Joey Bada$$ is back!
On Thursday, May 15, 2025, Joey Bada$$ replied to Ray Vaughn’s latest diss track, “Hoe Era,” with a new song of his own called “The Finals.” For nearly four minutes, the Brooklyn native takes aim at the Long Beach native with an extended rhyme scene playing on the name of Vaughn’s label while questioning his commercial success, originality and much more. Along the way, he takes a subtle jab at Reason and Daylyt before mentioning Kendrick Lamar.
“Listen and learn kid, you was better off as the intern/Better yet, a mascot, I been a beast with these flows/N—a, you can ask Dot, Killuminati Pt. 2/Yeah, that was my last shot,” he rapped. “And it’s a difference between that and Ruler’s Back, let’s be clear/I salute you Kenny but I know you well aware/You lookin’ for some competition? Then just know that I’ll be right here.”
“The Finals” is the latest release in a growing line of lyrical shots being sent from coast to coast between Joey Bada$$, Daylyt and Ray Vaughn. The back and forth began with Joey Bada$$’s “The Ruler’s Back” in early January.
“Too much West Coast d—k lickin’/I’m hearin’ n—s throwin’ rocks, really ain’t s—t stickin’,” he rapped, referencing a classic Jay-Z line.
In response, Daylyt has replied with “Backpack” and “Yhrr,” Ray Vaughn has released “H—e Era” and “Crashout Heritage” and AzChike ended the “Whatx2” video with a snippet of him taking aim at the Brooklyn artist. While “The Finals” is the first full track he has dedicated to Ray Vaughn, Joey Bada$$ has jabbed at the legion of West Coast lyricists with his recent Red Bull Spiral Freestyle.
