Jay-Z Says Rap is a Young Man's Sport

JAY-Z I think that rap in particular is a young man's sport, that I'll move out of that white-hot space. Rap is about the gift of discovery. The white-hot space is when it's fresh and new, and it's like, this is the hottest song ever. I mean I pushed the window, like —

BAQUET You still — you think you're still in that space?

JAY-Z I stretched it. Oh, I stood in that window a really long time. But still, no, I don't think people are looking to me as like, The Thing.

BAQUET Is that hard to deal with, or did you feel like, I'm O.K. with that, because I've moved on?

JAY-Z No.

BAQUET You don't want to be.

JAY-Z 'Cause I, at the end of the day we gonna find out it's not about the white-hot space, but it's about finding the truth. That white-hot space — people think it's the biggest thing, but it's really small. It's almost like a trend.

Would you rather be a trend, or you rather be Ralph Lauren? You know what I mean; like, you rather be a trend, or you rather be forever?

I’m the person that looked at the Mona Lisa and be like, Man, that’s gonna be cool in 40 years. I play forever. And so my whole thing is to identify with the truth. Not to be the youngest, hottest, new, trendy thing.

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From “Jay-Z Discusses Rap, Marriage and Being a Black Man in Trump’s America,” an interview with Dean Banquet for the New York Times T Magazine. Photo from Coveteur 

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