The Jay-Z Subway Woman? Yeah, She Just Reviewed 'Magna Carta Holy Grail'

Ellen Grossman? No, the name doesn't ring a bell? Well, you may remember her as the New Yorker who just so happened to sit next to Jay-Z during his ride on the R train in New York City last fall. A visual artist based in Manhattan, Grossman became an internet sensation after she failed to get even remotely star-struck by perhaps the most famous rapper on the planet. She had no idea who he was until eventually recognising the name.

The conversation - as featured in Hova's Life & Times video - went something like this.

Ellen: Are you famous?

Jay: Yes. Not very famous, you don't know me.

Ellen: I don't know you, but...

Jay: But I'll get there some day.

Jay: My name is Jay. What's your name?

Ellen: Ellen. What do you do?

Jay: I make music.

Ellen: Did you just do a performance?

Jay: I'm on my way to the performance at the new Brooklyn arena.

Ellen: Oh, fabulous!

Jay: I performed eight shows, actually... This is the last show.

Ellen: And you're going by subway?

Jay: Yes.

Ellen: I'm proud of you. Say your name again, just so I get it.

Jay: Jay. Jay Z

Ellen: Oh, you're Jay-Z! I know about Jay-Z.

Grossman immediately became a fan of the rapper and attended his New Year's Eve concert at the Barclay's Center. Now, ahead of the release of his twelfth studio album Magna Carta Holy Grail, the artist sat down with MTV News to review the album! Grossman delved right in, opining, "It sounds like he's really going deep into his heart and into fatherhood and even the meaning of fame.[He's saying] that the money's nice, but there's life beyond that, that he's exploring. I picked that up from the papers but I felt it in the man too, when I met him."

Watch Jay-Z and Ellen Grossman on the Subway:

Grossman conceded that she did "get all of the words" though said, "I like jazz and what's called 'new music' and I can relate to all the soundscapes, it's really innovative stuff." She even picked out the Kurt Cobain reference in the title track and had a stab at its deeper meaning, saying, "Even though it started out as a complaint about lovers and relationships, it was pretty mellow and you could go with it...but when Jay-Z came in and he was talking about Kurt Cobain...[he was saying] 'OK, fame has its price."

Following its release to Samsung users last week, Jay-Z's Magna Carta Holy Grail hits shelves today (July 8, 2013).