Alright, so the UK’s own Skepta ain’t playing no games. He’s been talking that talk about a US vs. UK rap battle, and now he’s backing it up. After a heated back-and-forth on Twitter with Joyner Lucas, Skepta just unleashed a brand new track called “Friendly Fire,” and trust, it’s a direct hit on the Massachusetts rapper.
Skepta wastes no time, coming in hot with lines like: “Joyner Lucas, you bastard/Why you rap like you studied at Harvard? / Catch ’em outside and move to him, heartless / Cuts, bruises, and plasters / If I see him on tour in London, I jump on stage and move to his dancers / Who said that I’ma lose? I need answers..” That’s a straight up challenge, letting Joyner know he’s ready for smoke!
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No One’s Safe: Akademiks & Ebro Catch Strays
But the diss track isn’t just aimed at Lucas. Skepta’s on a rampage, taking shots at anyone in his crosshairs. He goes in on DJ Akademiks, spitting, “Time to wipe the smile off Ak’s face / Time to say, ‘Chat, W Skepta.’” And then he turns his attention to Ebro Darden, calling him out for “askin’ me stupid questions / Tryna use me to get clicks.” Skepta makes it clear he’s not here for the clout, he’s here for the respect: “I said what I said / Now I’m reaping the benefits, this ain’t beef, that’s expensive / You know I ain’t tryna lose pounds, I ain’t on the Ozempic / Come uptown, white wine, hummus and breadsticks…” He’s proving that for him, beef is a business, and he’s cashing in.
The Origin of the UK vs. US Challenge
This whole wild saga started back on July 3, when Skepta took to X (formerly Twitter) to call for a rap clash. He wanted to see a full-on battle between US and UK artists, tweeting, “I wanna clash an American rapper anyway. Finally get this U.K./U.S. rap debate sorted.” Joyner Lucas wasted no time jumping in, tweeting, “The moment I’ve been waiting for… the word, Joyner Lucas vs @Skepta #UKvsUS.”
Skepta fired back, even teasing that he’d throw Joyner a couple of bars on a diss track meant for A$AP Rocky (though he later clarified that was just hype and he wasn’t actually dissing Rocky). He flexed his own resume, telling Lucas, “You may cut the numbers out there and I respect it. So, when I make my diss track for Rocky, I’m gonna give you two bars and then make one of the young Gs just rub you out… I didn’t do the work that I did for Jonah [sic] Lucas just to be saying my name anyhow. I got diss track on YouTube with 30 million views, no ad-libs. It’s levels, bro.”
Joyner then dropped a viral video of comedian Aries Spears clowning British grime, which only fueled Skepta’s fire. Skepta then issued a direct warning to Lucas on Instagram, saying, “Hey Jonah, I wasn’t even gonna reply back but I’m a rapper’s rapper. I’m gonna respect the fact that you stood up and said something. The first man, you get me? But this is just another example of the ignorance. Jonah, if you was from the U.K., fam? Quiet, bro, understand?”
This ain’t just a rap beef, it’s a transatlantic showdown! You can check out “Friendly Fire” now. Who do you think would win a full-on US vs. UK rap battle? Let us know!
