Jay-Z Says He Wouldn’t Sell His Masters, Calls Getting Them Back the ‘Fight of His Life’

Jay-Z dropped a lot of gems in his new interview with Gayle King, including an explanation of why getting his masters back was such a significant moment for him.

While the pair were touring the “Book of Hov” exhibit at the Brooklyn Public Library, the mogul said he would never sell his masters.

“I get why people do it,” he said. “I’ve been fortunate enough to make money in this place, but for me, [that] was the fight of my life.”

He continued, “From being an independent company from the beginning and then going through the Def Jam system, not really understanding how that works and them having my masters, then going back to Def Jam as the president and then saying, ‘Okay, I’ll do this job and part of this job is my masters [have] to revert back to me.

“I want my kids to see my work. If they decide to sell it, then it’s up to them.”