Charlamagne Tha God "Pissed Off" With Rick Rubin After Watching "JAŸ-Z In 8"

BY Alexander Cole
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Apr 5, 2026; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Charlamagne tha God in attendance during South Carolina Gamecocks game against the UCLA Bruins in the National Championship game of the women's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Charlamagne Tha God watched "JAŸ-Z In 8," and he was left completely unimpressed with Rick Rubin's contributions.

Charlamagne Tha God is someone who is always critical of the music and media he consumes. Whether it be on The Breakfast Club or Brilliant Idiots, the legendary radio host is always going to say how he really feels.

While some believe he is a shill for JAŸ-Z, that is clearly not the case given his recent criticism of JAŸ-Z In 8. The new HBO Max docuseries on JAŸ-Z's career has elicited some strong reactions so far, and not all of them have been in a positive direction.

Charlamagne's issue with the series mostly has to do with the contributions from producer Rick Rubin. Rubin is notorious for having an ambiguous impact on the artists he works with. He's not a musician, nor is he a producer in the traditional sense. Instead, he's a glorified A&R who "curates vibes," whatever that means.

As Charlamagne explains, he felt as though Rubin's passion for hip-hop just wasn't present in the docuseries. His questions were lacking, and as a result, JAŸ-Z didn't give much insight.

Charlamagne Tha God Unimpressed With Rick Rubin

Charlamagne Tha God certainly is not alone in this criticism, as social media has offered up similar evaluations of the show. It's unfortunate, especially when you consider the legend that is JAŸ-Z and everything he has accomplished throughout his career.

There is so much we still don't know about his creative process. JAŸ-Z In 8 was supposed to be the catalyst to find all of these things out, and so far, the docuseries has fallen flat.

JAŸ-Z is having himself a big year, especially with his Yankee Stadium and European shows. He will be performing in Los Angeles soon, and there is no denying that fans are extremely excited.

There is also anticipation surrounding a potential album, although there are no guarantees that this is truly in the works. Unfortunately, fans will simply have to wait and see.

About The Author
Alexander Cole is the current editor-in-chief of HotNewHipHop. He started at HotNewHipHop back in 2018 where he began as a Sports and Sneakers writer. It was here where he began to hone his craft, putting his journalism degree from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, to good use. Since that time, he has documented some of the biggest stories in the hip-hop world. From the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef to the disturbing allegations against Diddy, Alex has helped HotNewHipHop navigate large-scale stories as they happen. In 2021, he went to the Bahamas for the Big 3's Championship Game. It was here where he got to interview legendary figures like Ice Cube, Clyde Drexler, and Stephen Jackson. He has also interviewed other superstar athletes such as Antonio Brown, Damian Lillard, and Paul Pierce. This is in addition to conversations with social media provocateurs like Jake Paul, and younger respected artists like Kaycyy, Lil Tecca, and Jeleel!

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