Even music legends can get caught up in petty professional rivalries. Jay-Z has opened up about Kanye West's frustration regarding his collaboration with Coldplay, revisiting the tension during episode seven of JAŸ-Z in 8.
The issue stems from West's 2007 track 'Big Brother,' where he rapped about Jay-Z recording with the British band after West had already worked with frontman Chris Martin on 'Homecoming.' West admitted in the song that he took his complaint to Jay Brown, then an A&R executive at Roc-A-Fella and later a Roc Nation co-founder, rather than addressing Jay-Z directly.
Jay-Z, 56, explained that his friendship with Martin was the primary reason behind their musical connection. He had featured the Coldplay singer on his 2006 track 'Beach Chair' and reunited with him for 'Lost+' in 2008.
'It's almost as if I betrayed him by having a song [with him],' Jay-Z said. 'Chris Martin is my friend. But that's how he says it.'
He added, 'The world hears that and you think, 'Jay is foul.' It's not off the table that I'm doing a song with my friend because you did a song. But that's the sort of thinking.'
Jay-Z acknowledged he could understand West's perspective, though he disagreed with the sentiment. 'I can, but that doesn't make it right. Part of it is entitlement.
We don't own people. You could do 1,000 songs with 1,000 artists.
Whether you did the song first or not, who cares?' The final two episodes of JAŸ-Z in 8, featuring longtime friend and producer Rick Rubin, are now available on streaming platforms.