Manny King John
What up party people, welcome to the jungle
I can get you money, get you women, get you trouble.
‘Bad Azz’ reminds me of ‘The Don’ by Nas. Not because of similar flows, beats or punchlines, but because of one line Nas said on that track: “Heavy D gave this beat to Salaam for me to rap to.” There are certain beats that only greats can get on. Certain beats that are reserved or made for rappers with a specific level of prowess and skill. And when ‘Bad Azz’ starts, it’s that gritty ‘90s New York Grime sound of Mobb Deep, The Lox etc—you know the one: The ominous piano plunks accompanied by a simple drum set—that lets listeners know whoever was given this beat is about to do some damage. And that’s exactly what Jadon Woodard does.
Remember, your idols won’t help you unless you help them… So get the money.
Speaking plainly about the industry and the struggles of any rapper trying to make it without a big cosign, Jadon lays it all out to call out DJ Khaled for what many big-name artists are guilty of doing to up-and-coming ones: leading them on. Promising studio sessions or conversations that have new artists thinking their big break is imminent, only to never come through and it’s right back to the grind for rappers like Jadon. He calls out labels for the same issue. The key here, though, is that—where others may have gotten too discouraged to continue—Jadon acknowledges flakes like that are disheartening but he will keep getting this money regardless, until something does pan out.
Fuck being complacent, I’m dope, let’s face it.
With at least ten years in this Rap game under his belt, including jail stints, drug deals and a rearrangement of priorities, Jadon is no fool and as real as they come. There’s an eight-bar run in his second verse where he barely takes a breath that is proof on its own, Woodard is not the one to fuck with. How he hasn’t blown up already? I don’t know, but I know ‘Bad Azz’ and his upcoming album could change the tide. Watch ‘Bad Azz’, the visual straight out of Bushwick below.
