(Cover) - EN Showbiz - Jay-Z is thrilled about working with Kanye West, describing him as being like a brother.

The 40-year-old rapper championed 33-year-old Kanye when he burst onto the hip hop scene in 2004, and both stars are now considered two of Americas greatest musical talents.

Hip hop fans were thrilled to hear the two musical maestros are working on a collaborative album called Watch the Throne, and Jay-Z is equally excited as he loves Kanye like a family member.

Because Kanye, I've seen him really he's like a brother to me I've seen him from the beginning to where he is now, gushed the star in an interview with MTV.

The rap mogul feels proud of how much Kanye has grown as an artist recently. There is an added dimension of satisfaction as Jay-Z knows he was the one who spotted and nurtured Kanyes immense talent in the early days.

And to see him as a producer and to see how he's growing as a producer and as an artist, for me, on another level, it's enjoyable. I'm watching the guy that I pretty much mentored become his own guy, with his own opinion. It's fantastic," added Jay-Z.

The hip hop stars went to France last month to record material for the album, and the pair will head to Australia soon to complete the rest of the record. According to Jay-Z the talented musicians recently recorded an impressive seven songs in just three days. (C) Cover Media