It’s been nearly a decade since Jay-Z sat down for a truly intimate, in-depth interview. This week, fresh off selling out Yankee Stadium, HOV gave GQ his first long-form sit-down since 2017, and he didn’t hold back. Journalist Frazier Tharpe drew out a surprisingly candid side of the notoriously press-shy rapper, covering everything from family life to rap beefs to the sexual allegations that made headlines last year. Here are the eight revelations worth noting from the conversation:
1. He was heartbroken and enraged by the rape allegations
When a lawsuit surfaced alleging that Jay-Z had sexually assaulted a woman, the public watched him respond with unusual urgency and emotion; a stark contrast to the cool, unbothered persona he’s portrayed in recent years. In the GQ interview, he opened up about just how deeply the accusations impact him.
“It was hard. Really hard. I was heartbroken,” he shared. “We’re in a space now where it’s almost like consequence is not thought about enough. That whole [lawsuit thing], that s—t took a lot out of me. I was angry. I haven’t been that angry in a long time, uncontrollable anger. You don’t put that on someone—that’s a thing that you better be super sure.”
2. He’s beaming with pride over Blue Ivy’s work ethic
Blue Ivy has gone from adorable cameo to full-blown stage presence in a matter of years. First appearing during Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour, then stepping up in a major way during the Cowboy Carter Tour, Blue Ivy dance cameos have become fan favorites. For Jay-Z, watching his daughter earn her place in the spotlight has been one of his proudest moments as a father. And though some talents come to her naturally, he was especially proud to see her hustle for this one.
“I saw her fight maybe for the first time in her life—like, not everything is just given to her and everything is easy. She fought for it. She’s almost on every number,” he shared. “Blue is a crazy pianist, but she won’t let us get her a teacher. She doesn’t want it to be a job. But she has perfect pitch. If she hears a song, she’ll be like ‘Play it again,’ and then she’ll teach herself. That’s just talent; she doesn’t work at that. She worked at this [dancing], and it makes me proud that she fought for something that she really wanted to do. I don’t think we’re going to be able to get her off that stage now.”
3. He’s unbothered and slightly amused by people trying to involve him in the Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar beef
When the Drake and Kendrick Lamar beef erupted last year, it sucked in seemingly everyone in hip-hop, with both camps trading accusations and implied alliances. Jay-Z, who was name-dropped in the melee, particularly after Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime headliner appointment, was not impressed by social media trying to pull him into someone else’s war.
“What do I care about them two guys battling? What’s that got to do with me? Have at it. They drag everybody in it, like everyone’s part of this conspiracy to undermine Drake, I guess. But, it’s like, what the f—k? I’m f—king Jay-Z!” he said, laughing. “All due respect to him. I’m f—king Hov. Respectfully.”
4. He has mixed feelings about present-day rap beefs
Though he admits to having done “the bulls—t” of rap beefs when he was young, now at 56, Jay-Z is not a fan of rap beefs or how they tend to take over pop culture.
“There are four pillars of hip-hop. There’s breakdancing, graffiti, there’s DJ’ing and battling,” he said. “We love the excitement, and I love the sparring, but in this day and age, there’s so much negative stuff that comes with it that you almost wish it didn’t happen.”
“Now, people who like Kendrick hate Drake, no matter what he makes. It’s like an attack on his character. I don’t know if I love that. I don’t know if it’s helpful to our growth where the fallout lands, especially on social media.”
Noting how stan culture can take it “too far,” the “Blueprint” rapper believes artists can create that same excitement through collaborations rather than battling. But as an OG in the industry, he acknowledges that it could sound hypocritical, given his past rap beefs.
“I hate that I have this point of view on it. I do. Because I know what it sounds like. It’s just how I feel about it,” he concluded.
5. He even regrets his beef with Nas
Once one of the most storied rivalries in rap history, Jay-Z and Nas’ rivalry produced hit tracks like “Ether” and “Takeover,” “Stillmatic” and “Supa Ugly” for both rappers. Ultimately ending in a truce and eventually the joint song “Black Republican” (among others), Jay-Z revealed that their iconic feud stemmed from tensions that had been “brewing” for years.
“It was a whole bunch of stuff leading up to that point. I actually regret that because I really like Nas. He’s a really nice guy,” he shared, later adding: “It takes growth to arrive at this place.”
6. He stands behind his Super Bowl halftime show decisions
Ever since his company, Roc Nation, began producing and curating the Super Bowl halftime show, social media users have consistently criticized the mogul for his artist choices. From conservatives voicing issues with Hispanic stars like Bad Bunny taking center stage or Hip Hop fans wondering why Kendrick Lamar was the first solo hip hop act to headline the show. Jay-Z has heard all the chatter, but isn’t second-guessing his decisions.
“I think everyone should experience music in its totality,” he said. “I’’m not going out on a limb. These are the most famous people in the world. I didn’t pick the indie artist that I really like from Portland. [This was] the number one streamed artist in the world. I got an idea, let’s let him [Bad Bunny] play.”
7. He’s proud of J. Cole and shuts down the narrative about their relationship
When J. Cole signed to Roc Nation in 2009, hip hop fans were excited at the possibility of the emerging North Carolina lyricist being mentored by one of the industry’s best rappers. However, through the years fans speculate that their relationship has taken a turn particularly after Cole rapped “no more record deals” in his 2026 track “Old Dogs.” Despite the speculation, Jay-Z says he doesn’t have “any negative feelings” towards Cole.
“I’m actually super proud of him and what he’s done,” Jay-Z expressed. “An artist’s expression should be their expression. I really fall back. That’s what I think happened with [J.] Cole. The narrative is that we didn’t love Cole. No, we believed in him enough to let him find his journey. It took him a minute, but he found his way.”
8. He’s not letting the “billionaire = bad morals” narrative stick
As Jay-Z has ascended to billionaire status, he’s faced a growing chorus of critics who argue that such wealth is inherently corrupting. But the “Roc Nation” founder pushed back firmly on the idea that a dollar amount determines a person’s character.
“I don’t give a f—k what you say. You can believe what you want to believe. And people behave the way they want to behave—it’s not a dollar amount. It’s almost like a cop-out. You get to demonize this group of folks without fixing the actual system that exists, that’s in play. [Money] may enhance it or may cause you to act in a way. But you was going to act like that anyway,” he explained. “Your morality defines who you are. Your morality is not defined by a dollar amount. And if so, what is that dollar amount? When does it start? If it’s a cutoff like ‘all millionaires are bad,’ at 999,000 I’m good? It can’t be that way. It doesn’t make any sense. I got successful the hard way, in spite of the way the system is set up. Everything was against me. My talent pushed against all the headwinds and I got successful that way. And with that success, I’ve done things with my reach that I wanted to do that was helpful for a lot of people.”
