Jay-Z Says He’s Not Retired From Rap in Rare Interview

Jay-Z recently sat down for a rare interview with comedian Kevin Hart where the rap icon opened up about retirement.

Hov and Hart chopped it up for an upcoming episode of the second season of Kev’s Hart to Heart show on Peacock. In a snippet of the rap session released by Access on Wednesday (July 13), the hip-hop billionaire rejected the thought that he retired from the rap game despite his sparse contributions recently.

“Nah, I tried [retirement]. I’m terrible at that” Jay said, referencing the time when he claimed he was getting out of the rap game following the release of The Black Album in 2003. “I just needed a break … I was really burnt out at that time. I was releasing an album every year … I just looked up one day and I was like, ‘I’m tired.’ I’d never been on vacation until, say, 2000, my whole life.”

Though retirement isn’t in the cards just yet, Jay-Z has no set plans on his next musical step.

“I don’t know what happens next,” he added. “I’m not actively making music or making an album or have plans to make an album, but I never want to say that I’m retired. It’s a gift, and who am I to shut it off? It’s open to whatever. And it may have a different form or interpretation. Maybe it’s not an album, maybe it is. I have no idea, but I’m just going to leave it open.”

The question of whether or not Jay-Z’s body of work is complete has merit. Though he still puts out a couple of rare feature verses a year, he hasn’t released an LP since 2017’s 4:44, which turned five last month.

Watch a Clip of Jay-Z’s Interview With Kevin Hart Below

These Rappers Haven’t Dropped an Album in A While and We’re Still Waiting