Jay-Z Says He Never Charges for Features on Songs

Jay-Z has been rumored to charge and exorbitant amount of money to appear on a track, but the rapper recently admitted he doesn't take money for verses.

On Thursday (July 14), Hov appeared on the new episode of Kevin Hart's Hart to Heart show on Peacock. The rare Jay-Z interview featured the rapper touching on a number of topics, including his fee for a 16, which Jigga claims is nada. According to Jay, his appearance on songs these days is deeper than a paycheck.

"It's mostly relationships. It's actually always been mostly relationships," Jay-Z revealed around the 19:55-mark of the sit-down. "Sometimes it's talent and sometimes someone asks me to be on something. Pretty much every song that I'm on I'm asked to be on. I don't ask people to be on their songs. I never charge."

Though most rappers would like to get their hands on a Jay-Z verse, they are few and far between. He's only appeared on one track this year, Pusha T's "Neck and Wrist."

"Way more nos than yeses," Jay confirmed about the ratio of requests he actually obliges.

During the interview, Jay-Z also confirmed that he is not retired from rap.

"Nah, I tried [retirement]. I'm terrible at that," Jay said, referencing the time when he claimed he was getting out of the rap game following the release of The Black Album in 2003. "I just needed a break ... I was really burnt out at that time. I was releasing an album every year ... I just looked up one day and I was like, 'I'm tired.' I'd never been on vacation until, say, 2000, my whole life."

"I don’t know what happens next," he added. "I’m not actively making music or making an album or have plans to make an album, but I never want to say that I’m retired. It’s a gift, and who am I to shut it off? It's open to whatever. And it may have a different form or interpretation. Maybe it’s not an album, maybe it is. I have no idea, but I’m just going to leave it open."

Jay's last album, 4:44, came out in June of 2017.