United Kingdom, Sept. 26 -- Jay-Z felt "afraid to be vulnerable" before meeting Beyonce.

The 56-year-old rap star began dating Beyonce in the early 2000s, before tying the knot in 2008, and Jay thinks the chart-topping star has helped him to become more expressive.

Discussing 4:44 - the song in which he opens up about womanising and fatherhood - he says in JAY-Z on 8: "I probably heard that song less than any song I'd ever written, except for You Must Love Me. Just listening to it is hard. Doing it was difficult enough. Then hearing it back."

In 4:44, Jay raps: "I said: 'Don't embarrass me' instead of 'Be mine' / That was my proposal for us to go steady / That was your 21st birthday / You matured faster than me, I wasn't ready / So I a...