From Brooklyn to Global Icon: Jay‑Z’s Story Will Unfold in 8-Part HBO Doc Series Directed by Rick Rubin
Jay-Z is getting the docu-series he richly deserves.
HBO has revealed the first teaser for JAŸ-Z IN 8, an 8-part series directed by another music industry legend, producer Rick Rubin. The two impresarios sat down to discuss Jay-Z’s music, lyrics, creative process, and life experience.
Rubin and Jay-Z go back more than two decades, to when Rubin produced and co-wrote his hit single “99 Problems” on his iconic “The Black Album” in 2003. This collaboration was a homecoming of sorts for Rubin, who returned to hip-hop after a 15-year hiatus to specifically work on the track. Using an 808 drum machine and guitar riffs, Rubin helped Jay-Z channel a 1980s Def Jam sound and suggested that Jay-Z start the track a cappella before the drums burst in. Rubin also worked as a creative consultant for Jay-Z on his 2013 album “Magna Carta Holy Grail,” bringing Rubin into the studio to listen to tracks and offer feedback.
Jay-Z’s life offers extremely rich material for a doc. Born Shawn Carter in Brooklyn, Jay-Z’s rise—from the Marcy Projects to early rejections by major record labels to co-founding Roc-A-Fella Records and releasing his instant-classic debut “Reasonable Doubt”—would be enough for a documentary itself. Yet that’s only the intro verse to his ascension into the very upper stratosphere of hip-hop stardom and business mogul. Needless to say, JAŸ-Z IN 8 will be a must-watch for music fans.
Check out the official teaser below.
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Featured image: JAŸ-Z, Rick Rubin. Photo courtesy HBO.
