“The Dead Apple” (hip-hop track by Reason, 2025)

New York City has sometimes been called the “Dead Apple,” a usually unflattering variation of the “Big Apple” nickname.
 
In 2010, “Dead Apple Tours” offered a history tour of New York City’s deceased. “I would never visit New York City The big apple is the dead apple” was posted on X/Twitter by Robert on July 7, 2022. “The Big Apple is now the Dead Apple” was posted on X/Twitter by Nicholas Goudas on February 19, 2024.
 
On May 16, 2025, REASON released the hip-hop diss track “The Dead Apple.” A frequent lyric is, “This ain’t the New York I know.” A comment on Genius (lyrics website) stated, “The title is a play on words of New York’s nickname, the Big Apple, which sets the tone for the song’s many disses at the East Coast.”
 
   
New York Almanack
Dead Apple Tours Offers History of NYC’s Deceased
June 22, 2010 by Editorial Staff
A new tour company is taking guests on a unusual look at New York City. The brainchild of Drew Raphael, a native New Yorker, Dead Apple Tours was inspired after watching fans gather outside the home of Heath Ledger immediately after the news of his death. Raphael figured with so many interesting locations in New York of famous and infamous accidental deaths, murders and suicides—why not collect a group of these experiences into one tour to get a fuller picture of the Big Apple? Why not present the “living history of New York’s deceased?” Dead Apple Tours gives passengers on its downtown tours a unique sightseeing experience in a rare, classic hearse that has been customized for a comfortable ride.
 
X/Twitter
Robert
@Robert55444162
The stupid people of New York City voted in a racist district attorney Who let criminals out and then when somebody’s trying to defend himself put high bail on them I would never visit New York City The big apple is the dead apple
8:10 PM · Jul 7, 2022
 
X/Twitter
Nicholas Goudas
@GoudasNicholas
The Big Apple is now the Dead Apple
2:10 PM · Feb 19, 2024
 
YouTube
REASON - The Dead Apple
REASON
May 16, 2025
I LOVE YOU AGAIN by REASON is in stores now!
 
Genius (lyrics)
The Dead Apple
REASON
Producers
Probablyroc, Elyas & 2 more
Track 1 on
The Dead Apple / New York Crash
May 16, 2025
(...)
[Interlude: REASON & Ma$e]
This ain’t the New York I know
This ain’t the New York I know
This ain’t the New York I know
This ain’t the New York I know
We’re not your lil’ niggas
Like the way you talk it, I don’t, I don’t get what you mean
We’re not your little niggas, like for real, all that—
(...)
[Genius Annotation]
In the midst of Joey Bada$$’s ongoing feud with Ray Vaughn and the West Coast, REASON throws his hat into the ring with “The Dead Apple”, which was released a day after Joey dissed REASON in “THE FINALS”:
 
You’re the next nigga gettin’ dropped off the Top roster (Facts)
And I’ma be the Reason (Yeah), okay, bet

The title is a play on words of New York’s nickname, the Big Apple, which sets the tone for the song’s many disses at the East Coast.
 
X/Twitter
REASON
@_Reasonofficial
“The Dead Apple”
Produced by: Probablyroc @elyasxo @LowTheGREAT & Myself
(The YouTube video is shown.—ed.)
12:02 PM · May 16, 2025

Complex
Reason Fires Back at Joey Badass and New York With “The Dead Apple” Diss
After hearing his name mentioned on Joey’s most recent Ray Vaughn diss track, the former TDE rapper felt like he needed to hop in the ring.
Will Lavin
May 16, 2025
Reason has dropped off a new diss track, throwing his hat in the ring in the ongoing beef between Joey Badass and Ray Vaughn.
 
On Friday (May 16), the former TDE rapper shared “The Dead Apple,” a four-minute lyrical assault that takes aim at both Joey Badass and the city of New York.
(...)
Split into three parts, Reason raps over a variety of beats, including Ja Rule, Fat Joe and Jadakiss’ “New York,” which adds further fuel to the fire when the West Coast MC raps: “This ain’t the New York I know.”
 
X/Twitter
Aman Arya
@AmanArya93234
I get it bro. The big apple, the dead apple… But like, apples don’t die. Its corny man
12:17 PM · May 16, 2025
 
X/Twitter
Aman Arya
@AmanArya93234
Yeah man. I think its a bad flip. ‘The dead apple.’ Doesn’t sound hard to me. “Look at this apple. It used to be a big apple, but now… now its a dead apple”
12:23 PM · May 16, 2025
 
X/Twitter
⁉️
@frostedtakes_
I just realized he named it The Dead Apple cause 1 of New York’s aliases is “The Big Apple”. Dissed the whole city
Quote
𝙎𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙘𝙝 𝙏𝙝𝙖 𝙒𝙚𝙞𝙧𝙙𝙤𝙤
@SwitchThaWeirdo
May 16
Replying to @TLoveSpeaksss
We should be worried more about why current NY rappers aren’t poppin out shouldn’t we
6:45 PM · May 16, 2025
 
Instagram
balentinemark123
May 17, 2025
New york is known as the big apple plus the dead apple is reference to NYC.
plus the apple and eve story the dead apple is now posion aka NYC is poison aka no longer relevant in HIP HOP CIRCLES