Jay-Z got candid about how he and Beyoncé decided on the moniker for their eldest daughter.
During the renowned rapper’s interview on CBS Mornings with Gayle King, he disclosed the meaning behind his 11-year-old’s name Blue Ivy. Despite the fan theories, the 53-year-old father and his wife of 15 years weren’t inspired by the colour or motivated by any kind of brand-building strategy. Rather, the shade reference stems from an inside anecdote between himself and Beyonce before their daughter was born.
“It was supposed to be Brooklyn,” the “Empire State of Mind” artist explained, before explaining how viewing the sonograms of their eldest led to their name change.
“We was calling her Blueberry. Like, ‘Look at the little blueberry.’ You know, it was like a nickname,” Jay-Z continued. “It just was natural. We just took the berry off and called her Blue.”
Earlier in the interview, the “Part II” vocalist talked about how his daughter’s perception of him as a “cool parent” has developed over the years, adding that Blue Ivy now asks him for style advice.
“She used to be frontin’ on me a little bit,” Jay-Z said. “But [now] I catch her. I catch her in the corner, you know? Now she asks me, you know, if this is cool, if her sneakers [are cool].”
“There was a time where she was like, ‘Daaaaad’,’” he joked. Normally, Jay-Z would answer: “I’m cool. I don’t know what you sayin‘. I’m cool! You got cool parents! At your house, your parents [are] cool.”
Blue Ivy is the older sister to six-year-old twins Rumi and Sir.
Recently, she’s received a large sume of praise from Beyoncé fans, having appeared on stage for a number of her mother’s Renaissance tour shows. Blue Ivy danced alongside her mom for songs like “My Power” and “Black Parade.”
Promptly after the young prodigy’s first appearance in Paris, the “Lemonade” singer honoured the sentimental moment with a poignant post on Instagram. Next to a slide deck of stills from the show, Beyoncé wrote: “My beautiful first born. I’m so proud and thankful to be your mama. You bring us so much joy, my sweet angel.”
The proud father he is, Jay-Z reflected on what it was like to see his daughter and the love of his life perform together.
“For me, this was her best tour,” he told King. “It’s hard to really compare them because they all have different things of genius. But this one, to me, felt like the most complete. Blue’s been born into this world that she didn’t ask. She’s been born into a life she didn’t ask for.”
“So since she was born she’s been in, like, scrutiny and public eye, and everyone having an opinion,” he continued. “I know how nervous she was. I know how frightened she was. And she wanted to do it.”
