Joey Bada$$ and Ab-Soul Trade Bars in Friendly-ish Cypher

Hip-Hop’s competitive spirit is alive and spitting, and this week it found a fresh battleground as Joey Bada$$ and Ab-Soul went bar-for-bar in a freestyle that blurred the line between friendly fire and coastal rivalry.

The moment unfolded during the season three premiere of Red Bull 1250’s Spiral Freestyle series on Monday (May 12), where Joey, Ab-Soul, and Big Sean traded verses in a cipher originally billed to celebrate pure lyricism. But as soon as the mic passed, it became clear this wasn’t just another friendly cypher—it was a battleground cloaked in rhythm and rhyme.

Big Sean kept his verse solid and composed. Still, Ab-Soul tapped directly into the tension bubbling beneath the surface—tension sparked by perceived comments from Joey Bada$$ that some fans and West Coast artists felt downplayed Cali’s current dominance in rap.

Anyways, let us know what ya’ll think. This is Hip Hop if you ask us.