Jay-Z Admits He Nearly Walked Away From Rap After His First Album: ‘I Didn’t Love Being An Artist’

JAY-Z

Jay-Z Admits He Nearly Walked Away From Rap After His First Album: ‘I Didn’t Love Being An Artist’

Jay-Z built one of hip-hop’s most celebrated careers, but the Brooklyn legend says he once had little interest in actually living the life of a recording artist.

During a conversation with Rick Rubin for the new “JAŸ-Z In 8” HBO Max docuseries and podcast, Jay reflected on the period surrounding his 1996 debut album, “Reasonable Doubt.” The rapper revealed that he considered walking away from music after the project and focusing instead on becoming a businessman.

At the time, Jay said the lifestyle attached to rap did not necessarily seem like an upgrade from what he was already experiencing.

“Rappers were pulling up in turtle tops and minivans, and we was coming with 4Runners and Lexuses and Acuras. You want to do that? We already doing this? That seems like a step backwards,” he reportedly said.

It was not just the money or image that made him question the career. Jay admitted that several parts of being a public-facing artist simply did not appeal to him.

“I didn’t love being an artist… I didn’t like shooting videos. Didn’t like doing interviews. I didn’t like speaking,” he explained.

Jay reportedly viewed music mogul Russell Simmons as an example of the type of executive path he wanted to pursue.

Of course, Jay ultimately stayed behind the microphone, releasing multiple chart-topping albums while simultaneously building an extensive business portfolio.

His last solo studio album, “4:44,” arrived in 2017, leaving fans wondering whether another full-length Jay-Z project could eventually bring him back into album mode.

Are you glad Hov stuck around?