Jay-Z Explains Why He Doesn't Like To Be Filmed

BY Erika Marie 18.9K Views
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(Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
To quote his "Oceans" lyrics: "See me in sh*t you never saw / If it wasn’t for these pictures you wouldn’t see me at all.'"

This generation seems to love capturing everything on camera, but Jay-Z isn't about that life. The media mogul often avoids the camera or prying paparazzi, and he was even spotted politely dismissing a photographer during this year's Roc Nation brunch. A video of Hov walking through the party went viral, showing him calmly waving his hand at a photographer looking to get that perfect shot.

Elliott Wilson caught up with Jay for an interview with TIDAL, and during the chat, the Rap icon explained why is often avoids the cameras. "Yeah, we don’t come from that school," he said. "We come from the don’t-you-ever-record-us school. What was the line? [He quoted lyrics from 2013’s “Oceans”] 'See me in sh*t you never saw / If it wasn’t for these pictures you wouldn’t see me at all.'"

65th GRAMMY Awards - Show
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 05: (L-R) Beyoncé and Jay-Z attend the 65th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 05, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
Read More: Jay-Z On Beyoncé’s Grammys Loss: “It’s Just A Marketing Thing”

He added, "We come from that school and we had fights over that. N---as trying to record — 'Aye yo, don’t record me, champ. I ain’t into that.' We come from a different world." Hov further explained that this is "why The Black Album was so special." He said "it was the first time cameras came into the studios and just lived with us."

Meanwhile, Jay-Z also joined DJ Khaled, Lil Wayne, Fridayy, John Legend, and Rick Ross for a performance of "God Did." He shared why he decided to return to the Grammy stage. "This ain’t your traditional song," said the hitmaker. "It’s not your traditional structure of what you think a song that would be nominated for Song of the Year would sound like."

Read More: Grammy Voters Didn’t Cast Ballots For Beyoncé Because She Wins Too Many Awards

It’s not what you expect. And for the culture and for hip-hop, we got to do that. We owe that. This thing that changed our lives. We got to do that. A four-minute verse performed at the Grammys. We owe it to the culture, and it ain’t even a burden. It’s a blessing. It’s easy and fun." Check out the performance below.

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About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.