Photo: Roc Nation
JAŸ-Z was in the building to talk about his upcoming docuseries as part of his "JAŸ-Z 30" celebrations.
On Sunday night, September 13, the Roc Nation founder attended an exclusive event at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City for the world premiere of his new HBO docuseries, "JAŸ-Z In 8." He walked the red carpet and spoke to the press about the eight-episode documentary while other celebrities, including his wife, Beyoncé, Slick Rick, Fat Joe, Nas, Alicia Keys, Swizz Beatz, and more, pulled up to the event. According to The Breakfast Club, Angie Martinez introduced Hov before he addressed the crowd.
"It's been an extraordinary year. It's 'JAY-Z 30,'" he said. "I want to thank all you guys for coming to the concert and traveling all around the world. We didn't create this piece to come out at this time. We were just curious to have this conversation around music. I think what makes it really special is that the love we have for music and Rick was super curious about the world that a lot of us come from and it's super fascinating, if I do say so myself.
HBO debuted the trailer for "JAŸ-Z In 8" last month. The eight-episode docuseries will focus on Hov's intimate conversations with Def Jam Recordings co-founder Rick Rubin. The New York native will break down his writing process and dive deep into the words and music that inspired his own work. JAŸ-Z will also reveal how his lyrics from songs like “99 Problems,” “Brooklyn’s Finest,” and “4:44” reflect his childhood and the life experiences that shaped him.
The docuseries was announced in June as part of the festivities surrounding the 30th anniversary of Reasonable Doubt. JAŸ-Z In 8 debuts Friday, September 18, beginning with chapters one and two. The series will drop new episodes weekly until October 9.
See more scenes from the world premiere below.