Billionaire Jay-Z opens up in eight-part HBO documentary with Rick Rubin

Jay-Z, the Brooklyn-born rapper and billionaire entrepreneur whose estimated $2.8 billion fortune makes him the wealthiest musician on the planet, has announced an eight-part documentary series for HBO directed by legendary producer Rick Rubin, in what is being described as one of the most candid and sustained on-camera conversations of the Roc Nation founder's career.

The series, titled JAY-Z In 8, was confirmed by HBO on June 25, 2026, with a 41-second teaser trailer released across social media platforms. Rubin, who produced Jay-Z's 2003 single 99 Problems from The Black Album, sits with the rapper across eight episodes exploring his music, lyrics, life experiences and creative process, using the same conversational documentary format Rubin previously deployed in McCartney 3,2,1, his acclaimed 2021 Hulu series on Paul McCartney. JAY-Z In 8 is set to premiere this fall on HBO and will stream on HBO Max. The series is produced by Tetragrammaton and executive produced by Jay-Z alongside Rubin and Academy Award-winning actor Daniel Kaluuya, with Leila Mattimore and David Rohde as producers.

The teaser offers a glimpse of what the series will probe. In one exchange, Jay-Z reflects on the role of personal pain in his creative process. "Everyone had the same experience, except I was the one that could stand on the soapbox and articulate what we were going through," he says. Rubin replies that without the pain, he would not have done the work. Jay-Z accepts the proposition with a qualification. "The pain, you don't say it's necessary, you don't say you need it, but if it's there, you use it."

The announcement arrives during a year that has established itself as one of the most active in Jay-Z's public life. In 2026, he has celebrated the 30th anniversary of Reasonable Doubt, his 1996 debut album now widely regarded as one of the finest records in hip-hop history, and the 25th anniversary of The Blueprint, the 2001 record that cemented his commercial dominance. He performed at the Roots Picnic in Philadelphia in May, his first major live performance in years. He is scheduled to perform three nights at Yankee Stadium in July, followed by concerts in Paris and Los Angeles.

Born Shawn Corey Carter on December 4, 1969, in the Marcy Houses public housing project in Brooklyn, Jay-Z built his business empire across music, entertainment, sports and investment. Roc Nation, his entertainment and sports management company, represents elite athletes and recording artists internationally. He acquired Armand de Brignac champagne and D'Usse cognac, selling majority stakes in both to LVMH and Bacardi respectively in transactions that substantially lifted his net worth. His investment portfolio through Marcy Venture Partners spans technology, consumer goods and music industry infrastructure. His net worth, estimated at approximately $2.8 billion by Forbes, makes him the wealthiest artist in hip-hop and one of the highest-net-worth figures in the global entertainment industry.

Rick Rubin's involvement as both director and on-camera interviewer gives the series a credibility that a more conventional documentary approach might not have achieved. Rubin's relationship with Jay-Z encompasses a mutual respect built over two decades and his McCartney series was praised for extracting unusually candid reflections from a cultural icon better known for carefully managed public appearances. The expectation around JAY-Z In 8 is that Rubin will bring the same extractive patience to a figure who has long preferred to communicate through his music rather than directly to camera.