Recognizing a sample on your first listen of a track is an incomparable feeling for music nerds. Indie heads and hip-hop fans alike rejoiced when one of New York’s finest Joey Bada$$ sampled Men I Trust on his 2022 album 2000. The Statik Selektah-produced song “Show Me” features a sample from Men I Trust’s popular 2018 single “Show Me How”. The dreamy synths of the song laid the backdrop for Bada$$ to exercise his storytelling while the original hook doubled as the chorus on this new version. The combo of Men I Trust and Joey Bada$$ exercised their chemistry beyond a sample by performing “Show Me” together on The Tonight Show yesterday (November 2).
When it comes to the modern hip-hop scene in New York City, it’s hard to argue that Joey Bada$$ isn’t their brightest star. Bada$$ recorded his seminal debut mixtape, 1999, at just 17 years old and it became an instant classic. Fans rushed to the classic mixtape site Datpiff.com to get their free copy of the now highly-acclaimed tape that introduced us to not only Bada$$ but a whole new wave of intricate hip-hop music from the city. Since then, Bada$$ has not slowed down, keeping a consistent release schedule and never sticking to a singular sound. His sophomore album, ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$ had the artist explore new sonics and melodies without losing the gritty raps that he’s built a name out of. He continues to explore that world on his latest release and no more so than on “Show Me”.
Joey Bada$$ was joined by Men I Trust themselves for their theatrical appearance on Fallon. The band went through the instrumental and chorus live. The performance centered around a date as Bada$$ stood center stage and serenades a woman drenched in fine fabrics. A small table was set up in between band members which added a nice layer of intimacy to the performance. Men I Trust sounds as dreamy as ever and Bada$$ got to exercise some acting skills while going through the hit from his latest album.
Check out the full performance below:
