Lloyd Banks performs G-Unit diss track “I Smell” aimed at Ja Rule at Rotterdam festival [VIDEO]

The 2003 Ja Rule and Irv Gotti diss gets a live airing in the Netherlands months after flight confrontation with Tony Yayo

Lloyd Banks performed G-Unit’s 2003 Murder Inc. diss track “I Smell” at the Rotterdam Hip Hop Festival on May 10, directly targeting Ja Rule and the late Irv Gotti. The clip was uploaded to YouTube by WHY TV on May 11. It shows the former G-Unit rapper delivering his verse over the instrumental backing at the Maassilo venue.

The song’s opening lines rang out 23 years after the original release. In addition, it comes three months after Ja Rule’s flight confrontation with Tony Yayo and Uncle Murda. The video has accumulated over 11,000 views as of press time.

The feud that began in the early 2000s remains unresolved. Meanwhile, Banks’ setlist choice reflects where his loyalty still stands.

Origins of the “I Smell” Diss Track and Its Lasting Impact

The track “I Smell” was released in 2002 and later included on G-Unit’s album Beg for Mercy during the height of the group’s feud with Ja Rule and Murder Inc. The conflict pitted 50 Cent and his G-Unit roster against Ja Rule and his label, founded by Irv Gotti, who died in February 2025. The song’s lyrics directly name Irv and Ja, with additional jabs at Murder Inc. associates.

Lloyd Banks delivered one of the primary verses on the original recording. Thus, showcasing the punchline-heavy style that earned him a reputation as a skilled lyricist. The track was part of a wave of G-Unit diss records that included “Your Life Is on the Line” and “Back Down.” Industry observers have credited these songs with contributing to Murder Inc.’s commercial decline in the mid-2000s.

By 2005, Ja Rule’s commercial momentum had slowed significantly. The G-Unit campaign against him and Murder Inc. is often cited as a major factor in that shift. Banks has continued to perform G-Unit material throughout his solo career, even after his own departure from the group and label.

Ja Rule’s Airplane Clash with Tony Yayo and Uncle Murda

In February 2026, an incident between Ja Rule, Tony Yayo, and Uncle Murda demonstrated that the decades-old feud had not cooled. During Super Bowl weekend on a Delta flight from San Francisco to New York, Ja Rule boarded to find Yayo and Uncle Murda already in the cabin filming a “Real Report” segment. What began as an unexpected encounter quickly escalated into a confrontation that drew every passenger’s attention.

The viral clip that spread across social media showed Ja Rule standing in the aisle, exchanging heated words with the two G-Unit affiliates, and throwing a pillow toward Yayo. Crew members intervened quickly, and both parties were temporarily removed from the aircraft. No arrests were made, and no physical violence occurred beyond the pillow toss.

Following the flight incident, Ja Rule issued a public apology. Thus, calling his behavior “goofy.” However, just days later, he responded to an AI-generated video recapping the incident by claiming he beat up Tony Yayo and referenced 50 Cent as Yayo’s “daddy.” The Instagram comment exploded across hip-hop platforms.

Banks Performed Diss Alongside His Solo Hits in Rotterdam

Lloyd Banks’ performance at the Rotterdam Hip Hop Festival took place at the Maassilo venue, an indoor industrial space repurposed for large-scale concerts. The festival lineup placed him in the 19:30 time slot, following a local legends battle and preceding M.O.P. at 20:30 and Redman later in the evening. Tickets, including meet-and-greet packages priced at €216 each, sold through Ticketmaster.

The video clip captures Banks launching into “I Smell” after a brief spoken intro. Footage shows Banks on stage with standard festival lighting and sound equipment, delivering his verse without extended stage banter. The video runs just over one minute. Thus, isolating this particular track from what appears to have been a broader set.

Setlist documentation from Ticketmaster and concert history databases confirms the track was performed that night. Additional fan-recorded clips from the festival show Banks also performed solo material such as “On Fire” and “Beamer, Benz, or Bentley.” His European tour continued after Rotterdam with a scheduled stop in Oslo, Norway, on May 15.

Feud Has Produced Multiple Viral Moments Over the Years

The original G-Unit versus Murder Inc. conflict dominated hip-hop discourse between 2002 and 2004, with diss tracks and radio call-ins becoming part of the public record. 50 Cent famously claimed that Ja Rule’s career never recovered from the feud. By the late 2000s, both parties had largely ceased public exchanges. However, that was until 2026.

The February flight incident changed that. What began as a pillow toss on a Delta flight became a series of social media exchanges and interview responses. Uncle Murda’s decision to film the confrontation for his and Yayo’s “Real Report” series ensured the footage would spread rapidly. As a result, Murda and Yayo both mockingly thanked Ja Rule for the promo.

Lloyd Banks left G-Unit and G-Unit Records in 2018. So, he was not involved in the February exchange. However, his Rotterdam performance, coming three months after the flight incident, can be interpreted as either a coincidence of setlist planning or a deliberate choice. Banks has not publicly commented on the timing as of press time.

Social Media Comments Focus on Nostalgia and Lyricism

The 42 comments on the YouTube video reflect a mix of nostalgia, praise for Banks’ technical ability, and observations about the passage of time. Multiple users referred to the track as a “classic” or “throwback.” One comment read, “This takes me back to high school. G-Unit was untouchable for a minute.”

Some commenters questioned why Banks would perform a diss track aimed at a feud that many assumed had cooled. “Ja Rule just had that flight thing with Yayo a few months ago,” one user wrote. Others defended the choice as simply performing catalog material. “It’s a song he made. He’s allowed to perform it,” another comment read.

A few comments noted that Irv Gotti, one of the track’s targets, had passed away. “Irv died last year. This feels weird now,” one user wrote. Others praised Banks’ delivery, with one comment reading, “Still one of the best to ever do it. Flow hasn’t dropped at all.”

Final Thought

Lloyd Banks performed a diss track aimed at Ja Rule and Irv Gotti in Rotterdam on May 10, 2026. That is 23 years after the song was recorded. However, it was also months after the feud it referenced reignited. The crowd at Maassilo heard the same opening lines that once helped define one of hip-hop’s bitterest label wars.

No response has come from Ja Rule. The performance was simply a man doing his job, revisiting a catalog that includes a song called “I Smell” aimed at people who have not engaged with him in years. The track remains in his repertoire. The target remains silent. And hip-hop fans are left debating whether it was nostalgia or just business.