In a new interview for T Magazine’s holiday issue, JAY-Z has confirmed the long-circulating rumors that he and Beyoncé had been working on a collaborative album during the making of their respective releases 4:44 and Lemonade. When asked if the two had a discussion about putting out such intimate records, JAY-Z responded, “It didn’t happen that way…. We were using our art almost like a therapy session. And we started making music together.”
He continued, “And then the music she was making at that time was further along. So her album came out as opposed to the joint album that we were working on. Um, we still have a lot of that music. And this is what it became. There was never a point where it was like, ‘I’m making this album.’ I was right there the entire time.”
As for the way things did turn out, he admitted that the release of both Lemonade and 4:44, his album which was widely seen as his response to the former, caused pain for both of them and made them “very, very uncomfortable.” Still, he said, “the best place is right in the middle of the pain. And that’s where we were sitting. And it was uncomfortable. And we had a lot of conversations. You know. [I was] really proud of the music she made, and she was really proud of the art I released. And, you know, at the end of the day we really have a healthy respect for one another’s craft. I think she’s amazing.”
Few people would disagree with that last sentence, but it does seem like Jay-Z at one point really did consider officially calling it off with Beyoncé rather than owning up to his actions. “You know, most people walk away, and like divorce rate is like 50 percent or something ’cause most people can’t see themselves. The hardest thing is seeing pain on someone’s face that you caused, and then have to deal with yourself. So, you know, most people don’t want to do that. You don’t want to look inside yourself. And so you walk away.”
As for whether Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s album will ever see the light of day, that possibility definitely seems open—though also up to Beyoncé: “Um, we still have a lot of that music,” Jay-Z hesitantly pointed out of their joint recordings.
