Here’s What Jay-Z Says Is the Right Answer to Whether $500K or Lunch With Him Is Worth More
Written by djfrosty on October 23, 2023
At long last, the world finally has an answer to a question that has tormented social media for years. In a clip from Jay-Z‘s upcoming interview with Gayle King on CBS Mornings interview with Gayle King, the music mogul weighed on whether it’s a smarter choice to choose lunch with him over $500,000 cash.
“You’ve gotta take the money,” the “Big Pimpin’” rapper said in a teaser clip, pointing out that all his wisdom is already in his work. “You’ve got all that in the music for $10.99.”
With a discography that spans 13 Billboard 200 No. 1 albums, collaborative projects with Linkin Park and Beyoncé, and hundreds of memorable guest verses, the Brooklyn rap icon isn’t wrong when he says it’s all in the music.
“I wouldn’t tell you to cut a bad deal. Like, take the $500,000, go buy some albums, and listen to the albums,” he continued. “It’s all there. If you piece it together and really listen to the music for the words, well, what it is, it’s all there.”
Jay-Z’s new two-part interview with King will feature an exclusive tour of the Brooklyn Public Library’s “Book of HOV” exhibit, a sprawling archival undertaking that chronicles the vast expanse of his career, from his lengthy Grammy-winning catalog to his landmark business deals across the realms of sports, music, alcohol, film and public service.
The “lunch with Jay-Z or $500K” meme has been going viral on social media — in various iterations — since at least 2017. The premise of the question is whether the rapper can provide an amount of wisdom and sound advice that would theoretically be worth more than $500,000 in cold, hard cash. The question has ignited passionate responses for years, with some pointing to Jay-Z’s storied career to justify choosing the meal option, while others place their bets on the money management skills and pick the $500K.
“Everything that I said was gonna happen, happened,” Jay-Z added in his chat with King. “Everything that I said I wanted to do, I’ve done.”