What about the future of NYC? What do you hope for it?
JayZ: I hope it keeps its sense of pride. I’m a fan of moving into the future, but I’m also a fan of things that are sacred—like I said, I bought me some vintage shades. So a mix of both, as long as we maintain our sense of pride, we won’t do anything crazy.
If you could have a drink with some of our other 39 contenders—Patti LuPone, Philip Seymour Hoffman…
Jay-Z: Oh, wow.
Peter Gelb of the Met Opera…
Jay-Z: There you go.Tim Gunn or Jonathan Lethem, an author from your own Brooklyn—who do you pick?Jay-Z: I’m a fan of what Philip Seymour Hoffman does. He’s fantastic—one of the top actors out there right now. He’s got that thing: That thing that can’t be taught or you can’t learn. I hate when people say “je ne sais quoi,” but he has that thing where he just disappears into the role.
You feel his pain. You feel like it hurts him. Are you introspective like that?
Jay-Z: I am introspective, and, well, there’s that 10 percent that just can’t be taught, but a lot of how I think about myself comes from how I grew up and how I can articulate my experiences without making it too much like, “Everything is great!” or “I’m Superguy!” A vulnerability in the music and a toughness of “I will not lose”—that combination resonates with people.
You’re the only rapper on this list. We were considering Nas but have this 13-year rule: People on this list had to have had an impact in the last 13 years. And Illmatic was 1994. Should we have included him?
Jay-Z: Ah, wow! [Laughs] That’s a tough question. [Pauses] Yeah, only because of the impact of that album, when it’s considered one of the best albums ever created, you have to document that.
How about Kanye? Has he earned it yet?
Jay-Z: He’s from Chicago, but he’s close. I don’t know if he’s had that one album that’s moved the entire culture, but he’s hit it three times in a row. He’ll be on every list one day.
Are you guys really teaming up for Blueprint 3?
Jay-Z: Yeah, actually. We’re partners right now. Starsky and Hutch right now.
And B? What was your first meeting with your wife like?
Jay-Z: I can’t answer that question. [Laughs] Come on now.
Seriously? You guys wrote a song about being in love.
Jay-Z: I’m actually pretty open, especially in the music. And in conversation, when I get to know people. But there’s one side of my life I tend to keep quiet. You have to have some time of sanity. You can’t live with everything out there. You have to have sanctuary.
Full Article:http://www.timeout.com/newyork/articles/40th-anniversary/60941/jay-z-interview-with-time-out-new-york
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