Bobby Shmurda is not impressed with Jay-Z’s latest viral moment.
The Brooklyn rapper took aim at Jay-Z on Instagram after clips from Hov’s Roots Picnic freestyle began circulating online. In the footage, Jay delivered a lengthy spoken-word style verse that appeared to reference several major names, including Drake, Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, Tory Lanez and Dame Dash.
Bobby quickly made it clear that he was not feeling the performance.
“Now niccas NWA lmaooo,” he wrote on his Instagram Story while sharing a post about the freestyle.
He followed it up with another post mocking Jay-Z’s age and artistic direction.
“Niccas be 56 years old going through identity christ. Lmaooo. Like who you going be next fronting ass nicca. lol nicca too old for that shit go sit down old head,” Bobby wrote.
He did not stop there. In another post referencing Jay’s Roots Picnic performance, Bobby compared Hov’s delivery to classical theater.
“This nicca doing Shakespeare,” he added.
The comments come after Bobby previously criticized Jay-Z during a livestream in April. When asked whether Hov runs hip-hop, Bobby dismissed the idea and said, “Man, fuck them n***as.” He also referred to Roc Nation as “Opp Nation,” a nickname he has used more than once.
The tension is notable because Bobby Shmurda was once connected to Roc Nation. In 2021, shortly after his release from prison, he signed a management deal with the company. The partnership later ended, and Bobby has since been vocal about his issues with Roc Nation and certain figures in the music business.
Jay-Z’s Roots Picnic freestyle became one of the most talked-about moments from the festival, especially because many fans believe he was responding to Drake. The speculation comes after Drake seemingly took aim at Hov on his new album, Iceman.
“A rapper can’t be my opp,” Jay-Z rapped during the performance. “The jig is up / N*a I’m up 10 / Wrong chart, champ, you gotta look up again / N**s look up to HOV / I never looked up to them.”
While Jay-Z did not name Drake directly, fans quickly connected the lyrics to the ongoing tension around Iceman and the recent wave of subliminal shots in hip-hop.
Bobby Shmurda, however, seems less interested in the rap politics and more focused on calling out what he sees as Jay-Z trying too hard.