The escalating war of words between ex-Saliva vocalist Josey Scott and current Saliva frontman Bobby Amaru has officially spilled over into song. Tensions between the pair have been heating up in the press across recent months, though the dissent between the pair has been lingering for substantially longer.
Scott was a co-founding member of Saliva until his departure in 2011, where he was replaced by Bobby Amaru. While Scott and Saliva made nice back in 2022 for a live performance together, he has since went on to tour under the name of Josey Scott’s Saliva, effectively attempting to establish his own take on the band.
Saliva themselves meanwhile have become a proverbial Ship Of Theseus since the 2023 passing of co-founding guitarist Wayne Swinny. His death left Amaru as the longest tenured member of the band, who now consist of no original members. This past August, Scott not only expressed his wishes to gain control of the Saliva name, he also went so far as to call the current incarnation of the group, “the Temu Version of Saliva.”
Now that contempt has once again boiled over, this time in the form of a relative metal rarity: a pair of apparent diss tracks. Scott has just issued a pair of new songs, “Who?” and “Famous“, both of which appear to be directly targeting Amaru. Scott pulls no punches on the track “Who?“, at one point singing:
“With friends like you who needs f*cking enemies?
Three strikes and you’re out of there apparently.
Just like you left Wayne Swinny there in Germany.
And then you did the same thing on his mother’s floor.
Another rusty nail straight through his coffin door.
The third time was the charm for you, with Wayne‘s body in the helicopter turning blue — but you had a show to do.”
Meanwhile, “Famous?” also referenced the alleged incidents mentioned above, with the following verses being included:
“Bet you counted on me to forget this.
Since he’s not here then I’ll be his witness.
For the three times you left him defenseless, I hope for your sake that God will forgive this.
He was sick as a dog and not breathing.
You not only replaced him, but leave him.
You’re a cowardly bitch and a thief.
And I will not rest till you leave this world bleeding.
For your sake I would beef up security.
Because I will be in touch, assuredly.”
“Famous” also seemingly interpolates one of the most infamous diss tracks to ever emerge: Ice Cube‘s 1991 evisceration of N.W.A., “No Vaseline“. Similar lyrical elements of that track are worked into the chorus this new cut. Producer ScatteredBrains, who worked on both of these new singles, commented of “Who?“:
“…I am beyond proud of this song and Josey for finding the strength to push back and push forward during a time where he’s being bullied out of his own god damn legacy, his creation, his band Saliva.” Please listen, like, share and spread the message that there is only one real SalivaJosey at the driver seat. If the fans are ready, Josey‘s ready to give yall that real shit like he never left !!! I know yall tired of watching a cover band play his music, we are too.”
This new pair of tracks arrive several weeks after the debut of Saliva‘s latest single “Hit ‘Em Where It Hurts“, which some have interpreted as a jab at Scott.
