Joey Bada$$ clapped back at Ray Vaughn with a new diss track on Thursday titled, “The Finals.” The New York rapper has been feuding with several West Coast artists since January when he released, “The Ruler’s Back.” On that song, he targeted Kendrick Lamar and the West Coast as a whole.
On the new effort, Joey raps: “What kinda Top Dawg is you? / You more Shih Tzu, you was cloned in the lab, dog, you artificial / You known for your label, not because your art official.” He goes on to troll Vaughn for sticking up for Kendrick Lamar, implying he doesn’t even have the GNX rapper’s phone number.
Fans in the comments section of the song on YouTube are already loving it. “Kinda crazy that Joey is just months older than Ray Vaughn but been in the game 10-13 years and always kept it RAP! Time for the game to give this man his DESERVED FLOWERS!!!” one user wrote. Another added: “I am a fan of both joey and ray this is what we needed this year.”
As for Ray Vaughn, he released the diss track, “Hoe Era,” earlier this week. On the song, he makes several swipes at Joey directly. “Run, Joey, run, we gon’ aim it at yo’ backpack / Real sh*t, you should act more, you should rap less,” he raps. “Every verse ass, what that BBL cost? / West coast get it season, now you heavy on the salt (What?)”
All of the drama comes after Joey Bada$$ traded bars with Big Sean and Ab-Soul for the latest “Red Bull Spiral Freestyle,” which has been going viral on social media. Each artists represents the Midwest, West Coast and East Coast. Both Ab-Soul and Ray Vaughn are on the Top Dawg Entertainment label.
“Since ‘Ruler’s Back,’ they been tryna measure up,” Joey raps during the episode. “Look, my name ain’t Rick, but I talk Slick, don’t press ya luck/ And I ain’t taking no words back, I’m with all that/ But this ain’t gotta turn to nothin’ else, let’s keep it all rap.”