Jay-Z is notorious for the sneak diss. It is well-documented that he and Nas engaged in a years-long battle of “subs”. Long before The Takeover and Ether ever touched the airwaves. We’ve seen him aim clinical shots at the likes of Beanie Sigel, Ma$e, and even Tupac. However, one of his legendary targets recently admitted that Jay-Z caught him slipping on one of the most popular records from Watch The Throne.

On a recent episode of It Is What It Is (and discussed on Real Talk with Flee), Cam’ron finally addressed the subliminal shots buried in the hit single, “Otis.”

The Catalyst: A Runaway Freestyle

The tension started when Cam’ron and Jim Jones threw shots at Kanye West during a freestyle over his “Runaway” instrumental. On that track, the Harlem rapper didn’t hold back, spitting:

“Sucking Jigga, what you gonna do with that? I took your beat. Now come get it back.”

At the time, Cam’ron was signed to Asylum Records and assumed the jab went unanswered. He was wrong. While Jay-Z and Kanye were locked in at the Mercer Hotel recording their collaborative masterpiece, Hov was busy crafting a response.

When “Otis” finally dropped, listeners heard Jay-Z deliver a series of bars that seemed like standard “boss talk.”

Uh, live from the Mercer
Run up on Yeezy the wrong way, I might murk ya
Flee in the G450, I might surface
Political refugee, asylum can be purchased
Uh, everything’s for sale
I got five passports, I’m never going to jail

The Master of Retaliation

Cam recently broke down the diss on his show, admitting he realized the “Asylum” line was a well-timed “kill shot” aimed right at his situation.

Ultimately, this revelation serves as another reminder that Jay-Z rarely forgets a slight. It was a lethal, quiet strike that let the world know Hov remains a master of the chess game that is hip-hop retaliation.