This is a very New York vs. everybody showdown, as Brooklyn representative Joey Bada$$ has now caught the attention of Daylyt, Ray Vaughn, and some other left coasters. It's a classic coast-to-coast versus battle with an underground twist: NY grime versus Cali fire.
Joey marches into the storm without reinforcements, sometimes exchanging bars with behemoths like Loaded Lux but mostly, more or less, holding his ground solo. He's a long shot, but he is swinging with real purpose, not only going after the most prominent names but also setting his sights higher than most would dare.
In pro wrestling, Kendrick Lamar's name has been tossed around more than a steel chair, and Joey keeps saying Kendrick. Does he keep referencing Top Dawg and the fans? For some, that news will make them drool over the prospect of another heavyweight lyrical fight. They're envisioning the next "Not Like Us" moment, except this time, against Joey Bada$$.
Kendrick is on a whole different planet right now. At the same time this battle rages on in those underground YouTube videos and Twitter threads, Kendrick's out on tour with SZA, reportedly notching a casual $20 million show. He's not opening up Twitter to see if Daylyt's newest rhyme scheme proposal was more respectable than Joey's current round for him. He's playing chess while the rest of the field is beefing in a high school cafeteria.
And lest we forget, Kendrick already pulled off the Drake takedown of 2024. That wasn't just a diss; it was a seminar, a strategic, methodical takedown of one of the most prominent artists in music. "Not Like Us" was more than a hot track; it was still on the charts, breaking records and taking up residence in the culture. You don't go from hitting a historic knockout to flailing in a backyard brawl.
This is not to say Joey doesn't deserve attention because he is sharp, passionate, and noisy; a lot of that noise is dope. But Kendrick's not going to roll down the mountain to scrap in the valley, not out of fear but out of a lack of necessity. The guy has just gone toe-to-toe with one of the most powerful artists of a generation and won.
The difference in scope between Joey's current lyrical campaign and Kendrick's current career momentum isn't just about talent; it's about stakes. It's not that Kendrick is brushing off Joey out of disrespect, but he's playing a different game.
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