Here's What Went Down at Jay-Z's Headlining Roots Picnic Show

Jay-Z headlined Philadelphia’s annual Roots Picnic on March 30, his first solo headlining show in over five years, and the performance preceded New York shows celebrating the 30th anniversary of Reasonable Doubt and its 2001 follow-up, The Blueprint. Over 90 minutes, he performed 30-plus songs spanning hits like “Dirt Off Your Shoulders,” “Empire State of Mind,” “Run This Town,” and “N*gga's In Paris,” plus deeper cuts including “Can I Live” and “Marcy Me.” The Roots backed him, with guests Jazmine Sullivan, Meek Mill, and Bilal, and an unofficial State Property reunion featuring Beanie Sigel, Freeway, Peedi Crakk, Memphis Bleek, and Young Gunz. Minutes after opening with “Hovi Baby,” he delivered a surprise four-minute freestyle, saying he avoided practicing it during rehearsals with the Roots, and he took shots at Drake, Nicki Minaj, and Kanye West over comments involving Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s children.

"After opening with 2002's "Hovi Baby," the rapper dove into a surprise four-minute freestyle, which he told the crowd he had refrained from practicing during rehearsals with the Roots. During the a capella performance, he appeared to take shots at Drake ("Them crackers got your publishing checks, go talk tough to them, don't talk success to me"), Nicki Minaj, and Kanye West, whom Jay-Z took to task over disparaging comments the Bully rapper made last year about Beyoncé and Jay-Z's children."

Read at Pitchfork