Entertainment
Rapper/producer/entrepreneur/Mr. Beyoncé Jay Z turns 46 today, and even though he seems to be a total pro at basically everything, there’s one area where he seems to really shine: being a devoted husband and father. Jay Z and Queen Bey have both shared a little bit over the years on social media and in interviews about their daughter, Blue Ivy, and what life is like as a family. We’ve seen adorable Instagram snaps, and sweet candid shots of Jay Z dancing with Blue Ivy at Tina Knowles’ wedding. We all swooned when he brought Blue Ivy up on stage to congratulate her mom at the MTV awards. And of course, both Bey and Blue have been the topic of some of Jay Z’s best songs. So in honor of his birthday, we thought we’d take a look back at some of Jay’s greatest dad moments — because, really, is there anything sweeter than a man who adores his wife and child? (I don’t think so.)
Jay Z and Beyoncé work hard to keep their family life private, sharing only certain photos and stories with the public, which makes total sense. But every now and then, they’ll open up a bit about each other, and their honesty and devotion gives us serious #relationshipgoals.
Here are some of our fave Jay Z moments, because let’s be honest, they’re adorable:
When He Spoke About “Jay Z Blue” Ahead Of The Release of “Magna Carta Holy Grail”
Make no mistake, Jay Z loves his family, but he’s also refreshingly candid about all of the struggles and fears that go along with being a parent (something that pretty much everyone who’s had a kid can probably relate to). In a promo vid for his album release, he spoke about the song he wrote for daughter Blue, and how his own experience with his dad have made him wonder sometimes if he’s doomed to make the same mistakes, even though he loves his daughter and “still [marvels]” at her all the time:
“My pop left when I was young, and he didn’t teach me how to be a man, nor how to raise a child, or treat a woman, right? So of course, my karma, the two things I need, I don’t have. And I have a daughter...[The song’s about] the paranoia of not being a great dad.”
Even though we may not all know exactly how he feels, most of us can relate to the feeling of wondering if we’ll be good enough parents for our kids because we love them so much. And even though it’s hard, it’s heartwarming to see how deeply he wants to be a good dad for his daughter.
The Entire “Glory” Video
OK, for real, is there anything cuter than Jay Z’s “Glory” video? It’s one giant tribute to his sweet fam, and shows all sort of things like Blue Ivy’s ultrasound, Beyonce’s adorbs preggo belly, her pregnancy reveal at the VMAs, and beautiful clips of a crazy-in-love Hov & B. The bestttttt.
Their 2014 VMA Total Family Love Fest
I feel like I could watch this a million times and never stop smiling at it. What could possibly be better than seeing the love and pride Jay Z has for Beyonce when he presents her with an award and calls her “the greatest living entertainer”? Oh, that’s right, adding adorable Blue Ivy into the mix. Oh, the feels.
When He Gushed About Blue Ivy to 'Vanity Fair'
Back in 2013, Jay Z was on the cover of Vanity Fair, and spoke about all kinds of things (including how he won over Beyonce!) in the corresponding article. But the cutest part? When he shared how proud it made him that his little girl likes his music:
"She's my biggest fan. If no one bought the Magna Carta, the fact that she loves it so much, it gives me the greatest joy. And that's not like a cliché. I'm really serious. Just to see her—'Daddy song, more, Daddy.' She's genuine, she's honest, because she doesn't know it makes me happy. She just wants to hear it."
Even though Jay Z and Beyoncé are totally music royalty and he’s probably celebrating his birthday on a yacht somewhere with all his millions, it’s nice to see that they’re also a family who totally love each other, despite how difficult raising kids can sometimes be. Happy birthday, Jay Z!
Image: Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Live Nation
