The albums deepest moments emerge when Jay shines the spotlight on his own family – a topic that’s been relatively taboo in his 20-year career.
Jay even fires back against exploitative music execs on “Caught Their Eyes” while defending Prince’s legacy – “This guy had ‘slave’ on his face/you think he wanted the masters with his masters?”
“The Story of OJ,” erases divides in the black community with one fiery chorus: “light n***a, dark n***a, faux n***a, real n***a, rich n***a, poor n***a, house n***a, field n***a, still n***a, still n***a.” Doesn’t get more clear than that.īlack leaders get called on the carpet on “Family Feud” (“Al Sharpton in the mirror takin’ selfies/How is him or ‘Pill Cosby’ s’posed to help me?”) while Internet gangstas get suplexed on “Moonlight” (“I don’t be on the ‘Gram going ham/giving information to the pork, that’s all spam/please don’t talk about guns that you ain’t never gon’ use/y’all always tell on yourself/I’m just so f***in’ confused”). The title track serves as Jay’s public apology: “I never wanted another women to know something about me that you didn’t know/I promised, I cried, I couldn’t hold/I suck at love, I think I need a do-over.” Jay finally shakes off his machismo for something much more appealing – maturity.Ĥ:44 isn’t just Jay’s moment of clarity, it’s a teachable moment for a generation of fans who have followed his lead. You have to dig through the dirt to find the album’s true lessons.
There’s enough drama floating around 4:44 for Wendy Williams to make another crappy Lifetime movie (the infamous “Becky” is alluded to several times, along with talk of scandalous threesomes) but don’t be distracted. Yeah, get ready for the avalanche of flimsy think pieces and annoying “hot takes” from dirt-obsessed bloggers about the Carters’ love lives. For the first time, Jay opens up on longstanding issues with nearly everyone – from Kanye West (“You gave him 20 million without blinkin’/he gave you 20 minutes on stage, f*** he thinkin’?”) to Solange (“You egged Solange on/knowing all along all you had to say you was wrong”) and even Lance “Un” Rivera (“You stabbed Un over some records/your excuse was ‘He was talking too reckless!’”).Īnd yes, Jay even addresses the Lemonade-flavored elephant in the room – the infidelity that helped fuel Beyonce’s last album – all while making my man Eric Benet the Internet’s newest meme in the process. The album opens with “Kill Jay Z,” where Jay essentially assassinates his own ego. 4:44 instead feels more like the oral history of Shawn Carter, a flawed son, husband and father who isn’t afraid to lead us into his closets and show off his skeletons. Jay Z is a man who built an empire by flaunting his excess publicly but keeping the most intimate details of his private life locked out of view. But this album is no mere cash-in – it’s by far the most raw, honest album in Jay Z’s catalog.Īnd it almost feels wrong to label this a mere Jay Z album. Of course 4:44 is a transparent stunt to boost Tidal’s numbers. And although I enjoyed his 2013 Magna Carta Holy Grail release more than most critics, it’s been nearly a decade since we’ve heard a truly great Jay Z album. When Jay Z announced his 13th solo album 4:44 as an exclusive to Sprint and Tidal users, I took the project as nothing more than a quick cash-in to drive subscribers to his streaming service.
What do you think of Bow Wow saying that 4:44 got him focused on building good credit? Let us know down in the comments.Sometimes it feels great to be completely, utterly wrong. It's almost certain that Bow Wow is referencing Hov's "You wanna know what's more important than throwin' away money at a strip club? Credit," line from "The Story of O.J.," and while some of the specifics don't necessarily match up, the multi-talented actor and rapper makes it clear that he believes kids need to learn about credit, and the value of having good credit. "Can't lie Jay Z 444 Album got me on my shit and i aint never looked back," he wrote. man the world is yours! Nothing like looking at all 3 scores and you a 730 or better!!!! Learn the importance of having good credit! Trust me!!!"īow Wow made sure to acknowledge that 4:44 is what switched up his whole mindset concerning credit, too. "It's cool to have cash but with good credit. "We gotta start teaching the youth early about credit and how important it is," he wrote. And in a recent Instagram story, the F9 actor and "Let Me Hold You" rapper said we need to pass those lessons down to the younger generations.
More than four years after 4:44 was released, it appears that Bow Wow is still adhering to the album's lessons.