Kanye West and JAY-Z may have briefly reunited on the track “Jail” in 2020, teasing a potential Watch the Throne sequel, but the creation of the song was anything but smooth. In a recent revelation on X, Kanye disclosed that he and JAY-Z clashed over Jay’s verse, specifically his critique of Kanye’s past support for Donald Trump.
In the song, JAY-Z raps, “Hol’ up, Donda, I’m with your baby when I touch back road / Told him, ‘Stop all of that red cap, we goin’ home,’” referencing Kanye’s infamous red MAGA hat. Reflecting on the friction during the collaboration, Kanye tweeted, “Why did Jay Z have to say ‘no red hat’ on ‘Jail’? That shit tore me to my soul. We fought about it, and he told me either leave that line on there or take my verse off.”
Kanye went further, suggesting that JAY-Z’s lyrics were part of a broader conspiracy against him, asking his followers, “Me wearing the red hat was the most standout example of me going against ‘the program.’ Do you guys think he was instructed to say that?”
In recent weeks, Kanye has made several inflammatory remarks about JAY-Z, further straining their already complicated relationship. During a controversial social media rant last month, he made derogatory comments about JAY-Z and Beyoncé’s children, which drew widespread condemnation, including from Suge Knight. Although Kanye later apologized, he has continued to express feelings of betrayal over the lack of support from his longtime collaborator.
He shared his frustrations on X, stating, “I ALWAYS FELT LIKE THE BLACK SHEEP. LIKE I WANTED FAMILY IN THIS MUSIC SHIT. I’D RUN ON STAGES THINKING I WAS DOING THE RIGHT THING, AND [IT] WOULD ALWAYS BE A SLIGHT HOV NOT COMING TO MY FIRST WEDDING.” He also mentioned feeling hurt by JAY-Z’s decisions, including having Kendrick Lamar perform at the Super Bowl instead of him, and the perceived lack of support during his custody battle with ex-wife Kim Kardashian.
As Kanye continues to air out his grievances, the already tumultuous relationship between him and JAY-Z seems to be moving further away from reconciliation.
