Joey Bada$$ Gets An Oscar Nomination For ‘Two Distant Strangers’

Joey Bada$$ gets an Oscar nomination for the 2020 short film “Two Distant Strangers.” The 29 minute film starring rapper Joey Bada$$ will be up for Best Live-Action Short Film at the upcoming 93rd Academy Awards.

Joey Bada$$ tweeted his excitement for the nomination and even projected that he’s on the pathway to becoming an EGOT winner.

“Imma be A FUCKING EGOT, ” Joey Bada$$ tweeted. “I’m officially Oscar-nominated. That’s crazy. #TwoDistantStrangers,” Joey Bada$$ said in another tweet.

Directed by Travon Free and Martin Desmond Rae, “Two Distant Strangers” is a film that underlines police brutality and racism. The allegorical movie focuses on cartoonist Carter James’, played by Joey Badass, repetitive deadly encounter with a police officer that prevents him from making it home to his pet dog.

Free told Revolt that the idea for “Two Distant Strangers” was “born out of the repetition of seeing stories about Black people who were being killed by the police over and over again.” 

Free continued to explain to Revolt that James’ recurring fictional deaths parallels the police violence members of the Black community continually face.

“One day it was George Floyd, then Ahmaud Arbery, then Breonna Taylor, then Casey Goodwin. Their deaths add to the other names we should not know who have become immortalized by hashtags as victims of racist police violence,” Free said. “Carter’s continued fictional deaths mirror the violent ends faced by Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Philando Castile, Alton Sterling, Botham Jean, Atatiana Jefferson, Elijah McClain and so many more,” he added. “These victims of police violence were also just living their regular lives before a normal day spiraled into a nightmare that they paid for with their lives, thus damaging communities and families forever.”

In addition to Joey Bada$$, Free also took Twitter to also express his excitement for having his film become Oscar nominated. 

“Holy hell @TwoDistantFilm is nominated for an Oscar!!!!! #JustAKidFromCompton #TwoDistantStrangers.”