Now we’re in 2025, and to celebrate the New Year, Joey Bada$$, my favorite rapper, made a HUGE statement with his latest music video: The Ruler’s Back. Firing shots and sparking competition with the West Coast. This makes me so giddy. Competition is what keeps the genre healthy. In Kendrick’s Euphoria, a big thing he said he wanted from that battle was for it to be a friendly fade. It felt like Kendrick’s verse on Control back in 2015. Calling out every big rapper, except this time he wanted direct competition with Drake. This is what we needed in Hip Hop. Joey calling out the entire West Coast, sparking the good ol, classic West Coast vs East Coast conflict again. This, along with the variety of music we’ve been getting, is what’s keeping the genre alive.