Jay-Zisn't just taking the mic again. He's also speaking his mind.
The Grammy-winning rapper, who's poised to make a musical comeback this summer withmultiple anniversary concerts, opened up about his career and life in the spotlight in an interview withGQ magazinepublished Tuesday, March 24.
The rare profile comes a little over a year after Jay-Z was accused of drugging and raping an underage girl in a lawsuit filed against fellow rapperSean "Diddy" Combs. Last February, the womanfiled for the case to be dismissed"with prejudice," meaning it cannot be re-filed in the future. Jay-Z, who hadvigorously denied the allegations, countersued the woman and her attorney,Tony Buzbee, in aMarch 2025 lawsuit.
The lawsuit "took a lot out of me. I was angry," Jay-Z, 56, told the magazine. "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 kinds of things on a person, especially a person like me."
The rapper's accuser, a woman identified anonymously as Jane Doe, initiallyonly named Combs in her October 2024 lawsuit. Then in December of that year, sheamended the complaintto include Jay-Z as a defendant.
She alleged that the two rappers drugged and raped her at an after-party following the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards when she was 13 years old. The woman also claimed another unnamed celebrity "stood by and watched as Combs and [Jay-Z] took turns assaulting" her.
Jay-Z's legal team cast doubt on Doe's credibility in the rapper's lawsuit, noting that the woman "voluntarily admitted" he did not assault her. They also pointed to an NBC News investigation into Doe's claims thatrevealed inconsistenciesin her recollection of details from the 2000 incident. In December 2024, shetold the outletthat she'd "made some mistakes" but otherwise stood by her claims.
Jay-Z legal troubles:Rapper sues Jane Doe after sexual assault lawsuit
Jay-Z told GQ that while it would have been "cheaper" and "quicker" to settle the lawsuit, he said he was determined to see the legal battle through.
"I can't take a settlement — it ain't in my DNA," the rapper said. "I can't do it. I would die."
Jay-Z weighs in onKendrick Lamar,Drakefeud
Jay-Z, whose company Roc Nation oversees the Super Bowl halftime show, reflected onKendrick Lamar's2025 performanceand the rapper's highly publicized feud withDrake.
Afteryears of indirect commentsbetween the two via songs, Lamar and Drake's rap beef exploded in 2024 with aseries of diss tracks, including Lamar's No. 1 hit "Not Like Us." The feud made its way into Lamar'shalftime show setwith numerous sly references to Drake, including guest appearances from the rapper's exesSZAandSerena Williams.
"I chose the guy that was having a monster year," Jay-Z told GQ of his selection of Lamar. "I think it was the right choice. What do I care about them two guys battling? What's that got to do with me? Have at it. They drag everybody in it, like everyone's part of this conspiracy to undermine Drake, I guess. … It doesn't make any sense."
Advertisement
While Jay-Z said he appreciates the influence of rap beefs in hip-hop culture, he also lamented how the musical rivalries have changed in the wake of social media's rise.
"We love the excitement and I love the sparring, but in this day and age there's so much negative stuff that comes with it that you almost wish it didn't happen," Jay-Z said. "Now, people that like Kendrick hate Drake, no matter what he makes. It's like an attack on his character. I don't know if I love that. I don't know if it's helpful to our growth where the fallout lands, especially on social media."
He added: "It takes up so much oxygen. It's like trying to tear down people's lives. I don't know if it's worth it at this point. I love the idea that we got so much music in such a short period of time. Just everything around it was like, 'Man, this is taking us a couple steps back.' We've just grown so much that — I guess I'm going to say it — I don't know if battling needs to be part of the culture anymore."
Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef:Rappers' rivalry explained after Super Bowl halftime show
Jay-Z says daughter Blue Ivy 'fought' to perform onBeyoncé's Cowboy Carter Tour
Jay-Z, who shares 14-year-old daughterBlue Ivywith wifeBeyoncé, reflected on the burgeoning performer's journey to joining Beyoncé's 2025Cowboy Carter Tour.
Blue Ivytook the stage as a lead dancerduring the tour's debut at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, stunning fans with her fierce performances.
"On the first tour [Beyoncé's Renaissance World Tour], there was a lot of conversation around her first performance, and she worked really hard to get to that point, but she still wasn't going for it," Jay-Z told GQ.
"She still was going through the motions. And then she just started fighting back. I saw her fight maybe for the first time in her life — like, not everything is just given to her and everything is easy. She fought for it. She's almost on every number. ... She worked at this, and it makes me proud that she fought for something that she really wanted to do. I don't think we're going to be able to get her off that stage now."
Jay-Z takes the stage:Rap icon reveals 2-night-only concerts 30 years after his debut album
The rapper, who attended Blue Ivy's movie premiere for"Mufasa: The Lion King"the day after the lawsuit against him, also shared how his daughter supported him amid his legal troubles.
"Blue has this jersey with 'Jay-Z' on the back. She put it on one day. She went to school with the 'Jay,'" Jay-Z said. "I was just in the corner, like tears coming down. Seriously. To have that, it's priceless. People can say that [they'll always be there for you], but it's very rare that you're going to have to exercise it. And in the darkest moment for me, I got to see those sorts of things."
Contributing: KiMi Robinson and Taijuan Moorman USA TODAY;CachéMcClay, USA TODAY Network
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Jay-Z talks Diddy lawsuit, Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef