Jay-Z believes good music requires an "honest" approach.
The 56-year-old rap star believes authenticity has been key to his success, and Jay doesn't intend to change his approach.
Asked to explain the hallmarks of a great Jay-Z album, he told GQ: "I don’t know what I need to create currently that’s going to fulfil me and make me happy because that’s most important. I know I just got to be honest about what I feel and where I am.
"Maybe I’m overthinking it. Maybe I’m stopping myself from just creating. Whatever it is, it just needs to be a true representation of how I feel. Trying to create something that people like is where I think a lot of artists get jammed up. And people can feel that because it’s not authentic. I just got to make something timeless that I really love and that’s really honest and true to who I am."
Jay had a modest childhood in New York City, before achieving billionaire status through the course of his music career.
Despite this, Jay feels as though he's remained true to himself.
The rapper - who has been married to Beyonce since 2008 - explained: "You can believe what you want to believe. And people behave the way they want to behave—it’s not a dollar amount. It’s almost like a cop-out. You get to demonize this group of folks without fixing the actual system that exists, that’s in play. [Money] may enhance it or may cause you to act in a way. But you was going to act like that anyway."
Meanwhile, Jay has revealed that he's not a fan of rap battles.
The Grammy-winning star admitted that he didn't enjoy the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef.
Jay said: "Now, people that like Kendrick hate Drake, no matter what he makes. It’s like an attack on his character. I don’t know if I love that. I don’t know if it’s helpful to our growth where the fallout lands, especially on social media."
