Jay-Z has some advice for artists hoping to stay relevant as hip-hop continues to evolve.
Speaking with The New York Times, the superstar said the answer is not copying what is popular.
“Never fight against the future. The future’s coming,” he said.
Jay-Z explained that some artists struggle when they chase sounds or moments that no longer match their lives.
“They were trying to recreate something that was already done, but they not connected to it like that. They’re not living it and breathing it,” he explained. “They were fighting against gravity.”
He went on to say, “We needed that other side. We needed to hear about what happens when you have had four successful albums. What does that feel like? How do you make the next one?”
He added that audiences know when something feels forced.
“If you’re trying to make young music, and you’re not young… it’s gonna be inauthentic, and people could feel that,” Jay-Z said. “You can smell it.”
“The best thing anyone can do… is to tell a story and just keep creating from that space.”
Jay-Z also shouted out Clipse, the duo of Pusha T and No Malice, for their recent music.
“I love what the Clipse are doing right now… how it’s authentic to them,” he said.