Jay-Z and Rick Rubin break down eight songs in HBO's JAY-Z IN 8
Jay-Z and Rick Rubin go song by song in JAY-Z IN 8, an eight-part docuseries that starts on HBO and HBO Max on September 18.
The first two episodes will air back to back, meaning one straight after the other, on HBO at 8 p.m. ET on Friday, September 18, according to Variety. HBO Max has also listed September 18 as the streaming premiere date.
The setup is simple. Rubin plays a Jay-Z track. Then the two men talk about it. The conversation was filmed over several days at the Palais Brongniart in Paris, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Each of the eight episodes centres on one song from Jay-Z's catalogue. Songs featured include "Brooklyn's Finest," "99 Problems," "Allure," "Public Service Announcement (Interlude)" and "4:44." The series is shot in black and white by cinematographer Bradford Young.
Rubin directs the series as well as appearing in it. It is his first extended directing job since the 1988 Run-DMC film Tougher Than Leather. Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter is credited as an executive producer, a senior role that oversees the creative and financial side of a production, alongside Rubin.
The series is presented by HBO Documentary Films and is a Tetragrammaton production, according to HBO. Actor Daniel Kaluuya is also listed as an executive producer.
What makes this stand out is the scale. Eight songs get room to breathe across eight hours. For fans, this means the stories behind the recordings arrive in Jay-Z's own words, with Rubin asking the questions.
HBO Max has released an official trailer for the series ahead of the launch. All eight parts will roll out from HBO, with streaming on HBO Max.
