Jay Z Opens Up About Killing Off His Ego in "Kill Jay Z" Footnotes

The "Kill Jay Z" footnotes include appearances by Anthony Anderson, Trevor Noah, Mahershala Ali, and more.

On "Kill Jay Z," the opening track off his 13th studio album 4:44, the man born Shawn Carter bids farewell to his public persona, Jay Z. But not before unleashing some harsh truths at the man standing in the mirror. "Kill Jay Z, they'll never love you, you'll never be enough, let's keep it real, Jay Z," he rhymes. "Fuck Jay Z, I mean, you shot your own brother, how can we know if we can trust Jay Z?" 

In the latest installment of Jay Z's "Footnotes" series, the rapper explains how "Kill Jay Z" is an exploration into the war waged between his ego and his real self. “It’s really about the ego, it’s about killing off the ego so we can have this conversation in a place of vulnerability and honesty,” he said. “Jay Z, the public persona, couldn’t have this conversation. He has to be eliminated, he has to be moved. So it’s really Shawn Carter speaking to Jay-Z, and he has to convince him to move aside.”

At the same time, Jay Z understands that without his ego, he would not be where he is today. “I did bring us here,” he said. “Some of the things I’ve done, you needed me. You need a bit of your ego at some point.” 

"Footnotes for 'Kill Jay Z'" includes appearances by Anthony Anderson, Trevor Noah, Van Jones, and more. 

If you don't have a Tidal subscription, check out the minute-long sneak peek below. 

Latest in Music