Watch Joey Bada$$ spin a Prince cover with 'When Thugs Cry'

A modern ode to The Purple One.
 By 
Shannon Connellan
 on 
Watch Joey Bada$$ spin a Prince cover with 'When Thugs Cry'
Watch Next

Rapper Joey Bada$$ put his own spin on a Prince classic on Friday, with a cover dubbed "When Thugs Cry."

Performed at Australian radio station triple j on Friday, for the popular, weekly "Like a Version" cover songs segment, the Brooklyn artist paid tribute to The Purple One.

"To this day my mum is the biggest Prince fan, she always played Prince around the house, put me on to Prince at such an early age. Me and her we used to always sing "When Doves Cry" together, so I made my own version. It’s called "When Thugs Cry," he told triple j.

Joey Bada$$ is currently touring Australia, performing at Melbourne's Sugar Mountain festival in Melbourne alongside Actress, A.B. Original, Jamila Woods and more on Saturday, Jan. 20.

Topics Music

A photo portrait of a journalist with blonde hair and a band t-shirt.
Shannon Connellan
UK Editor

Shannon Connellan is Mashable's UK Editor based in London, formerly Mashable's Australia Editor, but emotionally, she lives in the Creel House. A Tomatometer-approved critic, Shannon writes about entertainment, tech, social good, science, culture, and Australian horror.


Latest Videos

Stephen Colbert reacts to the Artemis II moon mission
A man in a suit stands on a talk show stage, gesturing.


'The Daily Show' reacts to judge halting Trump's White House ballroom
Desi Lydic presents "The Daily Show" beside an image of Donald Trump.


A24's 'Mother Mary' trailer is worth it for the FKA twigs track
Anne Hathway is dressed in a red pop star outfit with religious overtones in a film still from "Mother Mary."

Jon Stewart has a brutal reaction to Trump waffling about pens
A man in a suit sitting behind a talk show desk looks angry. In the top left is an image of the president holding up a pen.

Stephen Colbert gleefully recaps the best signs at the 'No Kings' protest
A man in a suit stands on a talk show stage, smiling. The caption at the bottom reads, "I like that one."

Riz Ahmed is troublingly intense in new 'SNL UK' promo
A close-up of a man grinning in a slightly creepy way.


The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!