Wednesday (Jan. 1) marked the start of 2025 and Joey BadaSS decided to bless his fans as part of the celebration. The Brooklyn talent returned with a new track titled “The Ruler’s Back,” which was produced by Conductor Williams and contained the nostalgic vibes that the rap veteran-turned-actor became known for. “Moved out the city, copped the house and the sticks/ Couple acres, couple whips, whole lotta blicks/ I got options baby, take your pick,” the “Power Book III: Raising Kanan” star flexed on the infectious cut.
“The Ruler’s Back” arrived with a matching video that saw BadaSS out in the country with a Maybach SUV and a massive estate in the background. He could also be spotted delivering his rhymes in a studio before driving off into the sunset.
It’s been a couple of years since the Pro Era frontman liberated his third studio LP, 2000, the conceptual sequel to his breakout mixtape, 1999. The 14-song release boasted additional contributions from JID, Chris Brown, Westside Gunn, Larry June and more. Since then, he’s remained on the musical radar via loose drops like “Fallin’,” “Passports & Suitcases” and the Chlöe-assisted “Tell Me.” Additionally, he kept the culture fed via his contributions on songs by Ab-Soul, Logic, Conway the Machine, Cordae, IDK and Lila Iké.
In a recent interview with REVOLT, BadaSS reflected on his earliest recording session. “I remember I was 15 years old, and I was quite nervous 'cause I hadn’t ever been in a professional studio before,” he revealed. “My pops was with me 'cause he was just trying to make sure nobody was trying to take advantage of his son.” Once he got the hang of it, he began to help his crew with crafting hits. “It really wasn’t nothing but a laptop, a microphone and a USB condenser mic plugged right into the computer,” he explained about his initial setup. “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.”