Jay-Z: 'Dad's absence left me with huge scar'

Jay-Z is determined to be a better parent than his own absentee father, admitting he was left with a "huge scar" when his dad abandoned him as a boy.

The hip-hop star, who is expecting his first child with Beyonce in February (12), was left deeply traumatised at 11 when his dad Adnes Reeves walked away from the family.

And Jay-Z insists losing his dad at such a young age hurt more than never getting the chance to properly know him.

He tells GQ magazine, "If your dad died before you were born, yeah, it hurts - but it's not like you had a connection with something that was real. My dad was such a good dad that when he left, he left a huge scar. He was my superhero... I bet (my dad) didn't believe he'd spaz out and leave either."

Jay-Z later discovered that Reeves had left his children following the sudden death of his brother. The father and son reconciled years later before Reeves passed away.