Is JAY-Z retiring from Rap? The 52-year-old rapper addressed retirement rumors on a recent episode of Kevin Hart’s Hart to Heart.
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“Nah I’ve tried that,” Jay said in the interview clip, referencing his previous short-lived retirement. The legendary rapper briefly retired from music in 2003 following the release of The Black Album, which was supposed to be his final release. Of course, HOV went on to release several records and collaborations – and now has 13 studio albums.
“I just needed a break. But I really thought that. I was really burnt out at that time. I was releasing an album every year. ’96, ’97, ’98, and in between that, soundtracks, other people’s albums, Roc-A-Fella, touring, back to back. I just looked up one day and I was like ‘I’m tired.’ I had never been on vacation until like, I want to say 2000, my whole life. I was just really burnt out at that moment,” he continued.
JAY-Z hasn’t dropped a solo album since 2017’s acclaimed 4:44 album. Currently, the rapper is not working on any new material , but isn't necessarily retiring either. “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,” he added. Earlier this year, he appeared on Kanye West’s “Jail” and Pusha-T’s “Neck and Wrist.”
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