Shawn Carter, known by his stage name Jay Z, and wife Beyoncé live a “charmed life,” the rap mogul told Vanity Fair .
The article , the cover story of Vanity Fair ‘s November issue, features the Emmy Award-winner talking life with pop diva Beyoncé and daughter Blue Ivy. In addition, he reveals his childhood struggles and checkered past as a drug dealer.
“At some point, you have to have an exit strategy, because your window is very small; you’re going to get locked up or you’re going to die,” Carter said.
Back in 2001, Vanity Fair featured both Jay Z and Beyoncé on the cover of their music issue at a time when their relationship was just beginning.
“We were just beginning to try to date each other,” Carter said. “Well, you know, you’ve got to try first. You got to dazzle… wine and dine.”
Carter also addressed his frustrations with the rumors that Beyoncé was not really pregnant with their first child, Blue Ivy, rumors she described to Billboard , saying “it wasn’t hurtful, it was just crazy.”
“I don’t even know how to answer that. It’s just so stupid. You know, I felt dismissive about it, but you’ve got to feel for her. I mean, we’ve got a really charmed life, so how can we complain? But when you think about it, we’re still human beings.”
As for the celebrity power couple trademarking their daughter’s name, Carter insists it was simply to protect his child.
“People wanted to make products based on our child’s name,” he says, “and you don’t want anybody trying to benefit off your baby’s name. It wasn’t for us to do anything; as you see, we haven’t done anything.”