What did Joey Bada$$ say about Kendrick Lamar in ‘My Town’? Glasses Malone says K-Dot will be responding to his diss
Rapper Glasses Malone took to X on May 21, 2025, to say that Kendrick Lamar will be responding to Joey Bada$$. Brooklyn rapper Joey Bada$$ dropped his latest track, My Town, on April 25, 2025, seemingly targeting Kendrick Lamar and other West Coast rappers, sparking fresh controversy in the hip-hop world.
As reported by Billboard, the track included a diss aimed at Top Dawg Entertainment's rapper Ray Vaughn, and fans were quick to point out that several lines also seem directed at Kendrick Lamar.
“Get the general, I’m killing his troops,” Joey raps, seemingly targeting Lamar.
This lyric, along with past jabs and Joey's history of challenging West Coast rappers, has led listeners to conclude that the Brooklyn emcee is reportedly calling out Kendrick Lamar.
More about Joey Bada$$’s diss in My Town
Joey delivers sharp bars at West Coast tappers in My Town, explicitly calling out rising Top Dawg Entertainment star Ray Vaughn and referencing "20v1," alluding to numerous West Coast artists who have responded to his earlier tracks.
"Know I'm sayin', are you stupid, are you dumb? (Young legend)// Y'all n****s thought this was, man? (Yeah)// N***a, f**k a 20v1, n***a, I take anybody (Ayo)," Joey raps.
Many listeners picked up on lines that seem to target Kendrick Lamar, who is often called the "general of hip-hop" for his top-tier lyrics, especially in rap wars, and for his success and impact.
In My Town, Joey raps:
"I'm really the truth, got better off callin' a truce// Better yet, get the general, I'm killing his troops (Grrt)"
Joey Bada$$ has a history of calling out West Coast rappers in his lyrics. In his 2022 track The Ruler's Back, some of his lyrics were widely considered to be a swipe at Kendrick and the Top Dawg Entertainment camp.
"Too much West Coast d**k lickin’ / I’m hearing n****s throwin’ rocks, really ain’t s**t stickin’"
What Glasses Malone said about Kendrick Lamar's response
West Coast rapper Glasses Malone took to X on May 21, 2025—almost a month after Joey Bada$$ dropped My Town—to announce that Lamar would be responding to the diss. In a quote reply to an X user asking if Lamar would reply, Malone said that the Grammy and Pulitzer winner always responds, the only question is when.
Glasses Malone, a longtime associate of Kendrick and part of the West Coast rap scene, didn't specify when or how Kendrick would respond. Still, his tweet has fans eagerly waiting for the response and possibly a new track.
Kendrick Lamar's upcoming projects
While there has been no confirmation or announcement from Kendrick Lamar or his team regarding the rap beef with Joey Bada$$ or a new album, the rapper continues to make waves with GNX, his 2024 album. Luther, the track featuring SZA, has topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 13 consecutive weeks, surpassing Diana Ross and Lionel Richie's Endless Love to become the longer-running No. 1 on the Hot 100 by a solo man and female artist.
Lamar also hit the road with SZA for the Grand National Tour, breaking records with performances like the one at Lumen Field in Seattle, which reportedly grossed $14.811 million. According to a tweet by Touring Data on May 21, 2025, this made Kendrick Lamar the first rapper to gross more than $14 million from a single concert.
The tour also featured the now-iconic Super Bowl Halftime performance, which included Not Like Us, a track part of the rap beef with Drake, and a surprise appearance by tennis star Serena Williams.
