It was not long ago that Jay-Z spoke on how battle rap may not be the best thing for hip hop during an interview in the aftermath of the Kendrick-Drake feud. However, now that things are personal, Jay-Z is back on the offensive.
During his performance with The Roots, Jay-Z freestyled on stage and took shots at a bunch of rappers that have irked him in the last year or so. Nobody was spared. Drake, Nicki Minaj, Tory Lanez, Kanye West & Dame Dash all got what was coming to them.
Perhaps the most prominent shot was at Drake, who took subliminal shots at Jay-Z on ‘Janice STFU’ off his latest album Iceman. While Drake did not name Jay-Z, he pretty much insinuated he was talking about Jay-Z by wordplaying ‘Jigga’ and ‘Roc Nation’ in a couple of bars that go “You boys got big on my name, that’s big enough/We know how you OGs rocking already my n***a, the jig is up.”
JAY-Z’s full freestyle at Roots Picnic pic.twitter.com/FEeEMuNUqc
— Complex Music (@ComplexMusic) May 31, 2026
In standard Hov fashion, Jay-Z clapped back during his freestyle with this iconic set of bars: “The jig is up/N***a I’m up 10/ Wrong chart, champ, you gotta look up again/N****s look up to HOV/I never looked up to them.”
He also went at Dame Dash with “Another one fumbled his, wonder how I get the blame. N****s teeth is tumbling out they mouth and somehow I’m the one who did it. It’s a murder mystery, gang,” referencing an interview where Dame’s teeth apparently fell out while talking.
Hov also fired back at Nicki Minaj for constantly talking trash about Tidal, Jay-Z and Roc Nation, rapping something to the tune of “That lady back on that stuff, she sounds like she’s in love with ‘em/Her Ken can’t even… pick they kid… enough of them/A rapper can’t be my opp, I got MAGA Republicans/Those shots came from the very top of the government, good luck with them.”
Jay-Z didn’t even spare long time collaborator, Kanye, and sent some warning shots his way. He rapped,
“You ever heard of wonder-kin? My children are some of them, have you n****s have no shame? You really wanna get under my skin? I’ll really get under ya skin, ask Un how I’m playing…Y’all thugs with y’all thumb again, everybody thinks they’re the ones insane, you’re no maniac, watch how he sane he acts in my presence, n****s shrink” insinuating that Ye can only talk that talk on social media. Real life may be another story altogether.
Tory Lanez might be behind bars, but that doesn’t mean he gets spared from some bars by Jay either. Rapping at who seems to be Tory’s father, Jay-Z said, “The ROC’s not crumbling, till the leprechaun magically run out of pranks, your son on a federal jail line mumbling something about having too much in his drink. You know how dumb that is?” Apparently, Hov was referring to a call Tory made to Kelsey Harris explaining that he was drunk during the whole debacle with Megan Thee Stallion and the shooting that followed.
To anyone that thought the Jay-Z interview addressing battle rap was a weakness, it is a clear message: do not poke one of the best MCs to ever do it. What do you think?