Jay-Z Reflects on “Manifesting” His Life on Early Records at ‘Jay-Z in 8’ World Premiere

At the black-tie premiere of HBO Max’s upcoming docuseries Jay-Z in 8 on Sunday at New York’s Metropolitan Opera House, the rapper and mogul reflected on his recent run of shows at Yankee Stadium, his lengthy talks with producer and director Rick Rubin for the series and how some of what he raps about on his debut album has manifested in his life.

The series, which premieres Sunday, caps an active summer for Jay-Z, who headlined the Roots Picnic festival, his first performance on top of a bill in six years. And in July, the rap superstar commemorated the 25th and 30th anniversaries of his albums, The Blueprint, and his debut, Reasonable Doubt, with a series of concerts at Yankee Stadium. The shows shattered attendance records at the stadium and featured an array of famous guests, including Rihanna, Beyoncé, Pharrell Williams, Alicia Keys, Eminem, Nas and many more.

Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter on the red carpet Sunday, Jay-Z reflected on performing songs from his early records for a massive audience decades after they were recorded.

“It was just phenomenal to have these songs still resonate,” he said. “And they weren’t made for such a big venue. So to see ‘Can I Live’ or ‘D’Evils’ connect in such big stadiums — it’s a testament to the work that was created.”

As for the nostalgia of performing songs written when he was in his mid-to-late 20s, the man who came out of Brooklyn’s Marcy Houses to be worth an estimated $2.8 billion, per Forbes, said plenty of his life is laid out on those tracks.

“Just going back through there, there were a lot of things that were said — a lot of manifesting in those songs,” he explained. “A lot of those things came true. So to just go back and connect with those things — it’s just a phenomenal feeling, because you believe it at the time and you hope. And now, reflecting, a lot of those things came true.”

The conversations in the forthcoming series take place in a desolate museum and are one-on-one with Rubin, the Def Jam Records founder and a pioneering hip-hop producer behind notable records from Run-D.M.C., Public Enemy and the Geto Boys, as well as the seminal Jay-Z track “99 Problems.” Over the course of the series, the two walk through Jay-Z’s career and discuss his lyrics, life experiences and creative process. Their long history and Rubin’s deep knowledge of hip-hop made the shoot a breeze for the rap icon.

“I know Rick so well; it’s easy talking to him. And because he’s so studied, he was able to pick up on a lot of what I was saying and take it in different places,” he told THR. “He’s super curious, so it wasn’t like sitting for an interview. He’s really genuinely curious about what we were talking about, and it makes for a fascinating conversation.”

Sunday’s black-tie affair saw stars of the hip-hop world and beyond step out to watch the first two episodes of the series and pay respect to the man Vibe called “the greatest rapper of all time” in 2023. Fat Joe, DJ Khaled, Yo Gotti, Charlamagne tha God, Winnie Harlow, Gunna, Rubin and Neil deGrasse Tyson were among those spotted at the event’s red carpet. Before the screening began, Jay-Z’s wife, Beyoncé, reportedly slipped in to watch the premiere at his side.

Oscar winner Daniel Kaluuya, who serves as an executive producer alongside Jay-Z and Rubin on the docuseries, spoke about his interest in the rapper and why his legacy deserves this multi-part treatment.

“He tells the truth. He’s honest. He wears it out. His tone is very much of that generation of New York, and that’s fascinating — his story represents a lot of things that have happened with American society,” Kaluuya told THR. “He’s documenting what he’s around, and the environment and the culture that allowed Jay-Z to rise to the top of it.”