Today marks the release of HYPERYOUTH, the long-awaited third studio album from energetic alt-rap duo Joey Valence & Brae — and to celebrate, the pair are pulling back the curtain on a few fun, unexpected things you probably didn’t know about them.
Known for their addictive beats, old-school hip-hop influences, and chaotic live shows, Joey and Brae have built a fast-growing fanbase by blending sticky rhymes with a deliciously unhinged spirit. That same energy runs through HYPERYOUTH, a project packed with memorable tracks and nostalgia on hyperdrive. Though their last album, NO HANDS, went heavy on the early aughts sounds, HYPERYOUTH seems to tell a story of aging and grappling with growing up, more so through lyrical introspection. The album boasts features with TiaCorine and Rebecca Black, as well as JPEGMAFIA — each of these songs a brighter star on the tracklist than the last.
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Within the first minute of the album, Joey Valence & Brae ask, “Guess who’s back, motherf*cker?” And one could argue, within that same minute, the question’s already been answered. It’s not easy to land the throwback plane, but JV&B have shown they can do so, in multiple styles. That being said, we asked these multifaceted artists to give us some added insight into their personalities — and get a little more personal.
Here are five behind-the-scenes facts they revealed:
- Fans may know Brae is into cars first and foremost, but motorcycles? You can find him riding around on a Honda Grom when he’s not in the studio.
- Brae also has a softer side: He enjoys doing coloring books with his younger sister. To which Joey interjects, “I didn’t even know that.”
- Joey is a lifelong dinosaur fanatic — favoring the Spinosaurus — which, he points out, he liked before it was cool.
- Before their current style took shape, Joey produced dubstep, admitting, “You can probably find it somewhere on the internet.”
- Long before HYPERYOUTH and even the name Joey Valence & Brae, the two made music under a different name. “It’s out there…” Joey hints. “Go find it. It’s a lot worse than this.”
Stream HYPERYOUTH below.