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Jay-Z made a highly anticipated return to the stage at the Roots Picnic festival in Philadelphia, marking his first festival performance in seven years, and played a 35-song set featuring numerous special guests.
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The event drew more than 40,000 attendees on its opening night and took place for the first time at the Belmont Plateau, a larger venue accommodating the festival’s growth.
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A highlight of the night was Jay-Z’s nearly four-minute freestyle, which contained veiled criticisms targeting fellow artists such as Drake, Kanye West, and Nicki Minaj, fueling speculation about ongoing tensions within the hip-hop community.
In his freestyle, Jay-Z flipped Drake’s recent lyrics from the album “Iceman,” claiming “the jig is up,” and asserted his ongoing relevance and financial success against younger artists’ aspirations.
JAŸ-Z responds to Drake’s ‘The Jig Is Up’ diss from ‘ICEMAN’ during a freestyle at the Roots Picnic in Philadelphia 👀
“A rapper can’t be my opp”
“The jig is up, n**** I’m up 10, wrong chart champ, n****s looked up to Hov, I never looked up to them”pic.twitter.com/MLuUss5Wke
— Kurrco (@Kurrco) May 31, 2026
Censoring the bar so it sounds like Nicki when she stutters was genius, I know that got under her skin 😂 https://t.co/7lQgODFthn
— King Wow (@KingWow) May 31, 2026
Jay-Z also referred to Nicki Minaj indirectly, addressing her alleged issues, including her public support for her husband amid controversies, and referencing their past conflicts over money and artistic credibility.
JAY-Z’s full freestyle at Roots Picnic pic.twitter.com/FEeEMuNUqc
— Complex Music (@ComplexMusic) May 31, 2026
Finally a clearer audio of the Jay Z freestyle. pic.twitter.com/cYnZ8cV6C5
— K.O. (@kofromatatf) May 31, 2026
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The performance included notable collaborations with guests like Jazmine Sullivan, Meek Mill, and Bilal, reinforcing Jay-Z’s strong connections within the hip-hop community.
Jay-Z brought out Jazmine Sullivan to sing the hook on “Feelin’ It” at the @rootspicnic pic.twitter.com/qm0TGS0hZL
— Variety (@Variety) May 31, 2026
JAY-Z’s Roots Picnic Setlist:
Hovi Baby
Freestyle
U Don’t Know
FucskWithMeYouKnowIGotIt
N*gga What, N*gga Who (Originator 99)
Run This Town
Jigga My N*gga
No Church in the Wild (with Bilal)
Where I’m From/Marcy Me
Empire State of Mind
Dirt Off My Shoulders
I Know
Never Change
Feelin’ It (with Jazmine Sullivan)
Need U Bad (Jazmine Sullivan solo)
Can I Live
The Story of OJ
Dead Presidents I & II
Excuse Me Miss/La La La
You, Me, Him and Her (with Memphis Bleek and Beanie Sigel)
Gotta Have It (Beanie Sigel and Peedi Crakk)
Roc the Mic (Freeway and Beanie Sigel)
Flipside (Freeway and Peedi Crakk)
Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop (Young Gunz)
What We Do (with Freeway and Beanie Sigel)
N*ggas in Paris
Dreams and Nightmares (with Meek Mill) (Meek Mill solo)
Roc Boys (And the Winner Is)…
I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)/Big Pimpin’
Public Service Announcement
This revival of live performances follows a secret warm-up show where both Jay-Z and The Roots showcased their chemistry, further building excitement for his upcoming Yankee Stadium shows in July to commemorate the 30th anniversary of “Reasonable Doubt.”
The festival, now in its 18th year, continues to be a crucial platform for hip-hop and soul, solidifying its reputation as one of the premiere summer events on the East Coast while expanding its venue and crowd capacity.
