20 Best Jay-Z Interview Quotes

Unlike fellow members of the upper echelon, Jay Z was consistently winning throughout the timeline of the golden era, moving through to contemporary hip-hop music. Along with one-time business partners Dame Dash and Kareem “Biggs” Burke, Shawn Carter redefined the term “blazing your own trail,” and dropped so many classic records, it’s nearly impossible to create a unanimous list; although, Jay himself has tried to rank his albums in recent memory.
Older heads will remember that he toured with Big Daddy Kane, was one of the forefathers of the fast-rap style alongside Jaz-O and was working on a collaborative album with Biggie at the time of his death. Younger heads may be more familiar with his recent work alongside Kanye West or his upcoming collabo with Future, whom he ushered into the game under his Roc-A-Fella label. Recently, though, he’s been recognized for his numerous business ventures as well as his marriage — and family — with mega-star Beyonce.
Jay-Z has so many hats that it’s difficult to find an appropriate way to sum him up. Author, artist, president, agent — the list goes on. He owns clothing lines, restaurants, liquor, had his hand in sports teams and created a catalog that spans hip-hop music as we know it. Starting as a hustler from the Marcy Projects, he’s a hyper-example of the American dream and truly a brilliant mind all at the same time.
When he does give formal interviews, which have been rare over the past 26 years, he’s been known to leave behind glimmering nuggets of knowledge. As a salute to Jigga, who was the first person (alongside Master P) to grace the cover of XXL, we’ve collected some of his best quotes — they range from insightful and motivational to revealing. All hail the king.