Jay-Z happy to be criticised

Jan 15, 2010, 6:03 GMT

Jay-Z likes people telling him his work is "bulls**t".

The rapper - who is one of the most successful hip hop artists in the world - claims to have stayed grounded because his friends aren't afraid to tell him what they think.

He admitted to Interview magazine: "The reason I've been grounded, though, and able to make albums, is because I've allowed my friends to come with me and voice an opinion.

"That's who keeps you grounded-the people who have known you longest. People who don't know you, you don't know their motives. They smile at you all day, 'Oh, that's great. You've done it again! You're the greatest!' And that's not good for an artist.

"You've gotta keep the people that have been around you, who saw you when you didn't have anything, so they have the confidence to say, 'Get out of here. That shit is bulls**t!'I welcome that."

The 40-year-old musician - who is married to Beyonce Knowles - also admitted he is terrified of failure, but says his fears drive him on to do well.

He explained: "You know... successful people have a bigger fear of failure than people who've never done anything because if you haven't been successful, then you don't know how it feels to lose it all. You don't have that fear. So why do you think people get stuck in those boxes? It's that fear of going back down."