The third round of the unexpected lyrical clash between Joyner Lucas and Skepta has taken a fiery turn. Skepta’s latest diss track, Junior’s Law, is stirring up conversations across both sides of the Atlantic. In this episode, Math Hoffa just dropped his reaction to the track, fueling the debate even further.
The back-and-forth between the UK grime heavyweight and the Massachusetts lyricist has taken on a life of its own. With Skepta’s newest release aiming for Joyner’s core, many fans hoped this would be the punch that finally leveled the playing field. But Joyner had other plans. Instead of responding with another track, he took to social media, candle lit, track playing, a quiet statement that many interpreted as a declaration of victory.
In Hoffa’s analysis, Junior’s Law marks Skepta’s most cohesive response so far. Compared to his earlier attempts, this third installment shows a clear effort to elevate the wordplay, the structure, and the aggression. From using name flips to referencing battle rappers in a more intricate fashion, Skepta seems to have studied the craft between rounds.
The beat selection was also noticeably sharper this time, setting a darker, more urgent tone that suited the track’s message. The production choices signaled a shift in energy, an attempt to match the tension and intensity that Joyner brought from the start.
Despite Skepta’s improvements, the reaction didn’t shy away from dissecting the cultural gap in battle standards. There’s a noticeable difference in how bars are constructed and delivered in U.K. grime and U.S. lyrical rap, and that divide showed throughout the track. Certain lines that may land in London felt off-key to American ears, which played into the broader critique.
The reaction emphasized how some punchlines lacked the layered depth typically expected in stateside rap battles, while acknowledging that Skepta’s performance was far from weak, just misaligned with the expectations of an American-dominated audience.
Joyner’s response wasn’t musical, but it was calculated. His decision to post a video listening to the track in silence, candle burning beside him, came across as both mockery and closure. Whether he’s signaling the end or baiting another round remains unclear, but the move sparked a wave of online speculation about the true state of the battle.
While Junior’s Law outperforms Skepta’s previous rounds, it may have come too late in the game. The gap in lyrical sharpness and structure remains, and Joyner’s silence, strategic or dismissive, appears to have tilted public perception in his favor. The contrast between Skepta’s aggression and Joyner’s calm may ultimately define the narrative.
