How do we get Dave and Joyner to commit to a full collaborative album? An executive order from Trump?

Even though Dave East and Joyner Lucas come from two different lanes, one rooted in street rap, the other more of a conscience-driven technician, the overlap is undeniable.

First off, they’re both elite rappers (obviously). Second, they both hold down the East Coast, with Dave repping New York and Joyner coming out of Massachusetts. On their new collaboration, “TRAFFIC,” they lock into that common ground effortlessly, and the result sounds tougher than beating OKC on a back-to-back.

The track rides a triumphant instrumental that knocks harder than that one boxer who punched another man’s hairline off the other day. Over it, Dave and Joyner trade verses packed with big-boy bars about women they’re slaying, staying ready for smoke, and hustling nonstop. Both sound comfortable and confident, flowing cleanly over the beat.

But once Joyner starts blacking out, it’s a wrap. He unloads relentless bars with zero breathing room, pushing the song into a whole different stratosphere. At one point, I genuinely wondered if Dave was ever coming back on the track — that’s how hard Joyner ran with it. Dave did come back with some heat, though, so all is good.

Dave and Joyner probably left the studio a damn wreck after recording this s**t.

Quincy

Quincy is the creator of Ratings Game Music. He loves writing about music, taking long walks on beaches, and spaghetti that fights him back.