Jay-Z Says He Hopes To Be Remembered Like Bob Marley “And All The Greats”

Of all the iconic figures in the world, American rapper and record executive Jay-Z says he wants people to remember him the way they memorialize Jamaican Reggae legend, Bob Marley.

Though Jay-Z, 51, has already gone down in the history books as one of the most influential hip-hop artists and is often cited as one of the greatest rappers of all time, he told The Sunday Times in a recent interview that he hopes everyone will mention him in the vein of greats like Bob Marley. “I have no idea.  I’m not beyond ego, right? Hopefully, they speak of me [with] the names of Bob Marley and all the greats. But that’s not for me to say,” he said when asked how he’d like to be remembered.

In the very rare interview, the Brooklyn-born rapper also covered issues of race, his family, the coronavirus pandemic, and his proudest moments. “I’m most proud of overcoming my circumstances and providing opportunity for people who look like me and who came from the same situation that I’ve come from,” he said.

As for the global lockdown, Jay said he’s optimistic and confident that life will normalize soon, “In the beginning it was time for everyone to sit down and really connect, and really focus on family and being together, and take this time to learn more about each other.” Now it’s time to rebuild he says, “We have to bounce back and we have to be great and we have to rebuild. I’m forever an optimist.”

Jay Z, whose real name is Shawn Corey Carter, visited the hometown of Bob Marley back in 2017, and even documented the occasion in the music video for his single Bam featuring Marley’s youngest son, Damian Marley.  The song, which appears on Jay’s 4:44 album,  is anchored in a sample of Sister Nancy’s Bam Bam (1982), who also makes an appearance in the video.

As Jay toured the landscapes of Trench Town with Damian, he talked about the profound impact the experience had on him and revealed he grew up listening to Bob Marley as a child. “It was really powerful for me when I came here. This is music I listened to my whole life. My mom and dad, they collected records and they just played music all the time. Bob was like a major source in our house. I turned into a kid when I came here,” he said.

Bob Marley Has Been A Great Inspiration For Several Other Rappers

Earlier this month, rapper Tory Lanez said his ultimate goal is a legacy like the late Bob Marley. He said his larger-than-life aspirations are directly influenced by the Reggae king. “I’m going to stop wars with my music like how Bob Marley did. I’m going to do certain things that are so above and beyond other artists,” Lanez said.

New York rapper Nas said that he’s inspired by Bob Marley’s “untouchable” status and that he would someday hope to have that kind of effect on fans. “Everyone listens to him—it’s not a Jamaican thing or an American thing—it’s all over the world,” Nas told the Wall Street Journal in a past interview. “I’ve always wished to be able to do that once, as much as he does it naturally and easily on this untouchable level, I’d want to do that.”

For Snoop Dogg, Marley is one of the forefathers. “The groove of his music spoke to me, but also the message. There have been traces of reggae in my music for my whole career … his spirit lives on in me.”

Wiz Khalifa, like Jay Z, was introduced to Marley’s music as a child and grew up listening with his dad. Many others like Wyclef Jean, Erykah Badu, Lauren Hill, Rihanna, and more said Bob Marley have impacted their passage into music in more ways than one, from growing up jamming to his songs to being inspired by his message.

May 11, 2021 will mark 40 years since Bob Marley passed away from cancer in a Miami hospital in 1981.