Defiant Joey Badass Vows to Look at Solar Eclipse Again But Will He Wear Protective Glasses?

Joey Badass is a glutton for punishment—or is he?

On Monday, the same day as the much-talked-about solar eclipse, he took to X, jokingly writing, “Y’all know I’m still gon look right?”

The question is: Will he be wearing protective glasses to view the rare event? (Something you should absolutely be doing, please don't look directly at the sun.)

The 1999 rapper was seemingly referencing what has become, at this point, Badass lore. Back in August 2017—a couple of days after that year’s eclipse—he canceled performances in Cleveland, Chicago, and Toronto as part of Logic’s Everybody’s Tour, citing “unforeseen circumstances.” Many then speculated that Badass later alluded to the reason why.

“Am I crazy for watching the eclipse today w no glasses? I've sungazed before and afterwards saw colors for a whole day. I didn't die tho,” he wrote in a since-deleted tweet.

He followed up: “This ain't the first solar eclipse and I'm pretty sure our ancestors ain't have no fancy eyewear. Also pretty sure they ain't all go blind.”

It seems that the rumors weren’t exactly true though. In June 2022, he revealed that he wasn’t actually injured by staring at the eclipse. He confessed when an X user slammed Badass for saying that it was “crazy” that Lizzo saw such intense backlash for using the word “spaz” in a song.

“Not the n***a who looked directly into the sun during a solar eclipse sharing an opinion with boldness,” the user wrote.

“Yes it is I, and I still see the world much better than you do,” Joey responded. “Speaking of solar eclipses, you know I never got any type of eye damage from that solar eclipse shit that ‘happened.’”

He explained that reports of him suffering eye damage were “literally created” by the media and he went along with it because he needed “an excuse” to drop out of Logic’s tour.

“I went with it because it was convenient for me at the time,” Joey wrote. “But it was also funny to see how gullible people are. It taught me a valuable lesson, whatever the media puts out in unison, people will simply believe. Even if the source isn’t validated. Scary world.”