Joey Badass has wasted no time in responding to Ray Vaughn with a new diss track—and Kendrick Lamar might want to take a listen.
The two rappers first started trading shots earlier this year after Joey took aim at the entire West Coast on “The Ruler’s Back.” Things reignited this week after Red Bull released its latest Spiral Freestyle featuring Big Sean, Ab-Soul and Joey Bada$$. During the cypher, Joey again took shots at Vaughn, who himself responded a day later with “Hoe Era,” a diss track that references Joey’s Pro Era collective.
Now, less than a day later, Joey has dropped off “The Finals,” another track directly targeting Ray Vaughn. The fresh diss hears Joey proudly repping New York City while making a case for himself as one of the fiercest rappers on the scene.
“What kinda Top Dawg is you?/You more Shih Tzu, you was cloned in the lab, dog, you artificial,” Joey raps at the start of the record. “You known for your label, not because your art official.“
Doubling down on the references to Vaughn being signed to Top Dawg Entertainment, Joey threatens to “euthanize sick pups.” He accuses Vaughn of “barkin’ up the wrong tree,” and claims he did “more” for him “than the whole of TDE.” He also seemingly brings Kendrick Lamar into the situation.
“It’s too bad, n***a, you should have been signed to me/Somebody tell Top we ‘bout to start TD East,” he spits. “The way you let Dot dick sit in your mouth/This that same dick linkin’ I was talkin’ about/You n***as would do anything for the clout/Crash out over n***as who won’t even let you in they house/I bet you ain’t even got his number/It’s funny how the thirst is bein’ disguised as hunger.“
Elsewhere on the track, he calls his rival “Gay Vaughn” and compares himself to 2Pac, referencing the late rapper’s acting chops given his own burgeoning career on screen. He ends the track by directly challenging K-Dot after previously taking subliminal shots at him on the instigating song, “The Ruler’s Back.”
“I salute you Kenny but I know you well aware/You lookin’ for some competition? Then just know that I’ll be right here,” he raps.
“The Finals” comes not long after Ray Vaughn’s aforementioned “Hoe Era,” a response to Joey’s viral Red Bull freestyle. “Ayy, Hoey, is you stupid or you dumb?” Ray raps on the song, which also questions why Joey thought he could come after K-Dot. “Run, Joey, run, we gon’ aim it at your backpack/Real shit, you should act more, you should rap less/Every verse ass, what that BBL cost?/West Coast get in season, now you heavy on the salt.”
Near the end of the track, he concludes: “Bitch, you washed, you ain’t carryin’ no torch/You let Ice Spice turn into the king of New York, what the fuck?“
Listen to “Hoe Era” below:
