Jay-Z has chimed in on the commonly debated subject of whether fans should take $500,000 over the opportunity to dine with him.

People reports the question commonly posed online began surfacing as early as 2017 but may have been asked even before that. The discussion hasn’t waned, with one fan who crossed paths with the rapper-turned-billionaire on Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023, stating he would take the cash over the dinner.

“Ay HOV, I’m taking that $500,000. I’m not taking that dinner…It’s love though,” he expressed.

 

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It appears Jay-Z has the same sentiment.

During an exclusive interview with broadcast journalist Gayle King on “CBS Morning,” the rapper suggested that opting for the cash would be the smarter choice.

“You gotta take the money. What I’mma say,” Jay-Z, 53, explained.

His rationale for his decision is that all the financial guidance someone might seek by meeting the billionaire is already present in his music. He even goes to the extent of saying that not choosing the $500,000 would be a “bad deal.”

“Because you got all that in the music for $10.99. That’s a bad deal. I wouldn’t tell you to cut a bad deal,” Jay-Z explained. “Take the $500,000, go buy some albums and listen to the albums. It’s all there.”

He added, “If you piece it together and really listen to the music for the words for what it is, it’s all there. Everything that I said was gonna happen, happened. Everything that I said I wanted to do, I’ve done. And there’s the blueprint. The blueprint literally to me and my life and my journey is there already.”

And there you have it, the iconic Jay-Z has delivered his verdict. If you’re attentive to the music, he says you’ll find all the valuable insights you seek.