For the better part of the last decade, Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter has let his business moves and music speak for him, keeping his personal opinions closely guarded. However, in a rare, expansive new interview for GQ’s April Global Issue, celebrating 30 years since the release of his legendary debut Reasonable Doubt, the hip-hop mogul is finally putting everything on the table.
Among the most highly anticipated topics? His decision to tap Kendrick Lamar for the upcoming Super Bowl Halftime Show, and his surprisingly candid thoughts on the current, highly toxic state of rap beef.
When it was announced that Lamar would headline the Super Bowl, the internet immediately erupted with conspiracy theories. Many fans speculated that Jay-Z, who co-produces the halftime show with Roc Nation, made the choice as a calculated slight against Drake amidst the rappers’ monumental feud.
Jay-Z completely shut that narrative down.
“I chose the guy that was having a monster year. I think it was the right choice,” Hov explained, dismissing the idea that he was picking sides in a rap battle. “What I care about them two guys battling, like, what’s that got to do with me? Have at it. Have fun.”
He also addressed the rumors that he was part of an industry-wide plot to undermine Drake, laughing off the sheer absurdity of the idea. “Like, everyone’s part of this conspiracy to undermine Drake, I guess. What the f***? Cool. Like, what? I’m f***ing Jay-Z. All due respect to him. I’m f***ing HOV.”
According to Jay-Z, the animosity between Kendrick and Drake had been brewing long before he was ever involved, comparing the slow build-up to his own historic feud with Nas in the early 2000s. Interestingly, he expressed regret over how the Nas beef played out, sharing, “I actually regret that because I really like Nas. He’s a really nice guy.”
While Jay-Z admits that he still appreciates the musical sparring and the incredible output of songs that battles generate, he believes that the landscape has changed for the worse.
Before social media, a rap battle was largely confined to the music. Today, it’s a 24/7 spectacle fueled by hyper-partisan fans.
“Now you have these pods of cults,” he shared. “And it’s like, it’s too far. It’s like bringing people’s kids in it… trying to wreck this guy’s marriage or this guy’s relationship with his child. I don’t know if it’s worth it at this point.”
Because the internet takes up “so much oxygen,” the focus is no longer just on who had the better verse, but rather on trying to completely tear down another person’s life and character.
Perhaps the most surprising moment of the interview came when one of the greatest battle-tested MCs in hip-hop history questioned whether the sport of rap beef even has a place in the genre’s future.
“I think we can achieve the same thing as far as sparring with music with collaborations, more so than breaking the whole thing apart,” Jay-Z reflected. Acknowledging that the intense negativity has taken the culture a few steps back, he made a bold statement: “I guess I’m going to say it, I don’t know if battling needs to be part of the culture anymore.”
Even as he said it, he recognized the weight of his words. “I hate that I had this point of view. I do, because I know what it sounds like. I know what it feels like. I hate it. I sound like the old guy wagging a finger.”
Check out the full interview below.
