Joey Bada$$ Throws Columbia Records Under the Bus Over Album Delay

After clashing with Kendrick Lamar and other artists, Joey Bada$$ blames Columbia Records for his album delay: “I just ain’t been f–ing with them.”

Joey Bada$$ has to wait a little longer to release his new album Lonely At the Top—originally set to drop this week—and he’s not mincing words over it. On Instagram Live, the artist blamed his label, Columbia Records, for the delay.

“That’s why it’s lonely at the top, for real. Because it’s just you. My shit got pushed back because the label pushed my shit back. My album [was] signed, sealed, and delivered over a month ago. This ain’t ‘cause of no sample clearances; this ain’t ‘cause of no features; this ain’t ‘cause of no clashing with another artist on the date,” he said.

“This is literally an exhibit A of a label getting in an artist’s way. I’m signed to Columbia Records, but for the longest time, I just ain’t been fucking with them. All they do is get in my way. They really don’t fucking contribute to nothing,” he continued. “Especially this year, all my releases have been on YouTube. It’s been that way because I ain’t got time to wait on nobody.”

It’s been a tricky year for the New Yorker, who has picked fights with West Coast rappers this year, from Kendrick Lamar to Ray Vaughn. Chiefly, his lyrics on diss tracks “The Finals” and “The Ruler’s Back” reference West Coast rappers like Vaughn rallying behind K.Dot during his now-infamous rap beef with Toronto rapper Drake.

He rapped: “The way you let Dot dick sit in your mouth / This that same dick linkin’ I was talkin’ about / You n—as would do anything for the clout / Crash out over n—as who won’t even let you in they house / I bet you ain’t even got his number / It’s funny how the thirst is bein’ disguised as hunger.”

But some fans say the track is an homage to Jay-Z and Slick Rick, rather than a Kendrick diss track. “It just seems like he’s telling NY hip-hop to step up,” wrote one fan on the former Twitter.

Either way, Joey has been doing well for himself, making lots of guest appearances on songs by artists like Erick the Architect, IDK, Powers Pleasant, Cordae, and Conway the Machine.