JAŸ-Z in 8: Inside the Series
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Why did the creators decide to explore Jay‑Z’s artistry instead of his business persona?
TETRAGRAMMATON
There are so many Beatles documentaries, so many McCartney documentaries, and almost all of them seem to be about the same thing, either Beatlemania, or songwriting, both of which great topics. But there's a whole other world. And I was interested in the musicianship aspect of it. And I couldn't find books or films about the Beatles as musicians. So that was the focus of 321. Having that experience, thinking, who's a popular artist who may not be seen as they actually are? And I thought about Jay because people think about Jay as a great businessman, executive, billionaire, married to Beyonce. I just thought it'd be really beautiful to show that artistry because without the artistry, none of the other stuff happens.
And I'm so happy he decided to do it.
Yeah, especially because he doesn't really do many interviews. I don't feel like watching it, it occurred to me that I don't think I've ever heard him speak at such length before.
I remember hearing that you wanted your first album to be your only album. That was your original plan.
Tell me
about that.
I don't know where that thought came from, but it was serious for me. I had these goals. I have one record, it'll go gold, and that'll be it. And then I'll have this company. I've always thought like a businessman. It was like I was fighting an artist. I didn't love being an artist. I didn't like shooting videos. I didn't like interviews. I didn't like speaking. I was pretty much introvert. This was the way I spoke. i would never talk like that if you were sitting around me people that sat around me was like go look it up everyone says he was so quiet he never said anything about i would never talk like in those days i would never have a conversation You know, and it was part of the, you know, my job. Not talking to people, keep yourself sane, stay in the shadows.
You a hustler? You want to be on TV? That goes against everything.
Who are
you? There's no early footage of me. would never let any cameras come around me. Film me? Oh no, we gonna have a fight. Like there's gonna be a problem filming me. So everything that I was doing was counterintuitive to how I lived. And I didn't like it. the music business. I wanted to do it because I had a dream and I had a talent to do it, but I didn't want to be in. Yeah, you didn't aspire to be an artist. I didn't aspire to be an artist. Yeah. So I was like, I'm going to do this and then I'll have a company.
Daniel, to some people, you and Rick linking up is a bit of an unlikely pairing.
How did Jay‑Z’s original plan to make only one album shape his early career?
And so I wonder, what was it about your conversations or things that you share in common that made you think that you guys should actually work together?
Then we happened to be hanging out. And then he said, I want to show you something. And then he showed it to me. And I was like, I like you. These are my thoughts. And then he mentions my Jay-Z thing, and I was like, cool. He said it's eight hours long. So I was ready for eight hours. Then in by like three and a half, it was, it's so dense. It was hard. It was like steep. But then I was, I wrote some thoughts that I had about it. So I was like, oh, this and that and this and that and this. I remember he said verbatim, he was like, he said, I don't know what you're talking about. I think you do though. So why don't you do it? And then I was like, what do you mean? He said, you do it. And I was like, all right, cool.
And then I did it. What's mad is that, like, I just, I love music and it's like, I get bored of modern music. There's no feeling in it. There's money in it. And then like, I just finished listening to Jay-Z chronologically, just randomly. I was just like, just going to my favorite artists and listening chronologically. So yeah, it wasn't like, oh, let's work. It was just that kind of like, you had this idea and I had thoughts about it. Then I just was invested.
Yeah, and I think I share your sentiments, especially perhaps where rappers concern that there isn't as much feeling as a lot of the rappers that I grew up on. Because I think that for a lot of people, Jay's always spoken about as one of the best to ever do it.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
Why did the creators decide to explore Jay‑Z’s artistry instead of his business persona?
0:00–3:24
2
How did Jay‑Z’s original plan to make only one album shape his early career?
3:24–5:57
3
What sparked the unlikely collaboration between Rick Rubin and Daniel Kaluuya?
5:57–9:09
4
Why do the hosts believe hip‑hop is the modern equivalent of punk rock?
9:09–13:10
5
How did the documentary’s camera‑free, intimate setup affect Jay‑Z’s openness?
13:10–16:08
6
What does breaking down Jay‑Z’s lyrics reveal about his hidden stories?
16:08–18:55
7
What advice do the guests give emerging artists navigating today’s attention economy?
18:55–21:36
8
Which Jay‑Z tracks do the panel consider the most pivotal for his creative evolution?
21:36–25:29