Every ‘OMG!’ talking point puts more money in his pocket. In this kind of form, he’s hard to match.įrom a cynical point of view, it’s suspiciously convenient to see hip-hop’s most talked-about soap opera played out exclusively on a streaming platform that Jay Z himself owns. In 2015, Young Thug told GQ he would “never buy” a Jay Z CD, “just because of my age and because of his age.” Jay’s response is the Beyoncé-featuring ‘Family Feud’, which claims “I’m the realest n***a rappin’” over slick, gospel production. There’s a perennial battle between the ‘new rap’ and ‘old rap’ worlds. And ‘4:44’’s old-school production feels like a statement in itself. Purchasing TIDAL and making everyone sign up to hear his music is a controversial move, but he doesn’t seem to care. “I bought some artwork for one million… Few years later, that shit worth eight million,” he boasts. The Nina Simone-sampling ‘The Story of O.J.’ is all rags to riches bravado. 10 tracks and 36 minutes long, this is a filler-free return to form after 2013’s patchy and bloated ‘Magna Carta Holy Grail’.īut if Jay Z is saying sorry to those closest to him, he’s not apologising for anything else. These heartfelt, confessional apologies are delivered via Jay’s most concise, straightforward album in years.
“You egged Solange on,” he tells himself, “knowin’ all along, all you had to say you was wrong.” Best of all is the title track, which recounts the first time he wooed his wife, before declaring: “I don’t deserve you.” He even addresses the 2014 incident when Bey’s sister Solange threw punches in an elevator, captured on CCTV. Instead, Jay admits he would “probably die with all the shame” if the affair saw him losing his wife and children. There’s no room for denial or lame excuses. One year later, ’4:44’ addresses the scandal face on. It’s a record of humility, honesty and one gigantic apology.īeyoncé’s jaw-dropping 2016 album ‘ Lemonade’ put Jay Z on the spot, accusing him of infidelity.
All these things considered, 13th album ‘4:44’ feels like a revelation. He’s compared his work to renaissance sculptures. In his eyes, he’s hip-hop’s holy prophet, a certified billionaire and an innovator. If hip-hop has a Mount Rushmore, Hov’s spot has already been reserved.Jay Z likes to bill himself as anything but human. With the success of 17 platinum selling albums, investments in his own label, a sports management company, a clothing line, and the 40/40 club, JAY-Z became hip-hop’s first billionaire. At the end of the 2010s, JAY-Z became the first rapper to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. JAY-Z’s most recent albums include Magna Carta Holy Grail and the critically acclaimed, 4:44. Those are the track lengths for each record.
Aside from the music, Hov also launched a sports management company with Roc Nation Sports. UPDATE (Two): Turns out that wasn’t the tracklist for the album. The Carters released their first collaborative effort with the GRAMMY award-winning Everything Is Love in 2018. While 4:44 may not be his greatest album, it is a much valued deviation from the norm, a surprising feat considering his kaleidoscopic catalog. This strong start set the tone for later standout albums like The Blueprint, The Black Album, and Watch the Throne (one of the many great things that came out of JAY-Z and Kanye West’s complicated friendship.) In 2008, he married the legendary Beyoncé Knowles. Examined in totality, the emotional vulnerability and naked transparency of 4:44 contrasts heavily with the infallible image JAY-Z has built over two decades. 1 and Vol 2… Hard Knock Life, the latter of which earned him his first Grammy award. If you're a Tidal member, you can stream it below right now. Now, Hov is back with 4:44, his brand new LP. After releasing his debut studio album, Reasonable Doubt, in 1996, he followed with In My Lifetime, Vol. On July 4, 2013, JAY-Z dropped Magna Carta Holy Grail, his 12th studio album. As he took his experiences from the streets to the microphone, he formally adopted the name JAY-Z and formed his own record label entitled Roc-A-Fella Records with Dame Dash and Kareem Burke. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Carter grew up in the infamous Marcy Projects. With decades of experience in the rap game, Shawn Carter has built a legacy for himself as an artist, businessman, and activist.