Jay Z only learnt to swim when daughter Blue Ivy was born out of fear he couldn’t save her

Jay Z has revealed how he was forced to confront his fears by learning how to swim when his daughter Blue Ivy was born.

The 99 Problems rapper is father to three children, Blue, nine, and three-year-old twins Rumi and Sir, who he shares with wife Beyonce. 

However, it wasn’t until his first-born child arrived that Jay Z realised he needed to face up to the terrifying realities that come with being a parent – that is not being able to save Blue in the event of an accident in water. 

Speaking on LeBron James’ HBO talk series The Shop, the 51-year-old said of fatherhood: ‘It’s amazing. It’s a very grounding thing… I didn’t learn how to swim until Blue was born. There goes everything you need to know. 

‘This is a metaphor for our relationship.’ 

He continued: ‘If she ever fell in the water and I couldn’t get her, I couldn’t even fathom that thought. I gotta learn how to swim. That’s it. That was the beginning of our relationship.’ 

Jay Z, real name Shawn Carter, also shared a funny anecdote about his relationship with Blue and her reaction, or lack thereof, when he was shortlisted for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. 

‘I got the announcement [about the nomination], I was taking Blue to school, I was like, “This ain’t no celebration”,’ Jay Z recalled. 

‘She walked away. I was like, “Yo, give me a kiss, I’m in the Hall of Fame!” She’s like “Bye, dad”.’ 

In April, the Big Pimpin’ rapper explained why he would rather give his children love than his billion-dollar business empire. 

‘[Family] is your foundation. Feeling loved is the most important thing a child needs, you know?’ he told The Sunday Times Style magazine. 

‘Not “here’s this business that I’m going to hand over to you, that I’m creating for you”. 

‘What if my child doesn’t want to be in music or sports? I have no idea, right? But as long as your child feels supported, and feels loved, I think anything is possible.’

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