Jay-Z finally broke his silence more than a year after his former boyfriend Kanye West took jabs at his children, whom he shares with Beyoncé.
The Roc Nation founder made a special return to the stage at Roots Picnic in Philadelphia for his first headlining solo show since 2019.
Jay-Z didn’t hesitate to speak his truth while returning the favor to West and others in the industry, who maliciously misaligned him.
Jay-Z takes shots at Kanye West’s mental health
JAŸ-Z apparently throws shots at Ye during his freestyle at Roots Picnic
“You ever heard of the Wonder-Kin? My kids are among them, don’t you niggas have any shame? You really wanna get into that? I’ll really get into that, ask Un how I play”
“You are all thugs with… pic.twitter.com/wTIKdvIw8U
— Kurrco (@Kurrco) May 31, 2026
To kick off the show, Jay-Z performed a four-minute freestyle during which he reportedly responded to West’s insults.
“You ever heard of the Wonder-Kin? My kids are one of them. Don’t y’all niggas have no shame? You really wanna get under your skin? I’ll really get under your skin (stab), ask Un how I play,” a viral X post revealed.
The “U Don’t Know” rapper continued, seemingly highlighting West’s mental health struggles. “Everybody thinks they’re the ones crazy. You’re not a maniac; look how he SANE HE ACTS around me, niggas SHRINK.”
Fans may remember that in March 2025, during one of his infamous Twitter crash-outs, now known as X, the “Donda” rapper made disturbing comments about Jay-Z’s twins, Rumi and Sir.
In the now-deleted tweet, West alluded to the Carters keeping their younger children hidden from the limelight. “THEY ARE DELAYED, NOT LITERALLY,” he wrote, as The Blast previously reported.
After deleting the controversial comment, West doubled down on his opinion, admitting that it was well thought out.
Speaking to DJ Akademiks in an interview, Kim Kardashian’s ex-husband defended his actions, saying social media is the only place he shares his thoughts unfiltered and without punishment.
He then claimed that his tweet about Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s children made “Nazi shit” less severe, before asking if that was his worst or best offensive rant.
More than a month later, the Yeezy founder resumed his attacks, issuing a formal apology to his collaborator “Otis.”
As The Blast reported, he took to X to say “sorry” to his former friend, explaining that he “felt bad.” West noted that his anger towards Jay-Z comes from the fact that no one in the industry supports him, even though he considers them family.
The Carters get revenge against West in Paris
Despite what appeared to be an apology from West, Jay-Z and Beyoncé remained silent, only responding through their music.
During Queen B’s “Cowboy Carter” tour in Paris, the Carters threw shade at their former friend in their own unique way.
After Jay-Z joined his wife to perform their 2003 hit single, “Crazy in Love,” the rapper then performed a solo performance of “Niggas in Paris,” a song from his 2011 joint album with West, “Watch The Throne.”
He changed the lyrics, removing West’s name and replacing it with his wife’s. “Bottles of gold, models scolded, Spillin’ Ace on my sick J’s. (Ball so hard) Bitch, hold on tight. I might just let you meet Bey,” he sang, according to The Blast.
Fans wasted no time in noticing the shade, with one declaring on social media: “The Carters aren’t playing fair!” »
Inside Jay-Z and Kanye West’s Fractured Relationship
The ongoing feud between the two hip-hop powerhouses began as an artistic collaboration dating back to the 2000s. West was a producer for Jay-Z’s Roc-A-Fella Records.
The couple had a mentor-mentee relationship that developed into a brotherhood. However, trouble started when the Tidal founder skipped West’s wedding to Kardashian in 2014.
Speaking about the incident, the “Stronger” rapper admitted he was “hurt” by Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s absence, but he understood they were dealing with marital issues.
However, he alluded to the fact that politics plays a role in their estrangement. According to The Blast, in an X-rated post, West claimed that lyrics sung by Jay-Z about his Republican affiliation caused the final damage.
“Why did Jay Z have to say ‘no red hats’ in jail. That shit tore me to the core. We fought about it,” he recalled.
Jay-Z also has a message for Drake and Nicki Minaj
JAŸ-Z responds to Drake’s criticism of “The Jig Is Up” from “ICEMAN” during a freestyle at Roots Picnic in Philadelphia 👀
“A rapper cannot be my opponent”
“The template is up, nigga, I’m up 10, bad chart champ, niggas looked up to Hov, I never looked up to them” pic.twitter.com/MLuUss5Wke
— Kurrco (@Kurrco) May 31, 2026
West wasn’t the only recipient of Jay-Z’s tirade at the Roots Picnic show. The famous entrepreneur appeared to lash out at fellow rappers Drake and Nicki Minaj.
Addressing the ongoing feud between the “Anaconda” artist and Jay-Z’s label, he responded, “The Roc ain’t falling apart,” before referencing Minaj’s husband Kenneth Petty’s sex offender past.
As for Drake, fans believe the line “A rapper can’t be my opponent” was aimed at the Canadian artist, who apparently denounced Jay-Z in his album “ICEMAN.”