For Joey Badass, the last week has been marked by conflict, what with seemingly half the rappers in LA ganging up on him in lyrical warfare. But, apparently, it’s also been highlighted by anticipation — both for today’s Essence feature on Joey and his longtime girlfriend Serayah, and for what the feature announced: The impending birth of their first child together (a boy), as revealed by pregnancy photos showing off Serayah’s baby bump.

The accompanying story details the couple’s relationship, from the rumors that spawned from their chemistry in the video for “Show Me” to their eventual surrender to mutual attraction, and including how Serayah realized she had a bun in the oven: “I was on set, and they brought fried chicken for the cast and crew, and I just was repulsed by the smell,” she recounted. “I remember thinking, I know that’s chicken and I can smell it coming from the hallway. And I just was like, that smells so gross. But I didn’t understand: Why do I feel like this stinks?”

For Joey, the baby will be his second; he has a seven-year-old daughter from a prior relationship. Of course, he’s not letting his second brush with fatherhood keep him from working on his new album, which he told Uproxx’s own Jeremy Hecht he plans to release by summer.