Jay-Z has spoken publicly for the first time about how, at age 12, he shot his brother over a stolen ring.

The star – who is now the world’s most successful rapper and is married to one of the world’s most successful pop icons, Beyoncé – talked to The Guardian about his troubled childhood in a violent, drug-addled housing project in Brooklyn, New York.

Jay-Z described how he felt after pulling the trigger on his crack-addicted brother: "I thought my life was over. I thought I'd go to jail for ever."

However, the future Grammy Award winner caught a lucky break when his brother not only survived unscathed, but didn’t press charges and rather apologised for the trouble his addiction had caused.  

"It's like there was some rogue angel watching over us," Jay said.

An account of the incident can be found in the lyrics of ‘You Must Love Me’. "Saw the devil in your eyes, high off more than weed, confused, I just closed my young eyes and squeezed."

Listen to ‘You Must Love Me’ below: