, but nothing like “Rumble.” There’s nothing as high energy as “Rumble.” It’s more conceptual and chill. It’s cool that “Rumble” is coming out and I’m able to give people a different flavor than what I'm about to start rolling out.
Powers, as you said, you were the “posse cut guy.” What was the most packed session you’ve been in that led to a posse cut?
Powers: That would have to be [Denzel Curry’s] “Ain't No Way.” It was on Denzel’s second to last album, Melt My Eyez See Your Future. That day was crazy, bro. I remember it was Denzel, Shawn K, and Jasiah [who] had a session in the Atlantic studio. My boy Shawn K called me to pull up. Then they saw Rico Nasty in the hallway on some random s**t. She invited them into her room. Jasiah and her made a song, and then I pulled up and was playing beats. As that happened, 6lack pulled up. JID pulled up.
Buddy pulled up. Now, we’re all in this room packed. It's Denzel Curry, Rico Nasty, Buddy, 6lack, Jasiah, and I’m thinking, “What beat can I play right now that would go crazy?” I had the perfect beat. Joey actually had a verse to that beat, which actually was unreleased.
Joey: I don't think the verse I did went anywhere, but I also had like 100 bars on that, too (laughs). I actually forgot about that.
Powers: I knew that would be the perfect beat because the beat changes, and it was just the craziest beat I made at the time. When I played that, they instantly loved it. JID definitely quarterbacked that and directed how we should do it, what should change, and what should happen.
What’s a typical session like between you two?
Powers: Man, there's nothing typical about it. A lot of times it might be after the show or very impromptu in a hotel. I'll be sending him beats periodically and he don't be saying anything. Then, next time I see him, he’s like, “Yo, I got a verse to this. Let's record this.”
Joey: There’s a lot of camaraderie and chemistry. I'm in my comfort zone and not in my comfort zone at the same time ‘cause Power challenges me to step outside of my creative zone or my creative home, and it's always fun ‘cause we’re always working on something new that I probably didn't do before.
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What’s the most impressive thing you've seen somebody do in the studio?
Powers: I saw Joey one-take “DEVASTATED.” I’ve seen Denzel one-take “Ain't No Way.” I'll be playing a beat, and then 30 minutes later, he’s like, “Alright, let's go. Load it up.” They don't give you no type of warning. I might still be in the middle of making a beat.
Joey: One time, I had the pleasure of being in a Mike WiLL Made-It and Gucci Mane session. Gucci Mane's recording process was just so effortless. I was in there with Mike WiLL chopping it up, and then he said, “Yo, Gucci about to come through for a bit.” Gucci came through with three big a** bodyguards, and then Mike WiLL played one beat and Gucci was like, “Yo, cue that up.” He just went in the booth and blazed the whole joint, and then he came out, and they did another one. That was about 30 minutes, and I was inspired. Gucci Mane’s artistic style is quite different from mine. But I was very inspired by the work ethic and the chemistry that I witnessed them two having.
Joey, do you have any unreleased collaborations you hope come out one day?
Joey: I got this one song with Rema and Sarz in the Afrobeats genre, and it's just amazing. I want them to put that out or at least give it to me, so I could put it out.
What do you both have coming for the rest of 2024?
Powers: Man, this new album dropping is coming out very soon. I know I've said that for some years, but this is coming. I got another project I'm working on with a very successful, amazing producer. It's a collab project I'm very excited about. Aside from that, I'm going to be dropping a bunch of EPs with my friends. I'm flooding the streets. I've recorded so much music over these last few years that I'm ready to release it all, and I have the platform and places to do so now.
Joey: I got a bunch of features still rolling out. The album is pretty much done and everything. The album's been done for a little while. We’re just trying to really get the creative right and figure out the rollout strategy, how we want to shoot these videos, and all of that. So, I'm about to go into the marketing plan strategy of it right now.
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