Jay-Z Shuts Down Roots Picnic With Hits, Special Guests, and New Freestyle
Courtesy of Roc Nation
Jay-Z made his return to the festival stage on Saturday night at the Roots Picnic in Philadelphia. It was his first solo headlining show in more than five years, and fans got a performance packed with hits, special guests, and a surprise freestyle that had everyone talking.
Backed by The Roots, Jay-Z performed for about 90 minutes and ran through classics from across his career. The set included fan favorites like "Empire State of Mind," "Run This Town," "Dirt Off Your Shoulders," and "N****s in Paris." He also gave longtime fans some deeper cuts, including "Can I Live," "Never Change," and "Marcy Me."
The show featured several guest appearances throughout the night. Philadelphia singer Jazmine Sullivan joined Jay-Z for "Feelin' It" before performing her own hit "Need U Bad." Meek Mill also took the stage and got the crowd going with his hometown anthem "Dreams and Nightmares."
One of the biggest moments came when members of State Property reunited on stage. Beanie Sigel, Freeway, Peedi Crakk and Memphis Bleek all joined Jay-Z for a series of classic Roc-A-Fella era tracks, bringing plenty of energy to the philly crowd.
The night's biggest surprise happened early in the set. After opening with "Hovi Baby," Jay-Z launched into a new freestyle that lasted about four minutes. During the verse, he appeared to respond to several people in the rap world, including Drake, Nicki Minaj, Kanye West, and Dame Dash.
One line seemed to directly answer Drake's recent lyrics:
"The jig is up, n**** I'm up 10. Wrong chart champ, you gotta look up again. N****s look up to Hov, I never looked up to them."
Jay-Z also addressed comments Kanye West made about his family, making it clear he was standing up for his children.
Even with the apparent shots at Kanye, Jay-Z still performed songs from their Watch the Throne album, including "No Church in the Wild" and "Gotta Have It."
The performance served as a preview of Jay-Z's upcoming New York shows celebrating the anniversaries of Reasonable Doubt and The Blueprint. If the Roots Picnic is any sign, Hov is still one of the best to ever touch a microphone.
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