The one reason Jay-Z doesn’t want to be filmed: “We had fights over that”
Billionaire rapper Jay-Z has been around cameras for his entire career. Whether collaborating with Hype Williams on a fly new music video or preparing to be on the front cover of GQ magazine, the star was used to staring down the long-lens barrel of a Canon and posing for the fleeting flash of a photographer’s jet-black Nikon.
However, the Black Album musician isn’t a fan of cameras and actively avoids them unless it’s for work purposes. The hours Jay has spent in front of cameras are unimaginable and amount to more than we fans can comprehend. Many people long for the kind of attention Jay-Z gets and would do anything to be in his position, yet it’s understandable that after 25 years of such fixation by the public, Jay has become overwhelmed.
The ‘Dirt Off My Shoulder’ lyricist had legions of fans, but after he and Beyoncé became the biggest power couple in the US, he became far more than just an emcee but a pop culture icon. However, the more interested fans became in their relationship, the more Jay and Beyoncé retreated from public appearances.
Jay-Z was a regular feature on MTV News during the 2000s, but only to speak about his music. Concerning questions, both Jay and Beyoncé made sure journalists were briefed before they sat down in front of the camera, but in 2003, the ‘Big Pimpin’ lyricist opened up to fans.
The Brooklyn artist released his debut project, Reasonable Doubt, in 1996. The aforementioned put Jay-Z on the map, and with a tenacious work rate, he released full bodies of work annually for six consecutive years, the last of which was The Black Album.
Released in 2003, Jay-Z declared The Black Album would be his final project. As such, he released a DVD documentary to accompany the album, which showcased the process of making the album and showed icons such as Kanye West, Timbaland, and Pharrell Williams.
To record Fade To Black, he allowed cameras to follow him as he brought what was believed to be his final project to life. However, Jay is very discerning about the interviews he participates in and still is.
In a 2023 interview with Tidal, Jay-Z reflected on why he doesn’t like cameras, unveiling, “Yeah, we don’t come from that school. We come from the don’t-you-ever-record-us school.” He quoted his 2013 track ‘Oceans’ to drive home the point rhyming, “See me in s*** you never saw / If it wasn’t for these pictures you wouldn’t see me at all.”
Recalling his childhood, during which filming was always considered a risk of future incrimination, Jay continued, “We come from that school, and we had fights over that. N****s trying to record — ‘Aye yo, don’t record me, champ. I ain’t into that.’ We come from a different world. That’s why The Black Album was so special. It was the first time cameras came into the studios and just lived with us.”
Following the birth of his daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, Jay-Z became even more of a recluse, as did his wife, Beyoncé. The latter has previously spoken about her deep disdain for photos and social media and the effect it has had on how people listen to her music. According to the vocalist, the fixation of fans on her private life has led to people becoming more interested in her daughter and marriage than her voice. Jay-Z has expressed similar concerns.