JAŸ-Z had a lot of surprises in store for his first Yankee Stadium show of the weekend last night (Friday, July 10), including a brand-new freestyle. Fans were wondering if there would be another following his Roots Picnic bars, and this one is a more general tirade about the Target boycott, the Colin Kaepernick and NFL controversy, and the Internet narratives against Jay.
Manifest Martins caught a clip of the full freestyle online, and it definitely has some divisive lines. Hov called out the hypocrisy of people criticizing his Target exclusive deal for a Reasonable Doubt reissue while still supporting other major companies. He also addressed ongoing criticisms for partnering with the NFL after the Kaepernick controversy, as well as defending his billionaire status and affirming he's given back to the community through positive change.
It's not as diss-heavy or hyper-specific as the Roots Picnic freestyle, but it still has plenty of room for debate and discussion. Now, the question is whether all three of these Yankee Stadium shows will include something off the top. We'll have to wait to find out...
JAŸ-Z's Hair Cut
Elsewhere, new JAŸ-Z album rumors are flying wild thanks to his opening move at this first Yankee Stadium show, which celebrated the 30th anniversary of Reasonable Doubt. Beyoncé came out not only as a guest performer, but also cut his hair in the concert's opening video. This has led to new music speculation in spades, which is not that surprising. After all, Hov album rumors are pretty common, albeit in overdrive these days.
JAŸ-Z also had many special guests during this Yankee Stadium performance. He brought out Nas for a medley of the "Dead Presidents" tracks and some Esco classics, as well as Blue Ivy on the piano for "Feelin' It." In addition, Memphis Bleek hit the stage for "Coming Of Age," Jaz-O came out for "Bring It On," and Alicia Keys surprised the crowd with an "Empire State Of Mind" rendition.
But just like with many things related to the Roc Nation mogul, the bars stand out above all else. After all, as he said in the freestyle, "My presence is a present, and my gift is rapping."
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