Jay-Z’s music career has taken something of a backseat to his various business interests in recent years – his last solo album 4:44 was released way back in 2017. But he’s dipping back into that world in a new eight-part documentary series that starts in September.
It’s called Jay-Z In 8 – or perhaps, given that he’s now officially added an umlaut to his name and capped it, that should be JAŸ-Z In 8. However you choose to pronounce that, it’s directed by Rick Rubin and features eight conversations between the two men about creativity, influences and the experiences that shaped the rapper’s three decade plus career.
According to the synopsis of the show it involves: “Travelling song by song through JAŸ-Z’s extensive back catalogue... Rick Rubin curates an expert playlist as a means of examining the creative process of a music legend. Across eight episodes, the pair discuss key influences, formative experiences, and his singular approach to artistic innovation.”
The series will be shown via HBO in the States and Canada and on MUBI everywhere else in the world. The first two episodes will debut on Saturday 19 September with the rest of the series coming in two episode portions every Saturday until it concludes on 10 October.
The rapper has been playing some live shows this summer on his JAŸ-Z 30 tour, which commemorates the fact that it’s three decades since his 1996 debut album Reasonable Doubt. Next week he has two shows at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium in North London, followed by a date at the Stade De France in Paris. Then there are another two shows at LA’s SOFI Stadium in October.
As for a new album, aside from a few one-off tracks and the occasional feature there’s been no indication that the rapper is planning another full-length record.
