Skepta is ready to rumble with American rappers after throwing the first shot at Joyner Lucas on Thursday night (July 10) in the diss track, “Friendly Fire.” Taking it to Lucas, Skepta critiques Joyner’s delivery, questions his respect at home, and contrasts it with his own status in London, where he’s regarded as a foundational figure in grime and U.K. rap culture. It’s confident, calculated, and true to Skepta’s battle-hardened style.
The track’s title suggests that Skepta is simply looking to compete, not engage in real beef. Skepta issued a challenge to American rappers in his latest interview, which took place earlier this week. His comments spread like wildfire across social media, leading to responses from Joyner Lucas, ASAP Rocky, and Maiya The Don.
Skepta and Joyner Lucas would engage in a back-and-forth on social media following Lucas’s response. The UK rappers vs. American rappers follows the West Coast vs. East Coast rap battle led by Joey Bada$$, which occurred in May.
Skepta Vs. Joyner Lucas
Hip Hop Heads dropped the diss track on Reddit. Fans flooded the comments with their wide range of critiques. A fan claimed the battle could be the GOAT of rap battles, commenting, “Joyner Lucas you basterd you rap like you studied at harvard. damn this might be the greatest diss of all time.”
Another fan suggested that Skepta needs backup. They commented, “UK needs to involve Dave into this battle if thay want to have any chance against us hip hop.”
Others picked sides. A YouTube user commented, “I’m from the US but it’s Big Smoke over Joyner any day.” Rooting for Joyner, another user commented, “JOYNER IS BOUT TO EMBARASS DUDE.”
The new battle follows Joyner Lucas’ announcement of the development of his upcoming album, ADHD 2. He released the lead single, “One of Them Ones,” in June. It is merely a matter of time before Joyner Lucas issues a response. His resume includes previous battles with Logic and Tory Lanez.