‘JAŸ-Z in 8’: 4 Things We Learned From Episode Four

JAŸ-Z in 8 is four episodes in and has been insightful so far.

We covered the first three episodes after an exclusive screening a few weeks back on Sept. 13 — and on the red carpet, JAŸ-Z told Billboard that none of the conversations he had were “difficult,” even when he dug deeper into the some of the feelings he had when making some of his most emotional records.

Take a song like “You Must Love Me,” which he covered in the third episode for instance, when he rapped early on in his career about the guilt and shame he felt when he notoriously shot his brother in his shoulder, and the collateral damage he caused when dealing drugs. It’s always been a song that his core fanbase has revered — and he spoke on how the booth became therapeutic for an introvert such as himself. In there, he can say things that he would never say in a conversation with other people. That In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 track is one of his rawest songs to date.

I use that as an example to intro our takeaways from episode four because he and Rick Rubin start this one off with “Where Have You Been,” a song featuring Philadelphia rapper Beanie Sigel, where the two of them give one of the most heart-wrenching performances ever recorded on wax as they rap about the traumatic experience they had growing up without their fathers around. As Jay and Rick broke this song down, the Brooklyn MC revealed that he eventually made amends with his pops, only to lose him about a month later. It’s truly a sad set of circumstances, and gives insight into an artist who has been known for keeping certain feelings close his vest.

The rest of the episode took on a lighter note, though, as Jigga talked about his studio habits and process, the Best Rapper Alive convos people were having during his In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 era, and the now-iconic look of him wearing a bulletproof vest over a white t-shirt while wearing a Rolex.

Check out the four key takeaways we had from JAŸ-Z in 8‘s fourth episode below.