Jay Z Revealed The Sweet Way Blue Ivy Got Her Name, And What He And Beyoncé Almost Named Her

    "She's been born into a life she didn't ask for."

    Jay Z is a proud papa and he can't help but gush over his first-born daughter, Blue Ivy Carter.

    Jay with his arm around Blue as they sit front row at a basketball game

    During his two-part interview with Gayle King for CBS Mornings, Jay Z shared what inspired Blue's unique name, and what it's been like seeing her tear up the stage with her mom and his wife, Beyoncé.

    closeup of Jay in a tuxedo at his foundation gala

    Believe it or not, Blue didn't get her name because Jay and Bey have an affinity for the color. And despite speculation, they also didn't choose the name as a carefully orchestrated business marketing plan.

    closeup of the family when blue was a small kid

    Jay revealed he and Beyoncé initially planned on naming her Brooklyn, alluding to the rapper's deep connection to the borough where he grew up.

    a huge building dedicated to jay z

    As the "Cuff It" singer's pregnancy progressed, their minds also changed. But it didn't take long for them to land on something they could both agree on.

    the 3 in the audience for an event

    "We was calling her Blueberry. Like, 'Look at the little blueberry.' You know, it was like a nickname," Jay Z said. "It just was natural. We just took the berry off and called her Blue."

    his arm around blue at a sports event

    The music mogul has been in awe watching his daughter grow and that admiration has only increased as she's matured — like when she decided she wanted to perform during her mom's history-making Renaissance Tour.

    blue ivy on stage with beyonce

    Blue appeared alongside her mom during her performance of "My Power." The 11-year-old hit the stage night after night for her own dance set, and fans loved it. It even sparked a trend on TikTok, but no one was cheering Blue on harder than her dad.

    TikTok

    "For me, this was her best tour," Jay Z said. "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."

    closeup of beyonce on stage

    "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 added. "I know how nervous she was [to perform onstage]. I know how frightened she was. And she wanted to do it."

    blue dancing alongside the other dancers on stage

    "She wanted to do it the first night, and we was like, 'Okay, if this is something you wanna do, you can't just go out there. You gotta go work with the dancers, and go work.' And she worked every day and we watched her work hard. She had a little icy pack thing on her back some days."

    blue and the dancers on stage

    The "Hard Knock Life" rapper admitted that watching his daughter face this challenge with such determination gave him "goosebumps."

    "So for her to be on that stage and reclaim her power and the song is called 'My Power' — you can't write a better script," Jay Z concluded.

    jay z and a younger blue at an event

    Blue is the eldest of Jay and Bey's three children. They also share six-year-old twins Rumi and Sir.

    Well, it doesn't get sweeter than that! To learn more about Jay Z and his family, be sure to check out his full interview with Gayle King below.

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