The Ruler’s Back

Producers

After a long hiatus, New York rapper Joey Bada$$ returns with a surprise 2025 single, accompanied by its own music video. It is his first song produced by Conductor… Read More

Jan. 1, 20255 viewers18.5K views

The Ruler’s Back Lyrics

[Intro]
Con-con— (I'm back)
Conductor (I wanna make you mine)
Yeah (I'm back)
Ha-ha, right? (I wanna make you mine)
Uh, I'm back
That's right
It feels so good to be back, mane
I'm back, baby
By popular demand, ayo

[Verse 1]
Moved out the city, copped the house in the sticks
Couple acres, couple whips, whole lotta blicks
I got options, baby, take your pick
Might fuck around and coordinate the fit, take a—
Ha-ha, this my life in film, baby, I just write the script
Mister really put that on, they be counterfeit
I'm taking calculated risk, too legit to quit
Could get you niggas acclimated quick
It's rules to this shit, hol' up—
I got murals in my city, fuck a nomination
This for every time they left me out the conversation
I'm back by popular demand and world domination
I'm finna bomb on niggas plans, fresh off my vacation
I was sittin' back, watchin' from a eagle eye
Tryin' not to react, just give me one reason
I swear I'm on full attack, East Coast nigga 'til I die
It's clear who the heir apparent king of NY, nigga

[Interlude]
Straight like that, come on (I wanna make you mine)
Told y'all niggas I'm back, come on (I'm back)
Yeah, the ruler's back, baby (I wanna make you mine)
Ayo

[Verse 2]
Too much West Coast dick lickin'
I'm hearin' niggas throwin' rocks, really ain't shit stickin'
'Cause if we talkin' bar-for-bar, really it's slim pickings
I rap like I draw pentagrams and kill chickens, nigga
Fuck around with your soul like ether, quick for a feature
This that black Air Force energy comin' out your speaker
I'm out your reach, your arms too short to box the Elohim
Still reigning rap supreme, me and Steelo had a dream
I stand tall in this rap thing like Yao Ming
And won't stop 'til the crowd sing when I'm crowned king
My aura scream and my style ring
This ain't boom bap, nigga, this that boom-bow-bing
We can run a fair one, I knew some real hitters, but I ain't never fear none
Guess it's just the Brooklyn in me, they must not know where I'm from
Heard that they was lookin' for me
Okay, tell 'em, "Here I come, I'm nowhere near done with ya, nigga"
Is you fuckin' stupid?

[Outro]
I'm in my Goyard
I'm back, nigga
I'm that nigga, I thought I told y'all
I'm back, nigga, these rap niggas all they can *sniffs*

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Genius Annotation

After a long hiatus, New York rapper Joey Bada$$ returns with a surprise 2025 single, accompanied by its own music video. It is his first song produced by Conductor Williams, which takes inspiration from JAY-Z’s classic 1996 track “22 Two’s.”

The track disses famous West Coast rapper Kendrick Lamar, making reference to some of his disstracks towards Drake, in attempts to start an East and West Coast battle between the two. Kendrick had previously collaborated with Joey Bada$$ on A$AP Rocky’s 2013 track “1Train.”