Those who have been keeping score likely know that Royce Da 5'9" and Lupe Fiasco have been embroiled in a lyrical that has already seen one exchange of tracks. Following Royce's "Silence Of The Lambda," which featured a few jabs in Lupe's direction, his opponent upped the ante with the far-more-personal "Steve Jobs." Following that, Mickey Factz also hopped into the fray on Fiasco's team, hitting Royce with another diss in "Wraith."
Though Royce has given no inclination that he intends on clapping back on wax, he has been actively speaking on the topic on Instagram Live. The legendary lyricist recently had an amusing Live session, where he expressed "disappointment" with some of his fellow bar-spitters -- especially those within his inner circle.
Eminem, Joyner Lucas, & More To Join Lupe Fiasco Battle">Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images
"Speaking of Crook and Joell, what are they up to?" asks Royce, with a laugh. "Watching me get jumped on? Where's the order right now? You know what I would be doing right now if somebody pulled this on one of my loved ones? I would have been rapped. I'm disappointed in Crooked, I'm disappointed in Joell, I'm disappointed in King Los, I'm disappointed in Grafh, I'm disappointed in Joyner Lucas, I'm disappointed in Marshall. Nah, I ain't disappointed in Marshall."
"Those people right there I just named are very close loved ones," he continues. "Never should you sit back and watch me--It's not about [trusting me], that's not the point I'm making." He smiles, making it clear that he's not entirely serious. "It's not about them wondering if I can handle myself in rapping. It's the fact that you're looking at me, and you're looking at two other individuals gang up on me on some lyrical shit, and you just sitting there watching."
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He is of course referring to Lupe Fiasco and Mickey Factz, both of whom attacked Royce in a pair of diss tracks. When asked whether or not Em has weighed in yet, Royce shakes his head. "I don't think it made its way to the fuckin' Android Metro phone," he laughs. "I don't think it's that fuckin big! Hasn't reached the Batphone yet."
Eventually, Bun B hops on the live session, and Royce asks why he hasn't intervened on his behalf. "I know I'm being attacked," says Royce, though Bun isn't convinced. "You don't look very defensive for somebody being attacked," he retorts. "Why would your friends jump in the fight that you don't need help with." Royce chuckles, perhaps sensing that Bun has a point. "You know these n***as," says Bun. "If they were to get into this, they not going to halfway do it. Then you gotta talk them down the ledge."
"Look how you sitting there eating snacks and shit," says Bun. Royce demands "eight bars of Houston energy." But not only that. "I want you to diss Mickey Factz," he says, "and I want you to do it immediately." The laughter makes it clear that most of this is tongue in cheek, but other times, it's genuinely difficult to get a read of the room. Especially once the conversation swerves into chip-eating etiquette territory -- which evidently proved to be the breaking point for Bun B.
Check out the amusing conversation below, and sound off if you think Royce has any intention of clapping back against Fiasco and Facts -- with or without backup. At this point, it's starting to feel like he's being pulled back in, though it's certainly been a minute since the "Malcolm X" days.