JAY-Z shared some sage advice for aspiring songwriters while speaking with The New York Times for a piece published on Tuesday. In doing so, he highlighted the importance of authenticity, suggesting that artists tell their own unique story.
"If you're trying to make young music and you're not young, it's gonna be inauthentic, and people can feel that," he explained. "You can smell it. So, the best thing anyone can do going through music is to tell their story and keep creating from that space."
From there, he brought up Clipse and their song, "The Birds Don't Sing," as an example of good songwriting. "I love what the Clipse are doing right now and how it's authentic to them, and they're telling a story about their mom and dad who just passed away, and how deep that is with John Legend singing on the chorus and everything that they've been through. It's an authentic display, a piece of classic material that could've come out in '96 or 2026. It still feels the same because it's real and authentic to who they are."
New York Times' Best Living Songwriters
JAY-Z's interview with The New York Times was for the publication's list of the 30 greatest living American songwriters. To narrow down the selections, they weighed the opinions of over 250 insiders and six critics.
JAY's advice mirrors the praise The New York Times gave him in explaining their decision to select him for the list. In addition to his ability to create "intricate" rhyme schemes, they also noted how his style has evolved over the years. With 4:44, the legendary rapper tackled struggles in his marriage to Beyonce as well as his own personal turmoils. The Times described the project as "far blunter and more bruised than anything he had ever recorded."
JAY-Z wasn't the only hip-hop artist to earn a nod, either. Young Thug, Kendrick Lamar, Missy Elliott, OutKast, Babyface, Bad Bunny, and The-Dream all landed in the piece as well.
