Jay-Z uses his raps as 'therapy sessions'

The '99 Problems' rapper doesn't like to talk about how he feels with other people, but when he gets into the studio, he lets it all come out in his songs.

He told USA Today newspaper: 't's really like therapy sessions. That's why I do it in the studio. I'm not a person who will sit and talk about my feelings. But the music just pulls it out, and it's like, 'Man, I can't believe I held that in for 12 years!' "

Among the experiences Jay-Z ' whose real name is Shawn Carter - channels into his musical 'therapy sessions' is his time as a teenage drug dealer in New York, and admits his tough upbringing has contributed to his business acumen.

The hip hop mogul ' boss of the successful Roc Nation record label, music management and publishing company ' added: 'My life after childhood has two main stories: the story of the hustler and the story of the rapper, and the two overlap as much as they diverge. I was on the streets for more than half of my life from the time I was 13.

"I learned about integrity, about the importance of being a man of your word. These are things that apply in business today. Where I come from, if you cheated someone or took something from them, it could be a matter of life and death. You were dealing with guys who were very young, with all the testosterone and ego and pride that young guys have.'

The 40-year-old star ' who is married to pop singer Beyonce Knowles ' admitted he wants to have children one day, but won't 'rush' into raising a family.

He said: ' grew up with people in my house all the time. Everyone would come there to have fun. Mom had the Afro and she'd always have music playing, or we'd be watching sports.

'So family is important to me. But I don't rush anything; everything happens in time."