JAY-Z's new album, ‘4:44’ was released last week Thursday and almost immediately, the internet went into a frenzy about how open and candid the 46 yea
JAY-Z‘s new album, ‘4:44’ was released last week Thursday and almost immediately, the internet went into a frenzy about how open and candid the 46 year old father of three, including new born twins, Rumi and Sir Carter, was on the album.
His 13th studio album which was dropped exclusively on Tidal, a music streaming service owned by him and some other music artists, JAY-Z talked about a wide range of issues, not mincing words and not also forgetting to take shots at some individuals. Here are the highlights from the ‘4:44’ album.
A new name
The rapper opens up the album with the track, ‘Kill Jay Z’, referencing to how he now wants his name spelt, JAY-Z in capital letters, rather than the former way of spelling his name without the dash.
Cheating scandal
JAY-Z admitted that he cheated on his wife, Beyonce and it therefore affected her and their child, Blue Ivy. He said it took their daughter being born for him to realize the value of his marriage. He also rapped about the infamous elevator fight with sister in-law, Solange and acknowledged that it had to do with him cheating. He seemingly apologized to his wife for cheating on her. His open admittance of cheating which he had long suppressed may not be unconnected to the real reason Beyonce made the album ‘Lemonade’ where she talked about her husband’s constant cheating.
JAY-Z and Beyonce
His mother is a lesbian
There has been some hush talks about JAY-Z’s mother, Gloria Carter being gay and both mother and son confirmed it in the album. JAY-Z and his mother, collaborated on a track titled, ‘Smile’, where they both told the world that she has been a lesbian for years but she had to remain in the closet. She recited a poem at the end of the track. JAY-Z’s mum ended up raising four kids all by herself after his dad abandoned them when he was young.
JAY-Z and mum, Gloria Carter
Calls out Kanye West
It is common knowledge that the friendship between JAY-Z and his erstwhile buddy, Kanye West has gone sour and chief among the reasons may not be unconnected to his choice to be married to business woman and reality TV star, Kim Kardashian-West. This whole calling out ‘ish’ began when Kanye while on stage in November pleaded for JAY-Z to call him. Kanye felt offended that JAY-Z didn’t deem it fit to call him to condole with him over the attack his wife suffered in Paris. In retaliation, Carter went in on Kanye. Even though they were subliminal jabs, it was obvious they were aimed at Kanye. In the track, ‘Kill Jay Z’, he talked about Kanye acting like he is invincible, putting up an ‘I don’t care’ attitude, his dropping out of school (Harvard) and losing his principles. He ended the track by saying his former buddy was insane.
JAY-Z and Kanye West
La La land/Moonlight
In the track ‘Moonlight,’ he uses the Oscar fiasco of ‘Moonlight’ and ‘La La Land’ to express the play of black excellence against the constant white supremacy especially as it was hard to ignore the optics of a black victory being overshadowed by the mix-up at the Oscars. ‘La La Land’ had mistakenly been announced as the winner of the ‘Best Picture’ at the 2017 Oscars when it was actually ‘Moonlight’. It was eventually given to the rightful winner but by then, it didn’t seem anyone cared. This clearly depicts a line in the track which says, “Even when we win, we gon’ lose.”
JAY-Z’s latest album has so far been praised by many as an incredible work of art and one of the best in recent times. So now you know why he earned having his name as the first rapper to be enshrined in the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
