Kanye West and JAY-Z’s reunion on 2021’s “Jail” off the Donda album marked a major moment for fans of Watch the Throne, but behind the scenes, things weren’t entirely smooth between the longtime collaborators.
On Sunday (April 20), Kanye took to X (formerly Twitter) to reveal that he and Hov had serious disagreements over a particular lyric in the song — specifically, one that addressed Ye’s controversial support of Donald Trump and his iconic red “Make America Great Again” hat.
“Hol’ up, Donda, I’m with your baby when I touch back road / Told him, ‘Stop all of that red cap, we goin’ home,’” JAY-Z raps on the track, referencing Kanye’s MAGA-era headlines.
Reacting to the line years later, Ye 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 a step further, suggesting the bar may have been influenced by something bigger: “Me wearing the red hat was the most stand out example of me going against ‘the program.’ Do you guys think he was instructed to say that?”
Despite the tension, “Jail” was well-received upon Donda’s release, even winning a Grammy for Best Rap Song in 2022. Still, Ye’s latest comments offer a glimpse into the creative — and ideological — push-pull between two of Hip Hop’s most influential forces.