Jay-Z opens up about shooting brother as a child

'I thought I'd go to jail forever,' says star

Jay-Z has spoken out for the first time about shooting his brother at the age of 12.

The superstar rapper had never talked publicly about the traumatic incident that took place growing up in the housing projects of Brooklyn.

But in an interview with The Guardian, he opened up about the shooting, which took place after his crack-addicted brother Eric stole his ring.

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He admitted: “I thought my life was over. I thought I’d go to jail forever… it was terrible. I was a boy, a child. I was terrified.”

In the event, his brother chose not to press charges and apologised to the future star for the state that drug had got him into.

Jay-Z alluded to the incident on his 1997 track ‘You Must Love Me’, rapping: “Saw the devil in your eyes, high off more than weed, confused, I just closed my young eyes and squeezed“.

Describing the violence that surrounded his upbringing, he added: “Guns were everywhere. You didn’t have to go far to get one. Just everywhere.

“There were shootouts, but I never shot anyone else. Most people in shootouts don’t get shot.”

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