A Jay-Z Documentary About His Music, Life & More Directed by Rick Rubin Is Coming: Watch the Trailer

Can’t knock the hustle. On Thursday (June 25), HBO announced plans for a Jay-Z docuseries, with project, titled JAŸ-Z in 8, set to arrive this fall.

The streaming platform also released a trailer for the eight-part series, which is directed by Rick Rubin. The black-and-white clip finds Hov in conversation with Rubin inside what appears to be an art museum featuring ancient Greek architecture.

“Everyone had this same experience, except I was the one who could stand on the soapbox and articulate what we were going through,” Jay says in the teaser.

The Def Jam cofounder replies: “Without the pain, you wouldn’t have done the work.”

While the pain isn’t necessary, Hov believes it can be used for good. “So the pain, you don’t say it’s necessary, you don’t say you need it, but if it’s there, use it,” Jay responds.

JAŸ-Z in 8 appears to be a docuseries in a similar mold to 2021’s McCartney 3, 2, 1, which also starred Rick Rubin in conversation with the Beatles icon.

According to a synopsis, the HBO docuseries will feature Jay-Z and Rick Rubin sitting down to discuss the Brooklyn dignitary’s “music, lyrics, life experiences and creative process.”

Jay-Z is on board as an executive producer alongside actor Daniel Kaluuya and Rubin, who will direct.

Fittingly, Thursday’s announcement arrives on the 30th anniversary of when Jay-Z released his debut album, Reasonable Doubt, in 1996. The project arrived on June 25, 1996, and peaked at No. 23 on the Billboard 200; it spent 18 weeks on the chart.

In celebration of Jay’s debut album, Roc Nation also launched a series of pop-ups and activations across Brooklyn and Manhattan, featuring exclusive merchandise and a cultural archive surrounding Reasonable Doubt and The Blueprint.

Watch the JAŸ-Z in 8 trailer below.