Hip-hop mogul Jay-Z mastered the art of performing live by watching Irish rocker Bono on stage.

The rapper admits he was a "horrible performer" before shooting to rap superstardom, and credits the U2 for helping him perfect his act.

The Run This Town hitmaker has studied hours of footage of Bono in concert to pick up tips and improve his own stage shows.

He explains, "These days, I'm the s**t, but I used to be a horrible performer. I was terrible. I'm not really an animated guy so I had to figure out a way how to convey my message and talk to people in compact movements, all the while, being entertaining.

"There is a very thin line between not moving and being boring. (Bono) knows how to exaggerate his movements and he knows how to have that conversation, without moving around much. He's a dynamic performer."