Victory Lap
by Fred again (featuring Skepta)

Album: Skepta .. Fred (2025)
Charted: 4
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Victory Lap" is what happens when you mix pirate radio nostalgia, 2025 streetwear culture, a live-streamed beat session and a Doechii vocal sample. The genre-straddling single is a collaboration between Fred Again, grime legend Skepta, and New Jersey rapper/streamer PlaqueBoyMax.
  • The hook comes from Doechii's verse on her 2022 collab with Rico Nasty, "Swamp Bitches" - a barbed, swagger-soaked performance that Fred Again flips into a call-to-arms.

    Then Skepta enters, spitting over Fred's rugged, 2000s-inspired beats with the kind of gravel-toned clarity that made him a king of grime's first wave. His bars are full of bravado but laced with weariness. You don't get to do a victory lap without surviving the sprint.
  • "Victory Lap" is the name of a London-based community radio project founded in 2019 by Joseph McDermott. Originally a Balamii slot broadcasting out of Peckham, it went independent in 2024, becoming a platform for up-and-coming voices. When Skepta appeared there in March 2025 for a link-up with streetwear brand Corteiz, it marked a return to his roots. He didn't have to do radio anymore, he wanted to. Hence the title: part triumph, part homage.
  • The beat was originally made by Fred Again live on PlaqueBoyMax's stream. During a London visit, the American rapper and streamer linked up with the British producer, who built the track live. PlaqueBoyMax was involved in the creative process and in streaming the session where the track was made; the hype from the stream helped turn the release into an event.
  • "Victory Lap" entered the UK Singles Chart at #4. While Fred Again is no stranger to chart success , it was just his second UK Top 10 entry under his name, following "Adore U." For Skepta, it was a rare return to the upper reaches of the charts, landing his second UK Top 10 hit. The first? His featured verse on Wiley's 2012 anthem "Can You Hear Me (Ayayaya)," which peaked at #3.
  • Dropped on July 9, 2025, "Victory Lap Two" features the original trio along with Denzel Curry.

    Released just a week later, "Victory Lap Three" adds Bengaluru-based rapper Hanumankind into the mix.

    Built on the same core melody and ingredients, each version layers a new guest verse, pushing the concept further.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Facebook, Bromance and Email - The First Songs To Use New Words

Facebook, Bromance and Email - The First Songs To Use New WordsSong Writing

Where words like "email," "thirsty," "Twitter" and "gangsta" first showed up in songs, and which songs popularized them.

Incongruent Opening Acts

Incongruent Opening ActsSong Writing

Here's what happens when an opening act is really out of place with the headliner, like when Beastie Boys opened for Madonna.

Who Did It First?

Who Did It First?Music Quiz

Do you know who recorded the original versions of these ten hit songs?

Tony Joe White

Tony Joe WhiteSongwriter Interviews

The writer of "Rainy Night in Georgia" and "Polk Salad Annie" explains how he cooks up his Louisiana swamp rock.

David Clayton-Thomas of Blood, Sweat & Tears

David Clayton-Thomas of Blood, Sweat & TearsSongwriter Interviews

The longtime BS&T frontman tells the "Spinning Wheel" story, including the line he got from Joni Mitchell.

Susanna Hoffs - "Eternal Flame"

Susanna Hoffs - "Eternal Flame"They're Playing My Song

The Prince-penned "Manic Monday" was the first song The Bangles heard coming from a car radio, but "Eternal Flame" is closest to Susanna's heart, perhaps because she sang it in "various states of undress."