Today (January 20) welcomes Joey Bada$$’ debut, B4.Da.$$ to the marketplace and music shop shelves. Backed by Sony Red, the Cinematic/Pro Era release includes production contributions from DJ Premier, The Roots, and Statik Selektah, among others. The moment also capsules a five-year rise to prominence, since the Brooklyn, New Yorker was discovered from a freestyle he uploaded to YouTube in 2010. Critically-acclaimed mixtapes have followed, along with major album appearances, alongside A$AP Rocky, Dizzy Wright, and Statik.

One of the early proponents of Joey was New York City DJ/radio personality Peter Rosenberg. Before the big week, “Badman” sat in for “Real Late With Rosenberg,” and discussed the scene in the city around him, and the artistic evolution.

In the last five minutes, Joey does one of things that Bada$$ does best: freestyle. Over a handful of beats, Cinematic’s latest star tears up, and savors the moment:

Related: Joey Bada$$ Drops Wisdom While DJ Premier Drops A Scorching Beat (Audio)