Jay-Z: I Shot My Brother When I Was 12
Credit: Jamie McCarthy/WireImage.com
Jay-Z is fessing up for the first time about a crime he committed as a tween: he shot his older brother Eric when he was just 12 years old.
Touting a new book Jay-Z Decoded, the hip-hop mogul, now 40, opened up about the shocking incident -- he shot Eric, then a crack addict, for stealing a ring -- in an interview with British newspaper The Guardian.
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Growing up in Brooklyn, New York's infamous Marcy projects, the rapper (real name: Shawn Carter) says it was easy to get his hands on a gun. "How did he get the gun? "I went to someone's crib, someone's house, and got it. Guns were everywhere. You didn't have to go far to get one. Just everywhere."
After the non-fatal shooting -- he shot Eric's shoulder -- Jay-Z admits, "I thought my life was over. I thought I'd go to jail for ever."
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But his sibling refused to press charges. When Jay-Z visited Eric in the hospital, it was Eric who apologized for his crack addiction.
"It was terrible," he says now. "I was a boy, a child. I was terrified."
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It's the only time Jay-Z ever shot someone, he says. "There were shoot-outs, but I never shot anyone else. Most people in shoot-outs don't get shot."
He was, however, shot at three times, but was never hit. "It's like there was some rogue angel watching over us."
Tell Us What You Think
15Gail you're way too old to be in this conversation...do your children or home health aide know what you're doing? Wipe off the keyboard (covered with your old people drool no doubt) & give Nick G a call he's waiting by the phone for a friend. Stop the hating it's so dated...
When you're rich you can admit to having done some illegal things in the past, but if you're a poor schmuck and admitted to the doing the same thing, your black ass is going to jail! Period!!!!!!!! No disrespect to Jay-Z, but he's not worried about any legal problems that would result from having admitted to this! Cliff Las Vegas, NV
@Chuck~the song is,"you must love me", and its from the album called, In my lifetime:vol 1
This is old news.
If you heard the song "Somebody must love me" from reasonable doubt I think he already admitted this....like 10 years ago.
It's funny this is just an article if you see the title and if you don't like the person keep it moving. Like Jay said on to the next one. He making millions you fools just mad
I dont see what the big deal is I thought shooting your brother is a normal part of growing up.Looking foward to another album all about how your the shiznit jigga man you know what else would be cool is if you retire and then try to hang out with a bunch of old white guys that own sport teams not fit in and then make a come back oh wait you did that already. ;}
Fool Homeboy - why don't you clean up the hood before you go flapping your gums about things that happened in the 50s and 60s. And all your hero "gangsta" rappers - if they gave two $#!t$ about their "homies" and "bruthus", they would put their big bucks towards edjumacation for their peeps, not throwing gangs signs and spraying champagne. Grow up.
People need to stop being so judgemental....and trust me Shawn Corey Carter is not losing sleep over what your broke ass thinks of him...I love you Jay Z...I am your biggest fan...an Im not a groupie...I just admire you and I am proud of the fact that you came from the bottom and you did what you set out to do....and youare still doing our thing...So to all the haters, like my boy said , Even if he falls he will land on a bunch of money....God Bless.....
Also to Gail Neuman....dont hate that he is a successful entrepreneur....he changed his life and is doing well. He didnt kill his brother he shot him in the shoulder and that is no reason to spend 13 years in jail ...Please never run for president....
i love him it always comes out wen u either trying to do something bigger or to try to get some thing out of the way
To Gail Neuman maybe alot of the Klans men or other white people should have got life in jail or the chair even for all the blacks that were killed in the 50s and 60s that was just murder the attempted and succeeded and got away with it. Maybe your ancestors?
He should have gone to juvenile hall until age 25 for attempted murder!!!
Are we supposed to be impressed?
I heard about that a long time ago. He has a bad temper.