A Jay-Z interview might be rarer than a Jay-Z verse in 2022, but Kevin Hart managed to snag a conversation with the elusive rap legend for the second season of his show Hart to Heart. In a sneak peek of the episode, the comedian asked Hov if he’s retired.
“Nah, I tried that,” Jay said, referencing the time he notoriously announced that 2003’s The Black Album would be his last, only to un-retire a few years later. Hov went on to say that he felt burned out early in his career because he never went on a real vacation until 2000, and that he needed to give himself a break in order to be able to maintain the musical output he wanted.
Now, after three decades in the game, Jay said that while he’s not retired, he isn’t clear on what the next stage of his career will look like.
“I don’t know what happens next,” he said. “I’m not actively making music or making an album or have plans to make an album, but I never want to say that I’m retired. It’s a gift, so who am I to shut it off? And it may have a different form or interpretation. Maybe it’s not an album, maybe it is. I have no idea, but I’m just going to leave it open.”
Hov’s last solo studio record 4:44 recently celebrated its five-year anniversary, and the reflective work includes some of his most honest bars to date. While this new quote isn’t promising any new music, it’s still leaving the door open, which is better than nothing.
Watch the clip of Jay-Z and Kevin Hart’s conversation up top.
