Since “Survival Tactics” dropped, Joey Bada$$, who is managed by The Smoker’s Club general Jonny Shipes (who also manages Big K.R.I.T. and Smoke DZA), has been making major moves. He’s appeared on two different MTV programs, been covered by the New York Times, contributed a verse to Mac Miller’s Macadelic mixtape, and recently opened up for Mac at Roseland Ballroom in NYC.

“I uploaded this freestyle on YouTube [of me rapping when I was fifteen], and it got to WorldStar. And [Jonny] Shipes had seen it, and it caught his attention, and he hit me up on Twitter. He was like, ‘Yo, hit me up in my email.’ And I never heard of him, ever. So I looked at it as, like, ‘Aiight, little homie noticed the skills.’ [Laughs.]But I was like, ‘fukk it, let me see what he about though.’ And I hit him up, and I learned that he was official. Ever since then, I’ve just been fukkin’ with him.
He always had the vision, then I had my own vision—so it was like perfect division.
“Shipes was like, ‘I wanna build you as an artist. I wanna see you grow.’ He wanted to help me out with whatever I needed. He always had the vision, then I had my own vision—so it was like perfect division. [Laughs.]
“Then, we just started working together. That’s my manager. I had a project in the works at the time, but as soon as I met him, my potential just shot up. So I trashed that project and put a new one in the works, and that was 1999.
Oh but Im the crazy one right?



http://www.complex.com/music/2012/05/who-is-joey-badass/linking-up-with-the-smokers-club