Jay-Z has revealed one of the last things the late great Kobe Bryant said to him before his tragic passing in a helicopter crash.
The 50-year-old rapper (real name Shawn Carter) spoke to students at Columbia University on Tuesday, when he was asked to speak about his sports agency and his relationship with Kobe Bryant (via Roc Nation Sports Twitter).
Bryant passed at just 41 years of age on January 26, along with eight other passengers when the helicopter they were flying in crashed near Calabasas.
Jay-Z speaks: Jay-Z has revealed one of the last things the late great Kobe Bryant said to him before his tragic passing in a helicopter crash
Last words: Bryant passed at just 41 years of age on January 26, along with eight other passengers when the helicopter they were flying in crashed near Calabasas
After taking a pause to compose his thoughts, the rapper began with, ‘Kobe was a guy that looked up to me and we’ve hung out multiple times.’
‘He was last at my house on New Year’s and he was just in the greatest space that I’ve seen him in,’ the rapper continued.
‘One of the last things he said to me was, “You’ve gotta see Gianna play basketball,”‘ Jay-Z said, referring to his 13 year old daughter who died in the crash with Kobe.
Thoughts: After taking a pause to compose his thoughts, the rapper began with, ‘Kobe was a guy that looked up to me and we’ve hung out multiple times’
‘That was one of the most hurtful things, because he was so proud, and the look on his face was… I looked at him and said, “Oh she’s going to be the best female basketball player in the world.”‘
The Tidal founder added that Bryant was, ‘just so proud at what he said,’ and that he and his wife Beyonce have taken the loss of Kobe and Gianna, ‘really tough.’
‘That’s all I’ll say on that. He was just a great human being and was in a great space in his life,’ Jay-Z concluded.
Proud: ‘That was one of the most hurtful things, because he was so proud, and the look on his face was… I looked at him and said, “Oh she’s going to be the best female basketball player in the world”‘
Loss: The Tidal founder added that Bryant was, ‘just so proud at what he said,’ and that he and his wife Beyonce have taken the loss of Kobe and Gianna, ‘really tough’
Bryant and his daughter Gianna were en route to a basketball game at his Mamba Academy, along with six other passengers and the pilot, when their helicopter went down.
The death of the NBA legend sent shockwaves throughout the world, and particularly the Los Angeles area where he played for 20 years.
Bryant left behind his wife of 18 years, Vanessa, and three other daughters, Natalia, 17, Bianka, 3, and Capri, seven months.
Mamba: Bryant and his daughter Gianna were en route to a basketball game at his Mamba Academy, along with six other passengers and the pilot, when their helicopter went down
Jay-Z was officially named the first billionaire in hip-hop in June 2019, making him the wealthiest musician in the world.
While the rapper hasn’t released an album since 2017’s 4:44, he has several other business ventures including his hit music streaming service Tidal.
He also fully purchased the champagne company Armand de Brignac, known as Ace of Spades, from Sovereign Brands.
Wealthiest: Jay-Z was officially named the first billionaire in hip-hop in June 2019, making him the wealthiest musician in the world
