When Joey Badass dropped "The Ruler's Back" to kick off 2025, we wonder if he envisioned a diss track from REASON down the line. Amid other lyrical battles with Ray Vaughn and Daylyt, the former TDE signee's new diss track "The Dead Apple" is the latest challenger.
Of course, we won't spoil all the topics, shots, bars, and qualities of this record in case you haven't heard it yet. The three-part beat goes through minimal boom-bap, aggressive trap, and a boisterous West Coast bounce. As far as a lyrical focus, the Carson native mostly disses Joey Bada$$ by arguing he failed to keep New York's hip-hop chokehold alive.
However, you may be wondering why this even came up in the first place. That's because in Joey Badass' "The Finals" diss track, his response to Ray's "H*e Era," he name-drops REASON. "You're the next nigga gettin' dropped off thе Top roster / And I'ma be the REASON," Joey raps on the cut.
He started this whole thing off with "The Ruler's Back," which complained about "too much West Coast d**k-licking" and sought dominant lyrical competition. Now that many other West Coast artists have responded, we'll see if anyone else joins the fray.
Joey Badass Freestyle
If you need a refresher on this beef, here's the basic rundown. Joey dropped a few more subliminals and challenges in subsequent singles, responding to his own challengers. Ray Vaughn dissed Joey Badass on "Crashout Heritage," whereas Daylyt seemed to respond with "Hiyu" and "Backpack."
However, the momentum shifted once again when the Brooklyn lyricist dropped a Red Bull freestyle session with Big Sean and Ab-Soul. This was a more direct response to the whole thing, and Ray responded in kind with the full diss track "H*e Era."
After Joey Badass' "The Finals," this new REASON track, and a possibly upcoming Daylyt response, fans of lyrical competition are eating good right now. Sure, it's all around just one situation, and arguably one in the shadow of Kendrick Lamar all throughout. But nevertheless, these MCs have brought the bars, which is what matters most. Let's see who deals the next blow and who makes the best music.
