JAŸ-Z In 8 Review: Jaÿ-Z and Rick Rubin Revisit the Music Behind the Legacy

One of my favorite quotes from Jaÿ-Z’s memoir, *Decoded*, is: “If the beat is time, flow is what we do with that time, how we live through it. The beat is everywhere, but every life has to find its own flow.”

This quote aligns perfectly with my recent experience watching the first two episodes of “JAŸ-Z In 8”, the new eight-part documentary series on HBO Max featuring Jaÿ-Z and legendary producer Rick Rubin.  Throughout the series, the duo revisits over 25 songs while exploring Jay’s life, lyrics, creative process, and three-decade career.

Based on the first two episodes, the series wisely avoids becoming just another traditional music documentary filled with talking heads explaining Jaÿ-Z’s greatness.  Instead, Rubin gives Jay the space to tell his own story through the music.

One of the first revelations that caught my attention was Jay naming “The Dynasty Intro” as his favorite album opener.  Given his extensive catalog, that’s significant.  We also learn that his mother introduced him to rap through the Fatback Band’s “King Tim III (Personality Jock).” Additionally, watching Jaz-O secure a $400,000 EMI deal showed a young Shawn Carter that hip-hop could become a legitimate business.

Naturally, the conversation eventually turns to *Reasonable Doubt*.  Jay recalls initially planning to release the album and then walk away from rap.  Just imagine that alternate timeline—there would be no “Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life”, “The Blueprint”, or “The Black Album”.  Speaking of the latter, Jay also admits to regretting certain aspects of the rollout surrounding his supposed retirement.

However, the moments that captivated me the most involved the stories behind the songs.  Jay discusses his “free style” sessions and recalls recording “Brooklyn’s Finest” with The Notorious B.I.G. He reveals that Biggie originally included a California reference that Jay removed to avoid escalating the East Coast-West Coast tension.

Those are the stories I’m eager to hear.  I already recognize *Reasonable Doubt* as a classic, and I know Jay emerged as one of hip-hop’s biggest stars.  What I truly want are the stories behind the records I’ve listened to for decades.

With six episodes left, I’m not ready to assess “JAŸ-Z In 8” as a complete series.  But after just two episodes, Jay and Rubin have accomplished something significant: they’ve made me want to revisit Jay’s catalog from the beginning.

For a documentary that spans thirty years of music, that’s one outstanding opening track.

Final Garde: A

JAŸ-Z In 8 is doing a two-episodes-per-week rollout on Fridays. New episodes hit HBO Max at 8:00 p.m. ET each Friday, with the eight-part series wrapping October 9.