Jay-Z reflects on 'pain' with Rick Rubin in new documentary

It’s time for Jay-Z fans to fasten their seat belts, as he is diving deep into his personal life in his forthcoming documentary series.

The official black-and-white trailer for the eight-part documentary series titled JAŸ-Z IN 8 was released on HBO and HBO Max on Thursday, June 25, 2026.

It showed the 56-year-old American rapper and businessman sitting with the iconic producer Rick Rubin at a table, having a heart-to-heart about “his music, lyrics, life experiences, and creative process.”

Jay-Z can be heard saying, "Everyone had the same experience, except I was the one that could stand on the soapbox and articulate what we were going through.”

"Without the pain, you wouldn't have done the work,” the statement of Beyoncé’s husband prompted Rubin to reply.

Voicing his thoughts on the 63-year-old American record producer’s response, Jay-Z said, "The pain, we don't say it's necessary, we don't say you need it, but if it's there — you use it."

Then the title of the upcoming documentary comes on the screen to Jay-Z’s famous 1996 song Can’t Knock the Hustle.

It is pertinent to mention that JAŸ-Z IN 8 is scheduled to be released in the fall of this year; however, the exact release date has yet to be revealed.