Would you rather have lunch with rapper Jay-Z or take $500,000 in cash?
That has been the theoretical viral question asked of many – pitting a large sum of money against a chance to listen to the first hip-hop billionaire’s pearls of wisdom.
And now finally, Jay-Z himself has shared his thoughts on the problem that the internet has been grappling with for years.
“You got to take the money,” the 99 Problems rapper said.
When asked by CBS Morning’s Gayle King if he would miss out on his wisdom for the money, Jay-Z said: “You got all that in the music for $10.99. Take the $500,000, go buy some albums and listen to the albums.
“If you piece it together and really listen to the music… it’s all there.
“Everything I said was going to happen, happened. Everything I said I wanted to do, I’ve done. There’s the blueprint
“The blueprint to me and my life and my journey is there already.”
Jay-Z, real name Shawn Carter, has had an aspirational rise from selling drugs on the street as a 13-year-old to selling over 140 million records.
He later turned his success into a sprawling business empire that includes investments in record labels, sports teams, clothing brands and alcohol. It has made him a billionaire.
He is now valued at $2.5bn, according to Forbes.
TikTok is littered with videos of people pondering the question, on podcasts and in street interviews.
Music journalist Sowmya Krishnamurthy on X, formerly known as Twitter, declared the debate “over” after Jay-Z’s answer.
But radio personality Rickey Smiley said he would take the dinner to talk to him and learn from him. “That’s something you just can’t buy.”
Earlier this month, a viral video emerged of Jay-Z fist bumping a fan who told him he’d rather take the $500k.
Jay-Z’s comments were part of a wider interview with CBS and tour of an exhibit at the Brooklyn Public Library celebrating the life and work of the hip-hop legend.
The rapper is married to singer Beyonce, and they have three children.