Jay-Z, the Grammy-winning rapper and music mogul born Shawn Carter, said he feels a little shy about his wife Beyoncé and their three children watching his upcoming documentary series, admitting the experience could be "cringe."
The 56-year-old made the comments in an exclusive interview with E! News at the world premiere of JAY-Z in 8 in New York City on September 13, 2026.
"I'm really excited," Jay-Z said. "They know these things. We talk all the time. It'll be fascinating to see on a big screen and at times, I know it'll be, like, cringe."
He said putting himself on screen came with a cost. "You know, when you put yourself out there like that, you get embarrassed but it's honest, and it's a beautiful piece. So, I'm very proud of it," he added.
Jay-Z and Beyoncé share three children: 14-year-old Blue Ivy and 9-year-old twins Rumi and Sir.
Inside JAY-Z in 8
The eight-part documentary series premieres on HBO and Max on September 18. In it, Jay-Z sits down with legendary producer Rick Rubin to look back on his life and 30-year music career.
He said he "didn't learn much" about himself while working on the project, but the process let him see his life from a different point of view.
"You become more resolved in your beliefs and the core of the things that you believe in because looking back," he explained. "I wrote these things in '96 and you know these things have come to fruition now and so it affirms the things that you believe."
Timed to Reasonable Doubt's 30th anniversary
The release lines up with the 30th anniversary of Jay-Z's debut album, Reasonable Doubt, which came out in 1996 and is credited with changing the rap game.
"Two or three years ago, we shot this, and it's just all aligned [with what's] happening right now," he said. "We didn't plan on it being part of a 30-year celebration. We were just, you know, creating a piece that we both believed in, and it just so happened it all lined up."
Jay-Z 30 Tour and a Yankee Stadium surprise
The docuseries arrives in the middle of Jay-Z's Jay-Z 30 Tour, an eight-show concert run that kicked off in his native New York.
Despite his nerves about family members watching JAY-Z in 8, Beyoncé and Blue Ivy showed their support during his performance at Yankee Stadium on July 10, when both made surprise appearances onstage. Before leaving the stage, Beyoncé kissed her husband and told him, "I love you so much."
Rumi's role on Cowboy Carter
E! News' report also pointed to Beyoncé and Jay-Z's family life beyond the new series. Beyoncé featured daughter Rumi on her country album Cowboy Carter, with the track "Protector" opening with Rumi asking, "Mom, can I hear the lullaby, please?" before the song moves into an acoustic ballad about Beyoncé's love for her children.
