Skepta launched a direct lyrical attack on Joyner Lucas with his diss track “Friendly Fire” released on July 11, and the Massachusetts-based artist seems prepared to deliver a comeback.
On Sunday (July 13), Lucas shared a video on social media acknowledging the shots taken at him while hinting at his intention to respond. “Alright, say less, my boy,” he remarked plainly after hearing the British rapper’s track.
The conflict began when Lucas reacted to Skepta’s praise for U.K. rappers, suggesting they outshine American ones. He expressed his anticipation by tweeting, “The moment I’ve been waiting for… say the word, Joyner Lucas vs @Skepta #UKvsUS.”
Say less @Skepta pic.twitter.com/rM6EDiifSp
— Joyner Lucas (@JoynerLucas) July 13, 2025
Responding through Instagram Stories, Skepta addressed Joyner directly: “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 UK, fam? Quiet, bro, understand?”
In “Friendly Fire,” Skepta called Lucas a “joke” and mocked both his style and lack of chart-topping songs. “Where I’m from, I’m a GOAT/ Where you’re from, you’re a joke/ SK turn you to a ghost, yo/ Talkin’ like you’re lyrical miracle, oh please/ Where I come from, that’s a default speed,” he raps.
Drake also weighed in on the debate between British and American rappers, siding with the U.K. “London rappers are the best lyricists in the world,” Drizzy claimed during his Wireless Festival performance. “No disrespect to America, but nobody in the world can outrap London rappers.”
Lucas laughed off Drake’s remarks, and anticipation is now building for his forthcoming response to Skepta.
