Jay-Z To Oprah: Rihanna Can Be A 'Voice' For Domestic-Abuse Victims

Rapper also discusses his drug-dealing past, his marriage to Beyoncé and the N-word.

Jay-Z appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" on Thursday (September 24), concluding a whirlwind blitz that's seen the two business titans visit the rapper's old Brooklyn stomping grounds, speak over the airwaves and have their conversation appear in the pages of O magazine.

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"Here you go again, smelling good," Winfrey joked as Jay-Z walked on the set. The line was in reference to her call with Gayle King where she remarked after meeting the rapper she discovered how good he smelled.

"That's swagger," an audience member chimed in, drawing Jay's laughter.

The pair appeared at ease with each other as the talk-show queen asked the rapper about his drug-dealing past, his marriage to Beyoncé and his relationship with his father, whom Jay-Z had been estranged from before reuniting with him before his death.

They agreed to disagree over issues with the N-word. Jay-Z said people give words power, and as a culture, we can take that away. Winfrey steadfastly disagreed, saying for her generation, the word is loaded with degradation.

Winfrey also talked business with the legendary rapper, as they visited his Rocawear offices and discussed the careers he's helped mold.

When it came to Rihanna, Jay-Z explained that he had a talk with the "Umbrella" star following her altercation with Chris Brown. "It's one of those situations where she's young, they're both young," he said. " ... There's a contention of young people who are going through the same things, and no one hears their voice. She can be their hero. Or she can choose not to grow from this."