Jay-Z is not interested in moving through his tough moments as if nothing happened. 

In GQ’s April 2026 cover story — a rare interview for the 56-year-old mogul, Shawn Carter got unusually candid about the things that have weighed on him, the ideas that still drive him, and why he is not rushing to feed the internet with new music just because fans want it. 

Writer, Frazier Tharpe, jumped right into it and asked Jay-Z, “How would you rate your 2025?”, to which he said, “It was hard. Really hard. I was heartbroken.” Jay-Z continued, “That whole [lawsuit thing], that sh*t took a lot out of me. I was angry. I haven’t been that angry in a long time, uncontrollable anger. You don’t put that on someone—that’s a thing that you better be super sure. It used to be like that. You had to be super sure before you put those kind of things on a person. Especially a person like me. I took that really hard. I knew that we were going to walk through that because, first of all, it’s not true. And the truth, at the end of the day, still reigns supreme.”

Even though the experience took a lot out of him, it also clarified where he stands:, “It’s not happening to you, it’s happening for you.” He said his family got through it, but he’s clear that this is the first major thing he’s doing publicly since the ordeal. After a year spent on defense, “2026 is all offense,” he said. 

When it comes to family, Jay-Z is a proud dad. In the interview, he recalled seeing his daughter Blue Ivy Carter wear a jersey with his name on it and go to school with “Jay” on her back. He said he had tears in his eyes because that kind of family support is priceless, especially in dark moments. He also said being a father gives “everything meaning,” and described a life where he happily crosses the country, shows up, and gets right back on a plane because being present for his children matters that much to him. “I love taking them to school. I love picking them up,” he said.

He also praised the way Blue came into her own during the “Cowboy Carter” tour, saying she “worked really hard” for her place on stage, “fought back” in a way he hadn’t seen before, and is now “almost on every number.” Jay-Z added that Blue is “a crazy pianist” with “perfect pitch” who teaches herself songs by ear, and said he’s proud that she pushed for something she really wanted. 

The interview also gives a full view of how Jay thinks about success. He credited the defiance he learned growing up in the Marcy Projects in Brooklyn — everybody fighting against what they were up against — for the spirit that still powers him now. He reflected on early books, his life before fame, and the way a lack of a deal for “Reasonable Doubt” became a blessing because it forced him to keep building independently. He said the success he has now was hard-won, and that morality, not money, defines character. On billionaire criticism, he is blunt, “I don’t give a f*ck what you say,” and he argued that people often demonize wealth instead of fixing the systems that produce the inequality in the first place. 

The music talk was just as revealing. Jay said he hasn’t made a new album because, frankly, he does not yet know what he would want to say. He admitted that, after everything he felt last year, any new record would have been an angry offering, and he is not interested in adding more negativity to a world already full of it. He wants the next project to be honest, timeless, and a true representation of where he is emotionally, not something made just to please people. 

He also went deep on hip-hop, sports, and the culture wars that swirl around both. Jay said the Kendrick Lamar and Drake fallout went too far, especially once kids and character attacks got pulled into it, and he worries about what social media has done to the old battle spirit. He defended his choice to pick Kendrick for the Super Bowl, saying he chose the artist who was having a “monster year,” and he pushed back on the idea that the NFL partnership was simply a compromise. In his view, there was a moment to effect change, put Black music on one of the biggest stages in the world and move culture from within. 

The Roc Nation conversation was equally telling. Jay said the company has grown into something that shares “codes” and tools with the next generation, which is why they’ve moved toward a distribution model instead of a traditional label setup. He said he never felt comfortable with the idea of tightly curating an artist’s path and used J. Cole as an example of letting talent find its own way. “Artist’s expression should be their expression,” he said, adding that even though it may take longer, the point is to help artists find their journey, not force one on them. 

And then there’s the line that feels like the heart and soul of the whole cover story, “There’s always a next level as long as you’re alive.” Jay-Z said curiosity is what keeps him moving, and it’s what keeps him from getting stuck. That idea runs through the entire interview — the artist, father, businessman, and elder statesman is still chasing the next floor, not because he lacks, but because he still wants to grow.