Jay-Z is having quite a renaissance year, celebrating the landmark anniversaries of his monumental albums Reasonable Doubt and The Blueprint, while reflecting on his celebrated music catalog. Since his much-talked-about performance at the 2026 Roots Picnic back in May, he’s been taking the stage at select dates in the US and abroad to take a walk down memory lane with the fans who have supported him throughout his storied career.
Fast forward to September 13, and Jay-Z upped the ante of his year-long celebration as he took to the red carpet premiere for his forthcoming new HBO documentary, JAŸ-Z In 8. While the spotlight was supposed to be squarely on him, he was asked a question about his superstar wife Beyoncé. In his response, he gave her some glowing compliments and even called her fearless. But why?
Jay-Z: “She’s a Phenomenal Producer and Writer. And She’s Fearless.”
GettyWhile walking the red carpet for JAŸ-Z In 8, the New York City native stopped to speak with Extra TV’s senior correspondent, Mona Kosar Abdi. During their conversation, Abdi brought up the fact that Beyoncé joins him in celebrating an album this year, as it’s the 20th anniversary of her sophomore project, B’Day. An album on which Jay-Z is featured. The Extra TV correspondent asked, “I want to know, how does Beyoncé inspire your music when you guys are in the studio together?” He quickly replied with an abundance of flattery, stating:
“I’m super inspired by her. I think she’s a phenomenal producer and writer. And she’s fearless. She tries all kinds of stuff. Some things she does, I’m like, I couldn’t do that. She’ll be sitting in the back like hollering ad-libs, and it’s just, you know, I’ll get in the way of myself. You know, I get too self-conscious about it, and she just she’ll just try anything. Anything that she feels in the moment. You don’t have to keep it, but she tries things.
“She’s very adventurous, and her recall is amazing. She’s an amazing producer. I think because she’s such an extraordinary singer, people underrate the producer that she is. She’s one of the best I’ve ever seen.”
When does ‘JAŸ-Z In 8’ Come Out?
If you’re interested in checking out JAŸ-Z In 8, the eight-part docuseries debuts with the first two episodes on HBO on September 18 at 8 pm ET. The remainder of the episodes roll out two at a time in the weeks that follow. You can also watch the docuseries on HBO Max. Here’s the synopsis and trailer for JAŸ-Z In 8:
“30 years after his landmark debut album Reasonable Doubt, artist, icon, philanthropist, entrepreneur JAŸ-Z sits down with longtime friend, producer, and director Rick Rubin for an intimate reflection on his storied career, revisiting the music together and unpacking his work and life through a shared listening and illuminating conversation. Featuring many of JAŸ-Z’s iconic tracks and album cuts, including ‘99 Problems,’ ‘Brooklyn’s Finest,’ and 4:44, the eight-episode series offers a deeply revealing portrait of the artist and his work, exploring the influences and inspiration that shaped both the man and his music.”
