Joey Bada$$ Sets Sights on Summer Album Release Amid Ongoing Kendrick Lamar Feud

Joey Bada$$ has officially announced that his long-awaited new album will drop before the end of summer, setting a hard deadline of August 30 for its release. The Brooklyn-born rapper revealed his plans during an appearance on Uproxx’s Sound Check, telling the outlet that he’s aiming to capitalize on the momentum he’s gained over the past several months—especially with his headline-grabbing lyrical feud with Kendrick Lamar and other West Coast artists.

“The goal is to get the album out before August 30,” Joey confirmed during the interview.

While fans have been eagerly awaiting new music since his 2022 project 2000, Joey has recently been in the spotlight for more than just his music. He’s become one of the loudest voices in the ongoing rap civil war, throwing lyrical jabs at Kendrick Lamar, Reason (formerly Rey Vaughn), and battle rap icon Daylyt in a series of sharp and unapologetic diss tracks.

On “Crash Dummy,” Joey took aim at Kendrick, accusing him of ducking lyrical competition. “Thank you for making it clear that Dot scared,” he rapped. “I was at the party, but I also saw Top there,” referencing Top Dawg Entertainment’s CEO, further fanning flames that this beef is both personal and calculated.

But that wasn’t the first time Joey set his sights on the Compton rap legend. In “My Town,” he went even further: “I’m the real boogeyman, y’all n-ggas should be afraid / Get the general, I’m killing his troops.” He punctuated the diss with a wordplay-heavy bar: “Don’t make me Pulitzer, better be wise because / I’m dottin T’s and cross your eyes like Whitaker.”

On “The Finals,” Joey acknowledged Kendrick’s legacy but didn’t hesitate to challenge him directly: “I salute you Kenny but I know you well aware / You lookin’ for some competition? Then just know that I’ll be right here.”

His barrage of lyrical shots hasn’t stopped there. Joey most recently fired off against Reason with bars that doubled as a critique of West Coast rap culture and the industry’s obsession with co-signs: “The way you let Dot dick sit in your mouth… You n-ggas would do anything for the clout.”

The origin of Joey’s West Coast war traces back to his January release, “The Ruler’s Back,” where he defiantly declared, “Too much West Coast dick lickin’ / I’m hearing n-ggas throwin’ rocks, really ain’t shit stickin’ / ‘Cause if we’re talking bar for bar, really it’s slim pickings.” He wrapped up the verse with a dark flair: “I rap like I draw pentagrams and kill chickens.”

Despite the intensity of Joey’s lyrical attacks, Kendrick Lamar has yet to publicly respond. That silence has only intensified fan speculation that something larger could be brewing—perhaps on Joey’s upcoming album.

As the summer heats up, all eyes are now on Joey Bada$$. With a release date on the horizon and a clear target in his crosshairs, his next project could be one of the most talked-about albums of 2025. Whether Kendrick decides to answer or not, Joey has made one thing clear: he’s not waiting around—he’s taking the fight straight to the mic.