"You're not as hip-hop as you're trynna play to be" — Benzino calls out Shannon Sharpe after podcaster argued with Jim Jones 

Following Jim Jones and Shannon Sharpe's debate over Nas during a June 22, 2025, episode of the Nightcap podcast, TV personality and rapper Benzino has called out Sharpe for arguing with Jones. On June 28, 2025, @ArtOfDialogue_ posted a video of Benzino addressing the podcast episode, stating:

"You know what, Shannon? After watching you and Jim go at it, something tells me you're not as hip-hop as you're trynna play to be. Now you've had an amazing career, Savannah State, all Black college, but you grew up on a farm, and you was raised by your grandmother. I wonder if your grandmother was really allowing you to listen to hip-hop or really get into the hip-hop culture."

Benzino added that he wasn't trying to question Shannon's upbringing; however, he said that he'll have to pull the card on hip-hop. The rapper added that Jim Jones asked him to recite one Nas track, and Shannon couldn't, indicating that a lot of people like the former NFL player "ain't with the culture."

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The TV personality and rapper asked how much Shannon Sharpe knew about hip-hop when he was growing up, drawing parallels between the former NFL player and commentator Stephen A. Smith.

"You guys could talk about hip-hop subjects and make lots of money, and that's dope. But are ya'll like pulling the wall over people's a**? Because that's being done a lot right now." Benzino said

Benzino's comments stemmed from Shannon Sharpe asking Jim Jones during the Nightcap podcast:

“Were you smoking when you said you were better than Nas?”

The above question was in reference to Jones' previous remark on the Joe & Jada podcast, released on June 20.

Additionally, at one point, Jim Jones suggested that Sharpe had invited him on the podcast to hike the ratings, which resulted in the former NFL player clapping back by saying, "This the biggest podcast you’ve ever been on."

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What did Jim Jones say about Nas? Details explored

Jim Jones has been making headlines with his recent comments about being superior than his fellow rapper Nas. The series of statements began with Jones' appearance on the Joe & Jada podcast on June 20, 2025, wherein the rapper discussed the viral video of a 22-year-old New Jersey college student saying he was more influenced by Jones than by Nas.

“I admired Nas. When it came to dressin’, the wordplay, the music, everything. I was a superior Nas fan, period. I’ll never take that away from him,” Jones said.

The New York City rapper added that once he entered the rap game and developed his own style, the younger generation inclined toward him just like he did toward Nas when he was young. When podcast Jadakiss pushed back on Jones' claim by stating that his son is aware of the impact Nas has on the rap genre, Jim Jones said:

“He’s your son. My son can’t tell you one Nas record. Let’s keep it a buck here. There must be some type of misconception when it comes to Jim Jones and what Jim Jones has done in this game."

He continued:

"A lot of these rappers have done a tremendous job. And I take nothing away from them. But they forget, I got a helluva catalog. Gold records, platinum records. Gold albums, platinum albums … Check my track record. Then check everybody else track record.”

Rapper Jim Jones performs at Barclays Center on July 14, 2019. (Image via Getty)

Additionally, Jones repeated his claim during his appearance on the Bag Fuel podcast on June 25, 2025. He suggested that taking Nas' name to claim his own superiority over Nas gave the rapper clout, stating:

"What I did for Nas probably has never been done in his life. He's never been this viral at all ever... Last time he was in some sh*t like this was when people was comparing him with Jay-Z."

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While Nas hasn't responded to Jones' thoughts, the statements have resulted in backlash against him Jones wherein netizens believe the comparision is uncalled for.

Edited by DEEPALI