Joey Bada$$ took to Facebook Wednesday to share a very personal story from his childhood.
In the post, Joey opens up about how his parent's split affected him as a young kid when he was only five years old. His mom was forced to work two jobs to support the themselves, leaving him with a lot of alone time. They also endured financial struggles, which he explained was hard on him to witness.
"It was a really devastating moment in my life," he wrote. "You know, watching my mom battle a serious struggle, for me as a young child wasn't anything I ever liked to see and I'm sure no child likes to see that. I used to come home from school and see eviction notices on our door." He admits he decided then that he would somehow pay his mom back for everything she did for him.
To overcome his fear of being alone, Joey instead channeled it as a time to practice what he loved to do: music. He describes the year he got a microphone for Christmas and how that whole process eventually lead to the creation of his debut mixtape, 1999, which he recorded in his bedroom in East Flatbush. That mixtape lead Joey down a great path filled with BET nominations, a Roc Nation offer, sold out tours, major label deal offers, and lectures at Ivy League Universities. "All that ever took was patience."
Recently, Joey dropped his new single, "Devastated," where he opted for a new vibe and a resilient message about turning his struggles into a strength. It seems the new note to fans is just an extension of what he was trying to convey in his recent release.
Right now, it's unclear exactly what the note means in the grand scheme of things, but it sounds like Joey is trying to spread some inspiration to those that need it with his own success story. We can only hope that there will be even more new music coming down the line.
Read Joey's full message below and head over to his website, joeybadass.com, where he is encouraging fans to share their own "#Devastated story or story of greatness."
Head over to https://t.co/cVWHmZW0qP to read my #DEVASTATED story & share yours #IUsedToFeelSoDevastated #OMWtoGreatness
