Having a baby is life-changing for every parent, and that's been the case for Beyoncé and Jay Z, who are now parents of three after welcoming Blue Ivy in 2012 and twins Rumi and Sir in 2017.
Every parent knows how you rapidly start structuring your life around that little one from the second you find out you're expecting, and they become your world. And now Jay-Z has opened up about one of the more profound ways Blue changed everything for him nine years ago, calling the experience "amazing" and "very grounding."
"I didn't learn how to swim until Blue was born," he shared in an appearance on LeBron James's The Shop: Interrupted with WNBA star Nneka Ogwumike.
"There goes everything you need to know," the 51-year-old continued. "This is a metaphor for our relationship.
Jay Z with Blue Ivy and Beyoncé at the 2018 GRAMMYs in New York. Photo: © Lester Cohen/Getty Images for NARAS
"If she ever fell in the water and I couldn't get her, I couldn't even fathom that thought. I gotta learn how to swim. That's it. That was the beginning of our relationship."
Ever since Blue was born, it's been clear her effect on Jay-Z's life has been profound. "JAY Z Blue," a song on his 2013 album Magna Carta Holy Grail, was about his worries about being a good parent, since his father left his mother when he was young.
Blue won her first GRAMMY back in February, too! And earlier this year, Jay-Z told The Sunday Times he will support his kids' career dreams, no matter what they are – even if it turns out they aren't really into getting in to the music business.
"Feeling loved is the most important thing a child needs, you know?" the 23-time GRAMMY winner told the publication. "Not, 'Here's this business that I'm going to hand over to you, that I'm creating for you.'
"What if my child doesn't want to be in music or sports? I have no idea, right? But as long as your child feels supported and feels loved, I think anything is possible."