Jay-Z uses Roots Picnic freestyle to address Drake Kanye West, Nicki Minaj and more

In the nearly four-minute freestyle, Jay-Z addressed everything his critics said about him during his set Saturday night.

By 
May 31, 2026
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SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 08: Jay-Z looks on prior to the start of Super Bowl LX between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots at Levi's Stadium on February 08, 2026 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)Credit: Photo Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images

After a seven-year hiatus, Jay-Z returned to the stage Saturday night as headliner of Roots Picnic in Philadelphia.

More than 40,000 people attended day one of the annual event, which was held for the first time at the Belmont Plateau. The Brooklyn rapper, who was born Shawn Carter, was the highlight of the night, as he opened alongside The Roots. Along with his fro, newly combed out after years of sporting wicks, an unexpected nearly four-minute freestyle stole the show.

In the freestyle, Jay-Z, 56, took shots at several top artists, including Drake, Ye, and Nicki Minaj, all of whom have aimed their own disses at the “U Don’t Know” rapper in recent years. Most recently, Drake aimed at Jay-Z several times on his latest album, “Iceman,” most notably in the song “Janice STFU.”

In the nearly four-minute track, the OVO founder rapped, “You boys got big off my name, that’s big enough/ We know how you OGs rockin’ already, my nigga, the jig is up.”

Jay-Z responded to Drake’s criticism of him being one of the older vets in the rap game onstage Saturday using the Canadian rapper’s bars against him:

“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,” Jay-Z rapped in the new freestyle.

Another of HOV’s detractors is Ye, who was once one of Jay-Z’s closest friends and collaborators before the two had a highly publicized falling-out. As theGrio reported, in March 2025, the “All Falls Down” rapper made an offensive comment about BeyoncĂ© and Jay-Z’s twins, Rumi and Sir on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“WAIT HAS ANYONE EVER SEEN JAY Z AND BEYONCE’S YOUNGER KIDS,” Ye said in an X post shared on his account, while also insinuating that the couple’s children had special needs.

Jay-Z fired back, defending his children while suggesting that Ye had his own issues he needed to address:

“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.”

Queens rapper Nicki Minaj has also criticized Jay-Z for years over various issues, including claims that he owed her money and never paid her. In July 2025, Minaj aired her grievances in a series of X posts, calling out Jay-Z and Roc Nation executives. Three months later, in October, Minaj accused Jy-Z of wearing a wig and a lace front in posts shared to her official X account, according to Mediatakeout.

“That lady back on that stuff, she like she in love with’em. Her Ken can’t even
 take they kid
 enough of them,” Jay-Z said, insinuating that Minaj was taking controlled substances and calling out her husband, Kenneth Petty, over being a registered sex offender.

He also addressed his former business partner and Roc-A-Fella Records co-founder, Dame Dash, as well as singer-songwriter Jaguar Wright, after both had spoken negatively about the rapper over the years.

Jay-Z then ended the freestyle by seamlessly transitioning into the “The Blueprint” classic “U Don’t Know,” prompting reaction from the crowd as soon as the beat dropped. He then did a number of other hits throughout his career, including, “F**kWithMeYouKnowIGotIt,” “Jigga My N***a,” “Run This Town,” “Dead Presidents I & II and more, according to Complex.

The nearly three-hour set had surprised guests, including some State Property members and Philly’s own Freeway, Beenie Siegel, Peedi Crakk and Memphis Bleek for several classic Rocafella hits. Meanwhile, Meek Mill had the crowd rockin’ with “Dreams and Nightmares” and Jazmin Sullivan on Jay-Z’s “Feelin’ It” and “Need U Bad” from her 2008 debut album “Fearless.”

Toward the end of the show, Jay-Z expressed how good it felt being back on stage and connecting with his fans: “I miss this sh**, I’m not going to lie.”

Hov’s Roots Picnic performance is a precursor to his three highly anticipated concerts at Yankee Stadium in July.

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