“4:44”, Jay-Z’s 13th studio album, delves into a heartfelt realm of virtually uncharted territory, spilling equal proportions of gems and beans to initiate generations worth of healing in the past and future. Branded as an exclusive Sprint-Tidal partnered release, 4:44 proves to be perhaps the most vulnerable, honest, pro-black and vivid we have seen the lauded Brooklyn MC throughout his 20+ year career. Produced entirely by sonic mastermind, No ID (along with several co-producer credits to Jay himself) Mr. Carter wastes no time unraveling himself, as the first song “Kill Jay-Z” immediately begins to examine the contradictions of his past sins and present responsibilities:
Die Jay Z, this ain’t back in the days
You don’t need an alibi, Jay Z
Cry Jay Z, we know the pain is real
But you can’t heal what you never reveal
What’s up, Jay Z? You know you owe the truth
To all the youth that fell in love with Jay Z
You got people you love you sold drugs to
You got high on the life, that shit drugged you
Jay’s exploration goes well beyond looking in the mirror, throughout the album looking at the issues of infidelity and miscarriages with his wife, Beyonce, strained relationships with former friend and collaborator Kanye West, the fickleness of the music industry, fans and the old regime of black leadership. Jay willfully (maybe finally) takes on the role of elder statesman with suggestions as well as references to crack dealing glory, as seen in “The Story of O.J.”:
I told him, “Please don’t die over the neighborhood
That your mama rentin’
Take your drug money and buy the neighborhood
That’s how you rinse it”
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While some of the references found through the album are totally relatable only to certain financial tiers of accomplishment (lamenting over not purchasing real estate or the excitement of passing multi-million dollar artwork to your children, for example), what is being heard is less of a brag and more of a primer for preparing to do what’s needed to do the same thing. Financial independence and legacy building are huge topics throughout the project, flowing more like a living will and testament than a checklist of belongings.
What doesn’t fall under the “how to become a millionaire” train of thought on 4:44 is dedicated towards his family. Never one to shy from the often lurid details of his life, Jay is in some of his finest form here, introspective, poignant and big-picture oriented, as the title track is a full fledged letter of apology to Beyonce and his children regarding his infidelity, shortcomings at love (I suck at love/ I think I need a do-over) and ultimately the impact that a man has on his family, in what is by many considered to be in response to the Queen’s 2016 Lemonade release.
We’re looking at quintessential Jay-Z putting every issue to rest, from the ominous ‘Becky’ (Family Feud) to his propensity to skip leg day (Bam, feat Damian Marley) – so yes, Jigga is reading the memes and following the trending topics so it seems. He stays on top of even the most up to date references in what is either last minute recording or a gift to tell the immediate future (Al Sharpton in the mirror takin’ selfies/ How is him or Pill Cosby s’posed to help me?) The pairing of his lyrics over the soulful stirrings of No ID feel like a perfect fit, full of space not intended to be crammed with syllables or wasted with meaningless panderings. Every word is primly placed – even celebrating his “pregnant pauses” and relishing in the unrushed pace from beginning to end. “Moonlight” weighs in with it’s ominous melody and snubbing detail of the redundancy in popular rap of the day (We stuck in La La Land/ Even when we win, we gon’ lose/ We got the same fuckin’ flows/ I don’t know who is who), while “Marcy Me” is a quintessential showing of brilliant wordplay reminiscent of why we fell in love with Jay in the first place (Y’all flirtin’ with death, I be winkin’ through the scope). There is virtually no stone unturned through the whole experience.
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Jay seems completely at home within the wheelhouse of No ID’s production – soulful and open, it allows him to be fully him without succumbing to the hoops of keeping up with the sounds of the day. It’s ironic to hear No ID reference studying Quincy Jones when approaching working with Jay-Z, because it was Jones himself some near 50 years ago that rekindled the career of another music icon – Frank Sinatra. While terms like “grown man” and “mature” are being thrown around, we keep in mind that these phrases in hip hop are already attributed to Jay-Z, it’s obvious this incarnation is a deeper dive than we maybe have ever seen, and definitely for a more sustained amount of time than normal.
Admittedly, many were skeptical at best before the release of 4:44, and with 4 years since Magna Carta Holy Grail and 10 years since his last acclaimed release, the American Gangster Soundtrack, it’s with good reason. The bar has been to the sky for his entire career, and he cleared it with plenty space to spare. 4:44 is a highlight in an illustrious track record, quickly resounding near the top of an already impressive list of classic albums. A message to the hesitant: fret not folks, Hovie’s home.
Score: 92 of 100
Stand out songs:
- Story of O.J.
- 4:44
- Family Feud
- Marcy Me
- Legacy
