The simmering rivalry between Skepta and Joyner Lucas has once again flared up—this time, sparked by the release of Skepta’s latest diss track, “Round 2.” The British rapper has long teased a desire to lyrically spar with an American artist, aiming to close the chapter on the ongoing UK-versus-US rap debate. “I want to clash with an American rapper. Let’s finally put this UK/US rap discussion to rest,” he said, signaling that for him, the mic is mightier than any physical confrontation.
Skepta originally angled for A$AP Rocky, who has yet to bite. Instead, Joyner Lucas leapt at the opportunity, posting, “The moment I’ve been waiting for… say the word, Joyner Lucas vs. @Skepta. #UKvsUS.” Skepta didn’t ignore the callout, replying, “Hey Jonah, I wasn’t even gonna reply back but I’m a rapper’s rapper. I have to respect that you stood up,” while at the same time taking a jab at Lucas’s legitimacy in the rap hierarchy.
Lucas and Skepta stoke a transatlantic rap war
The back-and-forth escalated quickly. Skepta dropped “Friendly Fire,” which Lucas answered with “Nobody Cares,” a track that directly questions Skepta’s status both in the U.K. and abroad. “Maybe you’re mad because you ain’t got buzz up in the U.K. no more / I heard your career just ain’t what it was and you don’t get paid no more,” Lucas raps. He capped it off with a parting shot: “After I body you, I don’t want you ever saying my name anymore.”
Skepta fired back with “Round 2,” only for Lucas to respond with “Round 2 K.O.,” which takes further aim at Skepta’s artistic evolution—or lack thereof. He accuses the London MC of borrowing too heavily from A$AP Rocky’s style and calls into question the strength of his recent catalog. Reactions to the track have been sharply divided: while some listeners have crowned Lucas the lyrical winner, others found his latest effort underwhelming.
Audience response underscores just how split the fanbase remains. One user declared, “There’s not a single UK rapper that can do this. Not one,” while another dismissed Lucas’s retort as “so bad it doesn’t even warrant a reply.” This heated exchange, now several rounds deep, reflects not only personal ego but also a wider conversation about cultural weight and lyrical dominance on both sides of the Atlantic.
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