Jay-Z has addressed detractors who claim his daughter, Blue Ivy, didn’t earn her spot as a backup dancer on his wife Beyoncé’s recent world tours.

In a rare interview with GQ magazine, the 56-year-old rapper defended the strong work ethic of his 14-year-old daughter, Blue.

Blue Ivy joined her mother, Beyoncé, 44, on stage for the Renaissance and Cowboy Carter tours in 2023 and 2025, respectively.

Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, shared that he witnessed significant growth in his daughter between the two tours.

“During the first tour, there was a lot of discussion about her debut performance. She put in a lot of effort to reach that point, but she was still just going through the motions,” he shared.

“Then, she began to push back. I witnessed her determination, perhaps for the first time, realizing that not everything would be handed to her on a silver platter. She fought for her place,” he added.

Jay-Z, 56, has spoken out against critics who think his daughter Blue Ivy didn’t work hard to become a backup dancer on his wife Beyonce’s recent world tours; Pictured in February 2024 

The rapper sat down for a rare interview with GQ magazine, during which he defended 14-year-old Blue’s work ethic

The proud dad also noted that he was protective over which songs he felt comfortable with her dancing to.

‘She’s almost on every number. I had to take her off some, like, “Man, you can’t be on that stage when [Beyonce’s] singing “Six-inch heels…”; are you crazy?”’ he added.

In addition to Blue, Jay-Z and Beyonce share fraternal twins Rumi and Sir, eight.

The father-of-three said witnessing Blue’s growth as a performer was ‘amazing.’

He went on to share elsewhere in the interview that his oldest child ‘is a crazy pianist,’ but won’t let her parents ‘get her a teacher’ because ‘she doesn’t want it to be a job.’

‘But she has perfect pitch. If she hears a song, she’ll be like, “Play it again,” and then she’ll teach herself. That’s just talent, she doesn’t work at that,’ he gushed.

Referencing her effort as a dancer, the rapper clarified: ‘She worked at this, and it makes me proud that she fought for something that she really wanted to do. 

‘I don’t think we’re going to be able to get her off that stage now.’

‘Not everything is just given to her and everything is easy. She fought for it,’ he said about his teenage daughter; pictured in February 2025

The teenager joined mom Beyonce, 44, on stage for her back-to-back Renaissance and Cowboy Carter tours in 2023 and 2025

The Brooklyn-bred rapper was interviewed by GQ to mark 30 years of his music career; Seen with Beyonce in 2024

Elsewhere in the magazine profile, Jay-Z spoke about the value of parenthood and family: ‘It gives everything meaning, everything. I’ll go cross-country, do what I have to do, and I’m back on the plane that night.’

He added about being a dad, ‘I love taking them to school. I love picking them up.’

A source told Daily Mail in May 2025 that in preparation for tour Blue spent hours a day rehearsing for nearly six months with choreographer to the stars, Amari Marshall, all while juggling school.

‘She’s been around Bey’s choreographers since she was a baby which is where she picked up her love of dance,’ the source said.

‘She has been training with Amari, and they started rehearsing just before Christmas. She rehearsed for six hours a day in between school work and has been watching her mom’s videos on YouTube.

‘Blue even had a hand in some of the creative direction of this tour,’ the insider said about Cowboy Carter.