Joey Bada$$ recently sat down with Method Man for Billboard to discuss iconic songs from New York, where he touched on Cardi B’s “Bodak Yellow.” Although he has great respect for Cardi, Joey made his stance clear. He doesn’t view her hit as a true representation of a New York anthem.
Joey broke down his reasoning, pointing out that the track’s flow is rooted in Kodak Black’s style from Florida. “This is my disclaimer with ‘Bodak Yellow.’ First of all, I love Cardi B … But, for me, ‘Bodak Yellow,’ is literally a Kodak Black flow,” he said. “Like, it’s a Florida flow, you know what I’m saying? … We having a conversation about New York anthems. While, okay, yes, I think that it definitely was an anthemic record for beyond New York, I think that it just has this DNA of not a New York song. Let’s be real about it. If Kodak Black didn’t exist, we would have never have gotten ‘Bodak Yellow.’”
Cardi B released “Bodak Yellow” in 2017. She incorporated Kodak Black’s signature flow from his track “No Flockin,” which earned him a songwriting credit. The song became a huge success. It led Cardi’s debut album *Invasion of Privacy* and earned her Grammy nominations for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song.
Joey and Method Man also highlighted other legendary New York records, including “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See” by Busta Rhymes, JAY-Z’s “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem),” Nas’ “N.Y. State of Mind,” and DMX’s “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem.”