Jay-Z recently sat down for an interview with Gayle King at his Book of Hov tribute exhibition, where he opened up about various aspects of his life. From discussing the scrutiny surrounding his daughter Blue Ivy’s hair to sharing insight into his music and personal journey, the iconic rapper gave fans a glimpse into his experiences.
Blue Ivy’s Natural Hair
In a recent interview with Gayle King on Oct. 26, Jay-Z addressed the scrutiny that his daughter Blue Ivy has faced due to her appearance, specifically her hair. At just a young age, Blue was met with criticism by many about her physical appearance and mostly her hair.
Even by grown adults, dating back to when model Karrueche Tran made a joke about the little girl. Tran stated:
“Here are the top six things Blue Ivy thought about the VMAs. I really did wake up like this because my parents never comb my hair.”
Hov expressed:
“What makes me super proud and I still get goosebumps seeing her walk onstage is because Blue’s been … born into a life she didn’t ask for,” Jay-Z said. “Since she was born, she’s been in scrutiny and public eye, and everyone having an opinion even [on] a little girl, how she keeps her hair.” He continued, “So for her to be on that stage and reclaim her power, and the song is called My Power … you can’t write a better script.”
Jay-Z Talks Selling His Masters
Blue Ivy made headlines when she joined her mother, Beyoncé, onstage during the Renaissance World Tour and danced alongside her mother to the track “My Power.”
Music was another topic of discussion. When asked about selling his masters, Jay-Z explained:
“I get why people do it. I’ve been fortunate enough to make money in this place, but for me it was the fight of my life, from being an independent company from the beginning and then going through the Def Jam system, not really understanding how that works and not having my masters.”
He continued on explaining how he got his masters “rever” back to him, where he ended off by saying:
“If they decide to sell it, then it’s up to them”
Known for his thoughtful approach to music, Jay-Z mentioned that he wants to create something meaningful with his music. He expressed:
“I’ll say I want to make music, but it has to be something important. I don’t want to just make a bunch of tunes. That’s not going to serve me and it won’t feed me, first of all.”
New Music On The Way?
Speculation is rife among fans about new music possibly in the works, especially after Jay-Z mentioned cutting his hair. One fan wrote, “Jay-Z said he’s preparing his family for when he cuts his hair and that means new music is on the way! I’m going to cry.”
In 2009, Jay stated in an interview with New York’s Hot 97 on growing his hair. He stated:
“When I make music, I normally don’t cut my hair. I started [working on Blueprint 3] last year and it’s getting really bad it’s terrible. But I think for the art, I can live with it.”
Halle Bailey Celebrates Black Hair
The interview with Jay-Z touches on the issue of scrutiny surrounding hair, particularly within the Black community. The importance of Black hair and representation was demonstrated by Halle Bailey, who made a groundbreaking debut in Disney’s The Little Mermaid where she embraced and showcased her natural hair. Bailey’s role as Ariel celebrated Black hair and redefined beauty standards within the film industry.