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Jay-Z still has the music industry in a frenzy following his performance at the Roots Picnic last month. Especially after he sent shots at many of his critics, such as Drake, Nicki Minaj, and Dame Dash. However, Joe Budden is not a fan of the freestyle.
Joe Budden Explains Why He Wasn’t A Fan of Jay-Z’s Freestyle
During the Wednesday (June 3) episode of the Joe Budden Podcast, Joe explained his issue with the freestyle. Budden noted that he would have preferred to hear about more of the current events in his life rather than hearing what he had to say about his critics.
“I’m just speaking to the allure that he’s always had. Like, don’t lose it while trying to keep it,” he said in a clip caught by HotNewHipHop. “I would’ve just loved to hear just him… Where Hov is and who he is today and what he’s accomplished. No, I think it’s over for that.”
Joe Budden calls out Jay-Z for dissing other artists during his Roots Picnic freestyle after he spoke out against battling in his latest GQ interview 👀
— HotNewHipHop (@HotNewHipHop) June 3, 2026
"I'm privileged to have been in very close proximity to you, so I know better than to hear this bullsh*t that you be saying… pic.twitter.com/qi0MmPmKok
Earlier this year, Jay-Z sat down for an interview with GQ’s Fraser Tharpe. And during that interview, he noted that battling had become bad for the culture. He specifically references the beef between Kendrick Lamar and Drake. And how people’s families had gotten involved in the mess. Budden says that for him to go on stage and clap back at his enemies came off as hypocritical. Especially given his past comments.
“I’m privileged to have been in very close proximity to you, so I know better than to hear this bullsh*t that you’re saying about no battling,” added.
Other co-hosts, such as Ish, also asserted that the shots at Drake, Nicki, and others could have been part of his rollout.
Marc Lamont Hill argued that his comments about not battling could have been about not engaging in a full-out rap beef. But if people are going to throw dirt on his name, he still would be within his rights to return fire.
Hov is set to perform three shows at Yankee Stadium in July. It will be interesting to see how he follows up his performance at the Roots Picnic.
