Jay-Z is an artist whose reputation is larger than life. He owns one of the most successful careers in hip-hop history, in addition to quite a track record as an executive and businessman. However, these days, he isn't the most outwardly active figure.
That fact makes Jay's most recent interview noteworthy. In the rare sit-down with GQ, Jay-Z gave listeners a lot to chew on. He discussed a variety of topics, including his relationship with J. Cole, the Kendrick vs Drake beef, and a lawsuit against him that was recently dropped. He also notably talked about making music himself.
It's been almost a decade since the last true Jay-Z solo album, 2017's 4:44, and many would surely love to hear new music from him. However, based on his statements from the GQ interview, longtime fans probably shouldn't expect any new Hov music, at least in the near future.
Jay-Z dropped some hard truths about his present artistry and creative process
The interview, conducted by Frazier Tharpe, first gets into Jay's current state of creation through the lens of working with his wife, Beyoncé. Jay gives her flowers for her talent and talks about the joy that comes from working with her. Tharpe then asks Jay if it provides him with a spark to pick up the pen and create for himself.
"It actually does the opposite. I’m actually fulfilled in that space," said Jay. "Just to be like, you know, a small cog in that wheel. I'm getting out that creativity." Jay-Z truly enjoys working musically with Beyoncé, and they have made some great music together. But according to him, it's not something that'll spur output in his own career.
On top of his preoccupation with his wife's music, Jay didn't sound like he believed his own recent material was fit for release. Laughing, he admitted, "I have a lot of scratch ideas, and they’re all bad. I got to be honest." It's tough to imagine Jay-Z's current music being trash, but it's at least not up to standard in his eyes.
He also conceded that the tone of his recent stuff might not be right. Jay stated that he only knows how to make music that reflects his current feelings and reality, and he talked about the last year being "heavy" for him. "I don’t know if it would have done more harm than good," he said about dropping a more fiery offering.
Finally, Tharpe asked Jay-Z what a great Jay-Z album would look like now. Jay stated plainly that he didn't know. "I don’t know what I need to create currently that’s going to fulfill me and make me happy because that’s most important." What Jay did say he knows is that any releases in the future will be timeless, honest, and true to him.
When taking all of Jay-Z's statements from the GQ article together, a picture emerges. Hov is at a point in his career where he is okay with not rushing anything out. He simply wants to make music as he feels called to do so, always speaking to his reality. If he thinks that it's good and right for him, he may just put it out. If not, no pressure.
In the meantime, Jay is more than happy to help in the creative processes of his family, which gives him a fulfillment in its own way. Even if it is surely disappointing to hear that Jay-Z isn't on the verge of a new release, he is content with where he's at as an artist, and that should make fans happy for him.