Jay-Z opened up about the impact being a father to his daughter Blue Ivy has had on him.
The 51-year-old Hip-Hop mogul who shares three children, Blue Ivy, 9, and twins Sir and Rumi, 3, with his wife Beyoncé, spoke about what fatherhood means to him on LeBron James’ show The Shop: Uninterrupted.
WNBA star Nneka Ogwumike asked the rapper about his experience being a father to daughters and he spoke about the depths of his commitment to being a father. He said this commitment led him to learn how to swim after Blue Ivy was born in 2012.
Read More: Porsha Williams reveals fiancé’s name is tattooed on her neck
“It’s amazing. It’s a very grounding thing… I didn’t learn how to swim until Blue was born,” he said.
“There goes everything you need to know. This is a metaphor for our relationship. If she ever fell in the water and I couldn’t get her, I couldn’t even fathom that thought. I gotta learn how to swim. That’s it. That was the beginning of our relationship.”
He discussed Blue’s lackluster reaction to him being nominated for the 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in February, prior to his official induction.
“I got the announcement. I was taking Blue to school, I was like, ‘This ain’t no celebration,'” he said jokingly. “She walked away, I was like, ‘Yo, give me a kiss I’m in the Hall of Fame!’ She’s like ‘Bye, dad.'”
In a rare interview with The Sunday Times, Jay-Z acknowledged the musical empire he has built alongside Beyoncé, but said he wants his children to feel supported to embark on their own ventures when they’re older rather than following in their footsteps.
“Feeling loved is the most important thing a child needs, you know?” Jay-Z said in the interview. “Not ‘Here’s this business that I’m going to hand over to you, that I’m creating for you.’ What if my child doesn’t want to be in music or sports? I have no idea, right? But as long as your child feels supported, and feels loved, I think anything is possible.”
Read More: Jay-Z talks boycotting Grammys to support DMX: ‘It was big love’
During the COVID-19 pandemic and after spending quality time with his children, the rapper said he learned that family “is your foundation.”
“It’s easy for us as human beings to want our children to do certain things, but we have no idea,” Jay-Z said. “We’re just guides.”
Have you subscribed to theGrio’s podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!
TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire, and Roku. Download theGrio today!