HBO Sets September Premiere for 'Jay-Z in 8,' a Rick Rubin-Directed Documentary Series Spanning Eight Episodes

HBO has locked in the release schedule for Jay-Z in 8, an eight-part documentary series in which Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter sits down with legendary producer Rick Rubin to unpack the lyrics and ideas behind his songs.

The first two episodes debut back-to-back on HBO on Friday, September 18, starting at 8 p.m. ET, and will be available to stream on HBO Max at the same time. After that, two new episodes arrive every Friday through the finale on October 9. The series is a Tetragrammaton production, directed by Rubin — the co-founder of Def Jam Recordings, the label that helped shape hip-hop's commercial rise in the 1980s and 90s (Digital Music News).

Each episode is structured as a "chapter" built around specific songs. Chapter One covers 'Intro,' 'Meet The Parents,' 'Can't Knock The Hustle' and 'What More Can I Say.' Chapter Two, airing the same night, features 'Brooklyn's Finest,' 'I Love The Dough' (featuring Jay-Z and Angela Winbush) and 'What More Can I Say.' The run continues through chapters touching on tracks spanning Jay-Z's entire catalogue — from 'Dead Presidents II' and '99 Problems' to '4:44' and 'Kill Jay-Z' — before closing with Chapter Eight, which features 'New York (Concept de Paris)' (Variety).

Behind the camera, the credits run deep. Carter, Rubin and actor Daniel Kaluuya serve as executive producers. Leila Mattimore and David Rohde produce, with Harlin Lawal and Will Mavronicolas as co-producers. Bradford Young, the cinematographer whose work includes Arrival and Selma, is director of photography. On the HBO side, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller and Sara Rodriguez executive produce (Variety).

The series arrives during a busy stretch for Jay-Z. In late May 2026 he returned to the stage at Philadelphia's Roots Picnic, then played three nights at Yankee Stadium honouring the anniversary milestones of his albums Reasonable Doubt and The Blueprint. He is scheduled to perform in London, Paris and Los Angeles, with two nights at SoFi Stadium set for late October (Variety).

For fans, the format is the draw: two songs-minded figures sitting across from each other, working through a catalogue that spans nearly three decades of hip-hop history, one chapter at a time. The full schedule runs September 18 through October 9 on HBO and HBO Max.