The rap beef we all missed
There was an undeground battle for the best coast? When?
Battle of the Coasts?
I know I said I wouldn't cover anymore music journalism on rap beefs but this one is a little different. Earlier this year, the East and West waged a lyrical war for the hip-hop crown but unlike Biggie and Pac, this one seemed to happen right under the mainstream's noses.
The competition mostly took place between Brooklyn-based rap group, Pro Era, known for Capital Steez, Joey Bada$$, and not much else and their competitors, a loose comgolmorate of L.A. affliates. Which was spearheaded by Ray Vaughn, the newest rapper on TDE, and Daylyt (pronounced like daylight), battle rap legend and ghost writing extraordinaire.
Altogether, there have been more than 40 songs released since January, including 16 from various artists released on May 19 & 20.
However, on May 23, 2025, Daylyt released “End Credits” which seemed to quell the intense back and forth. Meaning this composition won't become immediately absolete like so many articles from the Drake/Kenny fued.
If you're confused about who these underground artists are, then buckle up because it's going to get more confusing before it makes sense.
And if you don't feel like listening to so many songs, I feel you. But don't worry; I listened to it all so you don't have to.
But if you would like to follow along or see for yourself, I made a playlist that attempts to capture the whole timeline.
Okay so how did this all start?
Joey Bada$$ came on to the scene at age 17 with a gang full of his other talented friends. It's been over a decade and he has since solidified his position as a formiddable lyricist and occasional actor.
In 2022, he took some time off from music after releasing and touring 2000, the sequel to his critically-acclaimed debut album, 1999.
He returned from haitus at the top of the year and immediately declared that the “The Ruler’s Back” and that New York was safe, interpolating lyrics from NY heavyweights Jay-Z and Slick Rick.
Since the west coast has been buzzing off of Kendrick’s recent accent to superstar status, they did not approve.
The direct quote that catalyzed it all was:
West coast peeps were not fans. Random smaller acts like Cliff Savage amd JasonMartin hopped in the fray. Along with Ray Vaughn, and Daylyt to give their opinion.
After a few days, there were so many cooks in the kitchen that you couldnt even tell what you're smelling anymore. Is it beef or something else?
A quick synopsis of the teams
West Coast: Ray Vaughn, Daylyt, YG, Reason, AZ Chike, Lit Papi, Coyote, Danny Myers, Hitta J3, etc.
East Coast: Joey, CJ FLY, Nyck Caution, Kai Ka$h; Genjo, TFRK; Jadakiss's son?
Neither: Mick Jenkins (Chicago native repping for the Midwest)
Mr. Mothafuckin Exquire (from NY but thinks Joey ain’t repping hard enough)
There were some clever bars and head nods for the first half but once they start getting personal, the better the songs, in my opinion. So if you were going to check the playlist, I'd recommend starting with the cyphers.
Here are some highlights of the first half:
For the most part it seemed like Joey was single handedly handling everything thrown at him. The west coast had him outnumbered and he stayed in the ring longer than the majority of them.
In my opinion, CJ just got in the way creating mostly unoriginal metaphors that the opposition had to take time to address. He’s like the kid at lunch that never realizes no one is talking to them directly. This did yield some humerous comebacks though, mostly from “Hoe Era”.
Some parts of the beef fall apart instantly when magnified. There was an obvious overtone of homophobia as the main participants referred to each other as Hoey and GayVaughn and the plethora of mentions to Diddy and his freakoffs.
In the end, I would say what I always say of a tight beef and that’s that the culture wins. We were amazed and entertained by the trade off of lyrics.
The songs and videos hosted millions of views and a handful of new bops for the library. Many people following along discovered new artist, myself included. I have become a new fan of Cliff Savage, Kai Ca$h, and definitely Ray Vaughn. Check his newest album, The Good, The Bad, The Dollar Menu.
There's a bunch that I didn't get to: Daylyt's horrorcore finishes, Joey calling AZ Chike, “AzzCheek”, and the rollout-ness of it all but this has already gone on for too long.
At the very end, Daylyt apologies for his abrasiveness and crowns Joey (and not Ice Spice) the new king of New York. Let's report back if that changes anytime soon!
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