Jay-Z stated that his oldest daughter, Blue Ivy, inspired him to learn to swim as an adult.
The 51-year-old rap legend claimed during an appearance on HBO Max’s “The Shop: Uninterrupted” that he started learning to swim after the birth of his daughter Blue Ivy, who is now 10 years old.
“It’s amazing. It’s a very grounding thing,” Jay-Z, 51, said. “I didn’t learn how to swim until Blue was born. There goes everything you need to know.”
Jay-Z, who was born Shawn Carter, said his desire to protect Blue Ivy drove him to learn.
“This is a metaphor for our relationship. If she ever fell in the water and I couldn’t get her, I couldn’t even fathom that thought,” he said. “I gotta learn how to swim. That’s it. That was the beginning of our relationship.”
Jay-Z and Beyonce have three children: Blue Ivy, nine, and twins Rumi and Sir, three. Blue Ivy was born in January 2012, followed by the twins in June 2017.
The Grammy winner also joked about Blue Ivy’s blasé reaction to his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nomination in February.
“I got the announcement. I was taking Blue to school. I was like, ‘This ain’t no celebration,'” he said. “‘She walked away, I was like, ‘Yo, give me a kiss, I’m in the Hall of Fame!’ She’s like ‘Bye, dad.'”
