Jay-Z Admits His Kids Are His Everything, But Will He Put Down The Mic For Them?

Parenthood has changed how Grammy winning rapper and producer Jay-Z views time and how he spends it now. He recently gave some insight into his life as a father to Kevin Hart on his Peacock series, “Hart to Heart.” The 52-year-old dad of three, Blue Ivy, 10 and twins Rumi and Sir, 5, with wife Beyonce said that he appreciates taking breaks from his busy schedule to spend time with his kids. And of course, the question of retiring joined the chat.

While in the past, Jay-Z has announced that he's stepping away from the music industry, he has yet to actually "retire." When Hart asked about the possibility of putting the mic down for good, Jay-Z responded, "No, I tried that. I'm terrible at that." He continued to answer the question on everyone's mind, "I just needed a break. I'm not actually making music or making an album or have plans to make an album, but I never want to say I'm retired. It's a gift and who am I to shut it off."

Jay-Z opened up about what fatherhood has done to his mindset and that he now prioritizes spending time with the kids. “Time is all you have. That’s the only thing we control. It’s how you spend your time. You’re reckless with your time before, you’re just all over the place and then you have to ask yourself ‘what are you leaving your house for?’” he explained. “Every second that you spend, you’re spending away from the development of these people that you brought here, that you love more than anything in the world. So what are you going to spend that time on? So that changed a lot. That changed practically everything for me.”

Just last month, Jay-Z and daughter Blue Ivy were spotted at Game 5 of the NBA finals courtside. The two matched in all-black outfits while watching the Golden State Warriors verse the Boston Celtics. A now viral video of jumbotron footage shows the rapper kiss his daughter on the cheek and both smiling while being announced. Earlier this year, the father-daughter duo was also spotted watching Super Bowl LVI together in the SoFi Stadium in California where the Los Angeles Rams played the Cincinnati Bengals. Blue Ivy isn't only spending quality time with her father, but also with her mom. She joined her famous mom and other celebrities last November in reciting some of her father’s famous lyrics in honor of his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Last year, the famous couple appeared on LeBron James’ show “The Shop: Uninterrupted” and Jay-Z discussed that he learned how to swim so he could be a better dad to his kids. When Blue Ivy was born in 2012, he decided to take swimming lessons for his daughter’s sake. “I didn’t learn how to swim until Blue was born. There goes everything you need to know,” he told James. “This is a metaphor for our relationship. If she ever fell into the water and I couldn’t get her, I couldn’t even fathom that thought. I gotta learn how to swim. That’s it. That was the beginning of our relationship.”

Beyonce, 40, shares the same mindset as her husband on cherishing every family moment possible. She told British Vogue in October 2020, “I’ve spent a lot of time focusing on building my legacy and representing my culture the best way I know how. Now I’ve decided to give myself permission to focus on my joy.”