Jay-Z Claps Back at Drake, Nicki, Ye and More: What Prompted His Roots Picnic Freestyle?
At 56 years young, rapper Jay-Z just headlined a set for the 2026 Roots Picnic in Philadelphia on May 30 and proved why his legacy is timeless. As he took attendees on a limited trip through his extensive catalog, the crowd seemed to reminisce in the lyrics that have widely been celebrated for their cleverness, applauded his ability to still impress with his cadence and delivery, and were wowed by special guests like Jazmine Sullivan and Bilal, who helped him perform classics “Feelin It” and “No Church in the Wild.”
Now, as remarkable as all of that was, what many will be talking about in the days to come is the surprise freestyle Jay-Z delivered on stage, which took lyrical shots at several well-known artists today. From Drake to Nicki Minaj to Kanye West, the “Empire State of Mind” rapper didn’t hold back. However, his rap disses shouldn’t be seen as unprovoked; in some cases, the recipients of his fiery response have been speaking ill of him for years without him ever addressing them.
Drake Dissed Jay-Z throughout New Album ‘Iceman’
LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 12: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Drake performs live on stage during day two of Wireless Festival 2025 at Finsbury Park on July 12, 2025 in London, England. Drake is headlining an unprecedented all three nights of Wireless Festival. (Photo by Simone Joyner/Getty Images for ABA)
For a while, it seemed as if Drake and Jay-Z were healthy acquaintances. They even collaborated on songs together, and they appeared to maintain a very civil competition of sorts, with many seeing Drake emerge as a contender for Jay-Z’s GOAT title. Fast forward to the present, after Drake and Kendrick Lamar’s feud blew up with the “Not Like Us” diss track. It could be argued that Jay-Z essentially greenlit Kendrick to perform it at the Super Bowl Halftime Show. To his credit, Jay-Z said he was neutral in the beef between Drake and Kendrick, but the words probably rang hollow for Drake after that move.
In his 2026 project Iceman, Drake rapped lyrics like, “You boys got big on my name, that’s big enough … we know how you OGs rocking already my n****, the jig is up.” And, “I’ll take $500K, not the dinner, I never could learn sh*t from none of y’all.” With the first set of lyrics, Jay-Z is considered an OG, and it’s not lost on many that he used to go by Jigga, and the latter set of Drake lyrics references the question that was circulating on social media about whether people should take money or a dinner with Jay-Z instead.
Drake’s culminated rejection of the older guard of rap and slight aim at Jay-Z resulted in Jay-Z responding at The Roots Picnic with:
“The jig is up, n***a I’m up 10, wrong chart champ you gotta look up again. N***as looked up to Hov, I never looked up to them. Them cr*ckers got your publishing checks, go talk tough to them. Don’t talk success to me, you n***as is workers, in perpetuity is how your contract is worded.”
Nicki Minaj Has Been Bashing Jay-Z for Years
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 05: Nicki Minaj attends the 2025 Met Gala Celebrating “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 05, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue)
Minaj has been shading Jay-Z for years. She has alleged he owes her money from an equity deal with Tidal, accused him of trying to sabotage her career, attempted to liken him with disgrace mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, and often takes shots at him on social media in rants. To Jay-Z’s credit, he’s never really responded to her.
However, in his Roots Picnic freestyle, he rapped, “That lady back on that stuff, she like she in love with em. Her Ken can’t even… take they kid… enough of them.” While it was a brief reference to Minaj, it was an explosive one.
Kanye West Made Inflammatory Remarks about Beyoncé & Jay-Z’s Children
West and Jay-Z used to be like brothers, or at least that was the image crafted by them both. They have a long history of working together, even creating some of the most iconic songs of hip-hop. However, they have long fallen out with one another. And any hopes of reconciliation may have been dashed when West made the disastrous mistake of talking about the kids Jay-Z shares with superstar Beyonce. In 2025, the “Gold Digger” rapper made a series of posts on X in which he brought up the “Song Cry” artist’s twins, making disgusting, ableist remarks.
Finally addressing the remarks on The Roots Picnic stage, Jay-Z rattled off:
“My children is some of them, have you n***as no shame? Y’all trying to get under skin, I really get under skin. Ask Un how I’m playin. Y’all thoughts with your thumbs again. Everybody thinks they’re the ones insane. You’re no maniac. Watch how sane he acts in my presence, n***s shrink.”
Jay-Z also takes aim at former business partner Dame Dash, who til this day speaks of Jay-Z with some contempt, and artist Jaguar Wright, who for years has made disparaging allegations about the Grammy-winning rapper. Take a look at the full clip of the freestyle below.
