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The Chef is setting the record straight. After speculation erupted over the weekend suggesting that Nas aimed lyrical smoke at Jim Jones on a leaked version of “The Omerta,” Raekwon hopped on Instagram Live to clear the air—and defend both MCs in the process.
The leak in question featured an alternate Nas verse from “The Omerta,” a joint off Raekwon’s upcoming album The Emperor’s New Clothes. The unreleased bars were aggressive and cryptic, with lines like:
“Got smoke with me? Beef with yourself… You’re dusty, need to be b—tch-smacked, face under stomped feet on concrete.”
Naturally, fans began to speculate—was Nas taking a swipe at Capo?
The theory picked up steam thanks to a recent hot take from Jim Jones during an episode of the Joe & Jada podcast, hosted by Fat Joe and Jadakiss. Jones boldly claimed he was not only a better rapper than Nas, but also more impactful culturally.
But according to Rae, that’s not what this is.
“Nas did not write that verse for Jim. That was a stray shot Jim got hit with,” Raekwon explained during his IG Live on July 16. “Y’all made it seem like it was for Jim. Nas wasn’t dissing Jim. He wasn’t dissing him.”
Raekwon broke it down further, revealing that Nas wrote the now-leaked verse months ago, long before any tension surfaced online. When the Queensbridge legend eventually decided to rewrite it, it was a conscious move to keep things peaceful.
“The reason why he changed it? Because he knew that at the end of the day, ‘Damn, Chef. I gave you this verse months ago, and now all this shit is popping up,’” Raekwon shared. “I promise y’all he wasn’t dissing Jim. This ain’t no diss record. And if it was a diss record, why would he put it on my record? ‘Cause guess what? I fuck with Jim. He know I fuck with Jim.”
So while the bars may have felt like heat aimed in Jim’s direction, Raekwon insists it’s all coincidental. No beef, just hip-hop bravado.
As for The Emperor’s New Clothes, it’s clear Raekwon’s next album is already stirring up conversation—and it hasn’t even dropped yet.
