Jay-Z reflects on past rivalries with Nas and Kanye West

In the seventh episode of his docuseries ‘JAY-Z in 8’, rapper Jay-Z reflected on his past professional rivalries with Nas and Kanye West.

Regarding Nas, Jay-Z stated that their famous hip-hop feud was primarily driven by competition rather than personal animosity. He noted that while the tension escalated to a “full-on battle,” it remained non-violent. The two artists have since moved past their differences and are now “really good friends.”

Jay-Z also addressed the tension involving Kanye West and the 2007 song “Big Brother,” in which West expressed feelings of betrayal over Jay-Z’s collaboration with Coldplay frontman Chris Martin. Jay-Z revealed that he had actually introduced West to Martin. While acknowledging West’s emotional perspective and the competitive drive of that era, Jay-Z maintained that artists do not have exclusive ownership over collaborators and that artistic freedom should take priority over perceived professional snubs.