Joey Valence & Brae are an American hip hop duo formed at Penn State in State College, Pennsylvania in 2022, reviving Beastie Boys-style old-school party rap with DIY production and skate punk energy. Punk Tactics (2022) and No Hands (2023) capture the chaos best. Browse Joey Valence & Brae vinyl, CDs, and reissues at Wax Trax Records.
Joey Valence & Brae formed in State College, Pennsylvania in 2022 around Joey Valence (Joey Reichard) and Brae Cruz, both attending Penn State University at the time. Their work has been widely cited as a contemporary revival of late-1980s Beastie Boys-style old-school hip hop, with DIY production and skate punk energy. They gained significant audience through TikTok virality during the COVID-19 pandemic and have continued building their audience through extensive touring and festival appearances.
Joey Valence & Brae's sound combines old-school hip hop, alternative hip hop, hip hop, rock rap, and rap rock with extensive Beastie Boys-style party energy, sampled breakbeats, and arrangements drawing on classic 1980s hip hop alongside contemporary indie hip hop traditions.
Republic Records and self-released pressings of the Joey Valence & Brae catalog have been issued in color variant editions.
Listeners new to Joey Valence & Brae typically start with No Hands (2023) or Punk Tactics (2022).
