Joey Badass Attemps to Reclaim New York’s Crown with 'The Ruler’s Back'
Joey Bada$$ stuns fans with a fresh track, ‘The Ruler’s Back,’ signaling a return for New York’s hip-hop throne.
Joey Bada$$ has unveiled a surprise new single, The Ruler’s Back, paying homage to iconic New York MCs Slick Rick and JAY-Z — both of whom released tracks by the same name.
Throughout the song, Joey firmly plants himself as hip-hop’s “heir apparent king,” reviving discussion about New York’s place at the forefront of rap. He also makes a provocative claim about “too much West Coast dick lickin’,” which some interpret as a subtle shot at Kendrick Lamar, especially given the accolades Kendrick received during his 2024 battle with Drake. This echoes the energy of JAY-Z’s 1996 22 Twos, recorded amid the heated East vs. West feud of the mid-1990s.
Joey’s latest drop follows his acclaimed album 2000 and a string of collaborations featuring KayCyy, Conway the Machine, Cordae, and more. Meanwhile, he’s been busy offstage too, teaming up with jeweler Greg Yuna for a Christmas campaign that recreated a classic Home Alone 2 scene:
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