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Jay-Z spoke to GQ about his family, reflecting on fatherhood, his working relationship with Beyoncé, and Blue Ivy Carter’s musical talent. She revealed that she has watched her daughter grow up through Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter tour, and emphasized how proud she was to see her daughter fight for something. It also revealed Blue’s rare musical talent and why she won’t let her get a piano teacher.
In his first extended interview with GQ in years, Jay-Z spoke freely about how proud and impressed he is by the rising star power of his 14-year-old daughter Blue Ivy Carter. The paper asked Blue what she thought about Beyoncé’s appearance as a backup dancer on her Cowboy Carter tour.
Jay-Z praised her work and further revealed how deeply talented Blue is.
“It was amazing,” he said of her work on the Cowboy Carter Tour. “On her first tour (the Renaissance World Tour, where Blue also appeared as a backup dancer), there was a lot of talk about her first performance. She worked hard to get there, but she still wasn’t there. She was still trying. And I just started fighting back. I saw her fight, like, everything was just given to her and it wasn’t all that easy. She fought for it. I had to take her.” Like, “There’s no way you’re going to be on that stage when she’s singing ‘Six Inch Heels…’ Are you crazy?”
Blue also added that he is particular about how he approaches music. “Blue is a crazy pianist, but they won’t let him get a teacher,” he said. “She doesn’t want to make it her job. But she has perfect pitch. When she hears a song, she’s like, ‘Let’s play it again,’ and then she teaches herself. It’s just a talent, she doesn’t make it her job. She’s worked on this. I’m proud of her for fighting for what she really wanted to do. I don’t think we can take her off that stage now.”
The rapper also spoke more broadly about fatherhood and his life raising Blue and her 8-year-old twin brothers, Rumi and Sir. “It gives meaning to everything, everything,” he said. “I fly across the country, do what I have to do, and get back on the plane that night. I love taking my kids to school. I love picking them up. It all means so much.”
He also briefly mentioned the songwriting work on Beyoncé’s music, saying, “I know what she’s trying to accomplish and whatever I can contribute. So, it’s my family first and foremost. I thought that was very important. And it’s a fun challenge.”
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