Jay-Z celebrated the premiere of his new HBO docuseries JAŸ-Z IN 8 in New York City Sunday (September 13) with Beyoncé and some of hip-hop’s biggest names among those in attendance.
Beyoncé attended with her mother, Tina Knowles, while Nas, Rakim, Q-Tip, Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys were also among the stars at the premiere, according to USA Today.
The eight-part series looks back at Jay-Z’s career through conversations with legendary producer Rick Rubin. The pair revisit his music and songwriting while exploring the experiences and creative choices that shaped his work.
The first two episodes premiere Friday (September 18) at 8 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.
The project comes as Jay-Z marks 30 years since the release of his debut album, Reasonable Doubt. Meanwhile, The Blueprint turns 25 this month.
Released September 11, 2001, The Blueprint became Jay-Z’s fourth consecutive No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 and featured songs including “Izzo (H.O.V.A.)” and “Girls, Girls, Girls.”
Reflecting on the album at the premiere, Jay-Z told PEOPLE, “The Blueprint was like that moment where I was like, ‘Aw, I’m here. I’ve arrived and I’m here to stay.’”
Jay-Z said the HBO project grew out of conversations he and Rubin were having about music and songwriting, rather than being created specifically for a planned series.
“We didn't create this piece to come out at this time,” Jay-Z told PEOPLE. “We were just curious to have this conversation around music and writing.”
Two new episodes of JAŸ-Z IN 8 will debut each Friday through October 9.
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