It has long been speculated that Jay-Z cheated on Beyoncé some time ago. Those rumours were further fueled when Beyoncé put out her album Lemonade, which tells the story of a woman who discovers her partner is unfaithful and her journey towards acceptance and ultimately forgiveness.
The rap legend also hinted at his misdeeds in recent music releases, so people were quite certain that he cheated. However, until recently, the couple did not publicly speak on the matter. The rap star finally discussed the matter in an interview with Dean Baquet from The New York Times.
Jay also admitted that his time in therapy was the reason why the couple didn’t get a divorce. In the interview, the rap star also discussed his rocky friendship with Kanye West and insists that despite any arguments or disagreements he will always have a love for him.
In discussing his unfaithfulness, he says, “You have to survive. So you go into survival mode, and when you go into survival mode, what happens? You shut down all emotions.”
He adds, “So, even with women, you gotta shut down emotionally, so you can’t connect…In my case, like, it’s deep. And then all the things happen from there – infidelity.”
Both artists discussed the cheating on their individual albums, but according to Jay that wasn’t always the plan. He admits that the couple had intended to release a joint album as a kind of therapy.
Discussing their music and how it impacted their relationship, he says, “We were using our art almost like a therapy session. And we started making music together.”
“...The music she was making at that time was further along. So, her album came out as opposed to the joint album we were working on.” He states that the couple had a lot of the music that they’ve made, but this is what it became.
He says, “There was never a point where it was like, ‘I’m making this album.’ I was right there the entire time.”
He also discusses the intensity and difficulty of being in the thick of it in his relationship. He says, “The best place in the hurricane is in the middle of it. The best place is right in the middle of the pain […] And that’s where we were sitting. And it was uncomfortable. And we had a lot of conversations.”
Discussing the support they provide each other, he says, “[I was] really proud of the music she made, ad she was really proud of the art I released […] And, you know, at the end of the day we really have a healthy respect for one another’s craft. I think she’s amazing.”
He says that he learned a lot from the mistakes he’s made: “I think the most important thing I got is that everything is connected. Every emotion is connected and it comes from somewhere. And just being aware of it. Being aware of it in everyday life puts you at such a… you’re at such an advantage.”
