VASHTIE

Finally! The Joey Bada$$ Music Video for “Waves” that I directed is out!

We spent two days following Mister Bada$$…sneaking into his high school, watching him skate, listening to him freestyle with friends and eavesdropping on teenage conversations. This video should be dubbed…”The Extraordinary Life of the Brooklyn Teenager”.

The concept was based on the duality of Joey being an ordinary 17 year old in high school, but also being an extraordinary 17 year old on the cusp of musical greatness. He’s not 17 going on 18, which would change perception slightly…no, he just turned 17. He’s finishing up his junior year of high school as big names scramble to get him to drop verses or sign on dotted lines.

Since people have been referring to Joey’s musical talents to that of a young Nas, and a young Nas was only 20 when he dropped an album that changed the world (and my life)…I thought it was important to document this fork in Joey’s life. At the time that “Illmatic” was released – I was too young to realize that Nas (at age 20) was still extremely young to have impacted our culture in the way that he did. As an adult now who has experienced 20, I can’t imagine what his life must have been like at that moment – and the same now for Joey, maybe more. Most of us can remember what it was like at age 17 – rebelling against authority while trying not to get caught, gaining independence, figuring out who you are and what your style is…but now sprinkle in super star talent peppered with great expectations.

Joey is at a strange moment in life – trying to establish and maintain who he is as he comes of age, preparing for the fast lane, while setting out to fulfill the prophecies that legends in the game have envisioned for him.

Long story short, this kid has a lot on his plate…but, I’m a believer and I can’t wait to see how he grows.

I am honored to have witnessed and documented such an interesting and rare point in an extraordinary & ordinary persons life.

I hope you enjoy the video!