Things kicked off at the top of the year when Joey put out the song "The Ruler's Back." On the track, the Brooklyn MC takes a shot at the West Coast seemingly for overhyping Kendrick Lamar's vanquishing of Drake in their rap battle in 2024.

"Too much West Coast d*ck-licking/I'm hearing ni**as throw shots, really ain't sh*t sticking," he raps. "’Cause if we talking bar for bar, really it's slim pickings/I rap like a draw pentagram and kill chickens."

The reference to the Left Coast riled up some of Joey's Cali rap peers. Daylyt clapped back less than a week later on the song "HIYU."

"Credit line to the max, we overstackin', though/STEEZ on my arm, we came for capital," Day rhymes, referencing Joey's late comrade Capital Steez. "I stomp on crowns, I wake up towns/You know my name, boy, I break up clouds, I clear smoke globally/I'm from the era where the scary ni**as sit back/But this rap, so who controlling me?"

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