Round 2 Lyrics – Skepta

Round 2 Lyrics Meaning

[Intro]
Skepta starts off by mocking Joyner Lucas in a chant-style call-and-response, basically calling him trash in a playful but aggressive way. He sets the tone by calling Joyner a “ba*tard” and makes it clear this isn’t about a UK vs. US rivalry—this is personal. He accuses Joyner of falling for the setup and now, in Skepta’s eyes, Joyner’s the one looking weak. Skepta’s ready to show him how a real lyrical battle is done.

[Verse]
Skepta jumps in by pointing out how Joyner claimed there wasn’t a competition, but now even fans are unsure who’s winning. He says he already won with just a few lines, while Joyner took a whole week to come back with a weak diss track. Skepta even calls out whoever is advising Joyner, saying they’re doing a terrible job.

He makes it clear this isn’t friendly—this is war. Joyner’s trying hard to get noticed, even putting himself on covers, but Skepta says that doesn’t mean anything where he’s from. He suggests he actually gave Joyner the first round out of generosity, but Joyner didn’t use it well. Skepta jokes that instead of coming with something solid, Joyner dropped a track full of lies, and it was funny how badly he handled it.

Skepta even jokes about Joyner begging for the battle despite pretending he didn’t want it. He brings up Tory Lanez, referencing how Tory beat Joyner in a rap battle before. Skepta says he’s using Joyner’s own flow against him and attacking with precision. He wants people to remember that he didn’t need help to defeat Joyner—no Avengers squad, just him alone doing damage.

He recalls “Friendly Fire” (his earlier diss) being just a small jab, like a light warning shot. Now he’s coming full force. Skepta also throws shade at Joyner’s street credibility, saying he’s never really been to Tottenham or knows the real people there. He laughs at the idea that Joyner’s music catalog could ever compare to his own.

He takes a jab at Joyner’s name, acting like it’s irrelevant. When Skepta says “Big Smoke,” he’s making a play on his own nickname and flexing that his presence is heavy, dangerous even. He claims his rhymes are so strong they make other rappers angry enough to want to retaliate violently. He says Joyner’s music has no real message and calls him useless as a rapper.

He even jokes that Americans are tired of Joyner’s fake voices and impressions, calling him a nuisance. Skepta paints a sad picture of Joyner’s career—saying he’s been abandoned, broke, and performing trash music in ripped clothes. He even compares Joyner to someone doing bad Eminem karaoke and says it’s embarrassing.

Skepta confidently says he called his win in advance and criticizes Joyner for only finding success when he copies other people’s perspectives. Then he mocks how people are now hyping Joyner up, even though they used to ignore him. He reminds Joyner that he was left out in the cold, literally sleeping on benches, and was never picked for any top lists.

Skepta says he wanted to battle someone who had real respect and influence, implying Joyner’s not that guy. He figures Joyner is only doing this now because he wants attention for his new album. Skepta says Joyner lacks both impact and presence, and that there are tons of rappers like Skepta all over the world—he’s not a copy of anyone.

He says he represents the underdogs and the outcasts, and that he knows how to spot people who are fake. Skepta compares himself to André 3000, another artist often treated as an outsider, and admits people may make fun of his British accent, but he’s still going to win this. He even welcomes being an outcast because nobody can top him. He compares his hustle and control to Master P and says he’s self-made and not to be laughed at.

Then he switches gears and compares himself to 50 Cent, talking about money and how he rolls with people who are ready to protect him. He warns Joyner not to take it outside of music—he’s here for rap, not real violence. Skepta points out Joyner’s album, “ADHD 2”, and jokes that Joyner should have his manager call him if he wants promo, but he doesn’t work for free.

He brings up an older beef with Devilman to show how he’s handled things before and warns Joyner that his crew is active. He’s baffled he’s even wasting his time with Joyner, asking “who is this guy?” He says Joyner’s style sounds like Drake and that no one really cares. Skepta brags about going triple-platinum in the U.S. and says it’s time to drop even more music.

Joyner tried to scare him by calling himself a lyrical beast, but Skepta laughs at that and says he’s the one handing out lessons. He references *How to Get Away with Murder* and compares himself to Viola Davis’s character, saying he’s the one that taught everyone how to go hard. His advice: your bars need to hit hard and you should keep going until someone stops the fight.

He then demands that Joyner leave religion, especially Islam, out of the battle, saying that’s a line you don’t cross. He flexes again by saying he knows where his girl is while Joyner doesn’t, and that his own girl is relaxing with him. He says he’s proud of being a British-Nigerian Black man and has no desire to be anyone else, unlike Joyner, who tries too hard to be like Eminem.

He calls Joyner the “Black Stan,” basically calling him a hardcore fan who’s obsessed and delusional. Skepta says he’s spinning Joyner around, confusing him, while Joyner’s team scrambles for info. Skepta reminds him that he’s been killing it on YouTube since he was a teen, and he’s built real success from the ground up. His fans are hooked because his lyrics are that strong—he even says they hit like a drug.

He claims to already know what Joyner’s team is planning because they’ve got snitches leaking info. Skepta laughs off rumors that he’s on drügs or broke, pointing out his expensive Maybach to shut those lies down. He also shuts down another rumor that he wore a dress, challenging Joyner to show proof.

At this point, Skepta’s tired of the nonsense. He says if Joyner can’t come with real facts, then the score’s already 2-0 in Skepta’s favor, and he’s ready to move on.

[Outro]
Skepta closes the track with more taunting, repeating “Joyner’s a ba*tard” in a mocking, chant-like way. He questions how Joyner could come back with such a fake, weak track after everything was basically served to him easily. He jokes that Joyner’s track sounds like a cheap version of Drake’s “Back to Back.” Skepta then says Joyner might have some kind of identity crisis and tells him to stop using lies from the internet. He’s been laughing at online fans (“bots”) for years and makes it clear he’s only dealing with truth, not gossip. Then, with full confidence, he declares the score 2-0 and signs off.