Joey Badass Reflects on Missed Deal with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation

Brooklyn, NY – In a recent interview published Tuesday, May 13, rapper Joey Badass opened up about his near-signing with Jay-Z‘s Roc Nation back in 2010. He revealed that a lack of communication and an old manager hindered the opportunity, which he describes as a dream come true.

Joey, now 28, spoke about how Jay-Z wanted to manage him rather than sign him as a label artist. “It was a chain of communication that I didn’t have any part in,” he reflected. “Jay is my favorite rapper, even to this day, and within a year of being in the game, he wanted to sign me. But he didn’t want to sign me as an artist, he wanted to manage me,” he added.

The rapper, who is currently signed to Columbia Records, expressed regret over what the deal could have meant for his career. He noted, “I always wonder if that’s how it got botched. At that point, I was a 17-year-old kid from Brooklyn; it was the highest honor you could have.”

During the interview, Joey also discussed his role as Unique in the series Power Book III: Raising Kanan, produced by 50 Cent. He described the experience of working with 50 Cent, saying, “He’s a very interesting individual; he surprised me. Not that I didn’t think he was smart, but I think he’s much smarter than people may think.”

When it comes to getting into character as Unique, Joey mentioned how wearing the vintage ’90s clothes immediately shifts him into the right mindset. “As soon as I land on set and I put them clothes on, it’s just time, you know? I’m in that mindset, I’m in that mode,” he stated.

In recent years, Joey has reflected on his career choices and the opportunities he has missed, voicing nostalgia about connecting with Jay-Z for potential projects. “Shoutout to Jay, man, because he was on it before a lot of people,” he concluded, hinting at a desire for future collaboration.