Jay-Z Debuts New African Looks Roots Picnic, Smoks Drake and Damon Dash with Vicious Bars

Jay-Z appears on Roots Picnic with a new look and addresses Drake’s recent subconscious activity.

Last weekend, Jay-Z took to the Roots Picnic stage with a completely different energy, ditching the braids that have defined his look for decades in favor of a wild, massive afro that got everyone talking.

The first concert tonight, May 30, at Philadelphia’s legendary Belmont Plateau serves as the perfect backdrop for what many believe is a direct response to Drake’s relentless subconscious work on his new album, Iceman, released two weeks ago.

During his set, Hov didn’t hesitate to take aim at his many critics with his improvisational performances, with many bars targeting the likes of Drake, Jaguar Wright, Damon Dash and more.

Another fumbled and wondered how I was to blame/N###### Teeth falling out of my mouth, somehow I was the one who murdered the mysterious gang

That crazy n#### is still stammering/Chatty Patty is out of luck again/Quest introduced me to Jaguar and I don’t know why I’m still with him

Drake has been working overtime on Iceman, an album he released alongside two other projects, and he’s specifically focused on undoing Jay-Z’s legacy and influence throughout the album.

On “Janice S###,” Drake raps, “You kids gotta do my name, that’s enough…it’s over,” directly questioning whether Hov’s relevance has anything to do with Drake’s own success.

Hov dropped some on Drake:

My next update, jig’s up, n#### I’m up 10 (billions) / Wrong chart champ, you gotta look up again, n###### Look up Hov I never looked up ’em / Hacks get you The publishing gang got tough on ’em/Don’t say success to me you n################## I’m my further way, I’m further worded########## I’m my further contract.

But the most personal bar was “Whisper My Name,” where Drake said, “I’d take half a million dollars, not a dinner, and I’d never learn from all of you.” This was a direct reference to the famous debate about whether you’d rather take half a million dollars or have dinner with Jay-Z.

Hough responded with some clever wordplay that plays into his status as a billionaire, whose wife Beyoncé is best known for one of her songs, “Destiny’s Child.”

I’m not a great person for meetings, so cancel brunch anyway. I remember the pangs of hunger/the price of bricks was going up. You’ll pay for even saying my name

The timing of Jay-Z’s new look and his riff on Roots Picnic feels intentional, especially considering he’s also rebranded himself as JAŸ-Z, bringing it back to his ’90s aesthetic.

Many are speculating. The new look means new music is coming too.

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