Joey Valence & Brae are an American hip-hop duo from State College, Pennsylvania, consisting of rappers Joseph Bertolino (Joey Valence) and Braedan Lugue (Brae). The duo started making music together in 2021 and released a series of singles. Their breakout single, "Punk Tactics" has been certified RIAA Gold. They have since released three studio albums: Punk Tactics, No Hands, and Hyperyouth.
History Bertolino and Lugue met during their freshman year at Pennsylvania State University, where they became friends and started creating music together. Their first single "Crank It Up" was released in 2021. They quickly went from college kids to DIY sensations, thanks to viral hit "Double Jump," which they parlayed into an EP, 2022’s The Underground Sound.
Their seventh single "Punk Tactics" was released in 2022. The song was compared to the music of the Beastie Boys (Bertolino calling them their "number #1 influence and inspiration") and older alternative hip-hop songs, with frequent references to video games, recent pop culture and internet memes. The track was RIAA Gold certified in 2025 and was showcased in the background of the trailer of the 2026 movie Street Fighter. The music video for the song was entirely filmed on a Nintendo DSi.
In February 2022, the duo was featured as special guests on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and later appeared at the So What Music Festival in May, and Aftershock Festival in October. Their debut album, Punk Tactics, was released on September 8, 2023.
They opened alongside the Interrupters on Sum 41's final tour, Tour of the Setting Sum. Their second album No Hands was released on June 7, 2024 and featured contributions from Z-Trip, Terror Reid and Danny Brown. In 2024, the duo was featured on Pendulum's song "Napalm". Later that year they would release the deluxe version of No Hands, including three new songs, a remix of "The Baddest" featuring Ayesha Erotica and a cover of the Charli XCX song "365".
In 2025, the duo released the single "Clover" in collaboration with fellow American rapper IDK. On June 13, 2025, they released a collaborative single with American rapper JPEGMafia titled "Wassup". Their third studio album, Hyperyouth, released on August 15, 2025. It is their first release through RCA.
Discography Studio albums TitleDetailsPeak chart positions UKR&BPunk Tactics Released: September 8, 2023 Label: JVB Records Format: CD, digital download, streaming—No Hands Released: June 7, 2024 Label: JVB Records Format: CD, vinyl, digital download, streaming18Hyperyouth Released: August 15, 2025 Label: JVB Records, RCA Format: CD, vinyl, digital download, streaming
EPs TitleDetailsThe Underground Sound Released: February 25, 2022 Label: JVB Records Format: Digital download, streaming
Singles Title Year Certifications Album "Crank It Up" 2021 The Underground Sound EP "Underground Sound" "Like What" "I'm Fresh" "Double Jump" "Punk Tactics" 2022 RIAA: Gold Punk Tactics "Tanaka" "Can't Stop Now" 2023 No Hands "The Baddest" 2024 "The Baddest (Badder)" (featuring Ayesha Erotica)No Hands (Deluxe Edition) "Wassup" 2025 Hyperyouth "Hyperyouth" / "Live Right" "See U Dance"
Features Title Year Album "Tactix" 2023 "Fracture"Antagonist "Heard It Like This" "Napalm"2024Inertia "Raw" 2025Homebody "Clover"
Tours JVB Summer 2022 Tour JVB Welcome to the Club Tour (2023) Punk Tactics Tour (2024) No Hands Tour (2024) Hyperyouth Tour (2025) Hyperyouth Tour (2026)
References
External links Official website