Jay-Z - 4:44 ALBUM REVIEW
Shawn Carter doesn’t need an introduction by any means. He’s one of the most legendary rappers of all time, one of the most influential music figures ever, and is currently married to one of the biggest musicians on the planet, Beyoncé. In 2016, his relationship with Beyoncé was put on full blast with her masterpiece of a visual album Lemonade, a one-of-a-kind album that defined a decade’s generation’s worth of pop culture milestones. But the content was what turned heads in the pop culture world: She was accusing Jay-Z, her husband, of cheating on her. Jay-Z stayed silent for the most part on this side, but he eventually returned with 4:44, an album that was completely different compared to his past releases. From the media’s standpoint, this was Jay-Z’s Lemonade. How did Jay-Z’s thirteenth studio album come to be? Is it good? Is it bad? Well, let me tell you.
Of course, 4:44 is a hip-hop record. 4:44 could be considered a jazz rap album or a conscious rap album as well. It’s definitely an East Coast rap album, though. 4:44 is Jay-Z’s most personal album yet, talking about his family life and black culture and how it has been affecting him. Contrary to popular belief, 4:44 isn’t a Lemonade response, but it’s a reaction. The title track is a full-on, devastating apology to Beyoncé and the kids that they have together. “Smile” is a gospel-sampling track that’s almost a love letter to his mother Gloria, who pops up for a spoken word passage at the end of the track. “Caught Their Eyes” with Frank Ocean is also a highlight, with its choppy Nina Simone sample and references to Prince. The production on 4:44 was all done by one person, and that is No I.D., and the production throughout the record is so minimalist and raw that is puts a highlight on Jay-Z’s lyrics so you have to focus on them.
This isn’t exactly a problem with 4:44, but if you’re going into this album looking for songs to turn up to or to hear songs that will be played in clubs, this isn’t that album. This isn’t the Jay-Z that’s braggadocious and is making hit after hit, and that’s the appeal of 4:44. This record is for the people that are interested in Jay-Z the person and what legacy he’ll leave when he’s eventually gone. This is the Jay-Z album that rewards hardcore Jay-Z fans, and while I’m not a hardcore Jay-Z fan, this album has left me stunned.
4:44 is Jay-Z’s best album in a long time, and arguable, maybe of his career. This is a side of Jay-Z that we’ve never seen before: raw, unfiltered, and somewhat humble. No I.D.’s mesmerizing production choices have put Jay-Z in a new light during the Lemonade incident. If I’m being honest, I thought that he was going to retire from making music, until he made EVERYTHING IS LOVE album with Beyoncé and also appeared on nearly every track on Jay Electronica’s debut album A Written Testimony. 4:44 isn’t a generation-defining album, but damn, it sure is amazing.
8/10
Stream 4:44 here
Spotify
Apple Music
(4:44 isn’t on YouTube Music)
Of course, 4:44 is a hip-hop record. 4:44 could be considered a jazz rap album or a conscious rap album as well. It’s definitely an East Coast rap album, though. 4:44 is Jay-Z’s most personal album yet, talking about his family life and black culture and how it has been affecting him. Contrary to popular belief, 4:44 isn’t a Lemonade response, but it’s a reaction. The title track is a full-on, devastating apology to Beyoncé and the kids that they have together. “Smile” is a gospel-sampling track that’s almost a love letter to his mother Gloria, who pops up for a spoken word passage at the end of the track. “Caught Their Eyes” with Frank Ocean is also a highlight, with its choppy Nina Simone sample and references to Prince. The production on 4:44 was all done by one person, and that is No I.D., and the production throughout the record is so minimalist and raw that is puts a highlight on Jay-Z’s lyrics so you have to focus on them.
This isn’t exactly a problem with 4:44, but if you’re going into this album looking for songs to turn up to or to hear songs that will be played in clubs, this isn’t that album. This isn’t the Jay-Z that’s braggadocious and is making hit after hit, and that’s the appeal of 4:44. This record is for the people that are interested in Jay-Z the person and what legacy he’ll leave when he’s eventually gone. This is the Jay-Z album that rewards hardcore Jay-Z fans, and while I’m not a hardcore Jay-Z fan, this album has left me stunned.
4:44 is Jay-Z’s best album in a long time, and arguable, maybe of his career. This is a side of Jay-Z that we’ve never seen before: raw, unfiltered, and somewhat humble. No I.D.’s mesmerizing production choices have put Jay-Z in a new light during the Lemonade incident. If I’m being honest, I thought that he was going to retire from making music, until he made EVERYTHING IS LOVE album with Beyoncé and also appeared on nearly every track on Jay Electronica’s debut album A Written Testimony. 4:44 isn’t a generation-defining album, but damn, it sure is amazing.
8/10
Stream 4:44 here
Spotify
Apple Music
(4:44 isn’t on YouTube Music)
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