Joey Bada$$ is only 17, but his music shows he possesses an old soul. Or at least he's been digging in old vinyl crates. While the Brooklyn rapper was too young to recall that era of hip-hop glory that his '1999' mixtape is reminiscent of, he rhymes as if he was there all along. After releasing the project in June, things began setting off for the teen.

Complex magazine named him one of the best rappers under 25, but his biggest feat yet came in early November, when he made his television debut on 'Late Night With Jimmy Fallon Live,' where he performed his track 'Waves.' For an independent artist who has built his current stance from internet love, this was a huge deal. There's no guessing that in the new year all eyes will be on this '90s baby, who serves up old school hip-hop beats with his new millennium mindset.

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