The war of words between Rochester underground heavyweight 38 Spesh and Harlem legend Jim Jones has escalated into a full-blown lyrical free-for-all, dragging in Jadakiss, Fat Joe, and DJ Khaled, after Spesh declared open season on hip-hop royalty. The feud erupted earlier this week when Spesh, real name Justin Herrell, went on the Battlefield podcast and accused Jadakiss of avoiding a rematch since their 2021 collaboration “Sunday School” with Benny the Butcher.
“I did a record with Benny and Kiss and I had the best verse on the record.
I smoked the record,” Spesh said, directly challenging the Lox icon. “That’s why JD Kiss don’t want to do a song – cuz he had the best verse, because he ain’t want to get outshine.” The claim struck a nerve in the New York rap scene, where Jadakiss is revered as one of the most battle-tested lyricists of his generation.
Jadakiss responded swiftly, enlisting Fat Joe and DJ Khaled for a diss track titled “Aroma,” which premiered live on the Joe and Jada podcast. “I’ve been obliterating shit for years,” Kiss rapped, targeting Spesh directly. “Is this about a verse or is this about a career?”
Fat Joe added his own venom, and Khaled provided theatrical hype, jumping on couches and blowing air horns.
But instead of backing down, 38 Spesh expanded his target list. He went after DJ Khaled’s authenticity, questioning his behavior around Palestinian family versus industry peers.
“Khaled, do you speak like that when you around your Palestinian people or you just speak like that when you around niggas?” Spesh asked on a follow-up interview. Then he took aim at Fat Joe and Jadakiss’s age, mocking them for rapping about 𝒹𝓇𝓊𝑔 aromas at “50, 60 years old.”
“I don’t want to hear no 50-year-old nigga talk about the aroma of drugs,” Spesh said, aging up the veteran rappers in real time. He declared open warfare: “I’m shooting at everybody. I don’t give a fuck.”
That blanket challenge caught the attention of Jim Jones, a longtime ally of Jadakiss and a cornerstone of Harlem’s Dipset legacy.
Jim Jones had already warned Spesh against tangling with Kiss. On a podcast, Jones said Spesh lacked the “ammunition” and career longevity to compete.
“Freddy Special is nice, you heard? I dig it and shit like that,” Jones said, using a nickname for Spesh. “But come on, bro.
Levels. He might need an FN with a switch. He got to change his whole name to Jada.
Like 38 come with how many bullets? I don’t think you got enough ammo in your arsenal or enough years to be shooting at a marksman like that.”
Spesh fired back with a devastating verbal takedown, questioning Jim Jones’s very right to have an opinion on lyrical skill.
“You ain’t qualified to speak on this. This is about balls. It’s about niggas that know how to rap with balls.
You’ve never been mentioned in that conversation. Nobody never said Jim Jones smoked everybody on the track.” The insult went beyond typical diss – it was an assertion that Jones didn’t belong in the same conversation as elite lyricists.
The response from Jim Jones came quickly via Instagram Story. He stood by his original comments, reiterating that Spesh was biting off more than he could chew. “ASAP.
Don’t get it confused, bro. Tonight we going to walk. I told my young book I’m going to give him a deal if he bites you,” Jones said in a video, referencing a young associate.
“You ain’t even got enough money to talk to me. You not even allowed to be talking to me in any type of way like that.” The threat of street violence was implicit, echoing the tone of classic New York rap beef.
38 Spesh responded in kind, upping the ante. “Green light is on your motherfucking ass. We on you, bro.
You fucked me,” he said in a separate clip. The exchange has now drawn in multiple camps, with fans speculating on social media about potential diss tracks and face-to-face confrontations.
To understand the magnitude of this feud, one must know 38 Spesh’s background.
Born Justin Herrell in Rochester, New York, he earned his name from the 38 Special revolver. He rose through the early 2000s underground, working with DJ Green Lantern, and served time before returning to become a cornerstone of the gritty boom-bap revival. His ties to Griselda run deep – he and Benny the Butcher cut their first tapes together in a Buffalo studio around 2005.
Spesh built his own Trust Gang movement, collaborating with legends like Kool G Rap, DJ Premier, and Pete Rock, and mentored artists like Shay Neveau.
This isn’t a case of an internet rapper chasing clout. Spesh commands deep respect in underground circles, but he has never achieved the mainstream recognition of Jadakiss, Fat Joe, or Jim Jones.
His “shooting at everybody” energy appears to be a demand for his flowers – a declaration that his lyrical ability deserves placement alongside hip-hop’s royalty.
The feud has now reached a boiling point with no diss tracks officially released, though both sides have hinted at recordings. Jadakiss has already dropped “Aroma,” which directly addresses Spesh.
Jim Jones, known for his memorable battles and street credibility, may be crafting a response. Meanwhile, Fat Joe and DJ Khaled have remained mostly silent, letting their verse on “Aroma” speak for itself.
Industry insiders are watching closely.
“This is classic New York hip-hop,” said radio personality Angela Yee in a statement. “It’s about respect, lineage, and who really has the pen game. 38 Spesh is a formidable lyricist, but he’s challenging icons with decades of loyalty and hits.
It’s high risk, high reward.”
Rap historian and podcast host Jeff “Chairman” Mao noted that the beef mirrors the territorial battles of the 1990s. “You have a younger upstart from outside the five boroughs coming for the heads of established kings.
That’s how legends are made or broken. Spesh’s angle – that Jim Jones isn’t even qualified to judge bars – is a novel approach. It’s not about who can fight; it’s about who can rap.
That’s a dangerous game when your opponent is Jim Jones, who has survived real street beefs.”
As of press time, neither Jadakiss nor Fat Joe has directly responded to Spesh’s latest comments about their age and relevance. DJ Khaled has posted cryptic messages on social media, including a video of himself smiling while listening to “Aroma.”
Jim Jones remains active on Instagram, dropping hints that he has more to say. 38 Spesh has not backed down, releasing a freestyle snippet that takes aim at “the whole Dipset religion.”
The unfolding 𝒹𝓇𝒶𝓂𝒶 has captivated the hip-hop community, drawing comparisons to past feuds like Jay-Z vs.
Nas or 50 Cent vs. Ja Rule. However, this beef carries a unique edge – it’s not just about who is tougher, but about who has the right to speak on lyrical greatness.
38 Spesh has drawn a line in the sand: if you haven’t been named as someone who “smoked a track,” you have no place in the conversation about bars. That standard questions the credentials of half the industry.
Observers are waiting to see if Jim Jones will unleash a recorded reply.
The Dipset veteran has never shied away from a challenge, though his recent output has been more focused on business ventures and legacy. A diss track from Jones could either revive his lyrical reputation or backfire if Spesh’s skills prove superior. Meanwhile, 38 Spesh is positioning himself as the voice of the underground, standing up against what he perceives as a gatekeeping system.
“This is about levels, but not the ones Jim Jones talked about,” said music journalist Touré in a social media post. “38 Spesh is saying the level of respect should be based on ability, not years served. That’s a revolutionary idea in a genre that often confuses longevity with greatness.”
The feud shows no signs of cooling. With multiple parties involved and personal insults flying, a physical altercation or a massive diss track could be imminent. For now, fans are devouring every interview, Instagram story, and podcast clip.
The green light is on – and according to 38 Spesh, everyone is a target. Whether he can back up his words remains the central question. But one thing is certain: this is no longer a minor squabble.
It has become an all-out war for the soul of New York rap. Stay locked.
