Albums under Scrutiny: Jay-Z's 4:44

Today Jay-Z’s album 4:44 came out. Here is my review for you.

A mysterious series of ads like this one on Times Square was the first hint at a new Jay-Z album (source: Complex)

In 1986, Jay-Z first appeared on vinyl with his group High Potent on a song called “HP Gets Busy”. 31 years later, he releases his 13th studio album 4:44, 21 years after his debut album Reasonable Doubt paved the way for one of the most successful careers in rap. How does a musician manage to stay relevant for that long? The new album gives answers, offering fascinating insights into Mr Carter’s development as artist, celebrity, husband, and father. 

Here is my review of the ten songs, that were all produced by Kanye West-mentor No I.D. Jay-Z co-produced five of them.

Producer No ID sitting in his studio (source: Respect Mag)

Kill Jay-Z 

The album starts off right away with Jay-Z saying “kill Jay-Z” various times throughout the first couple of lines. He anticipates almost any likely and unlikely criticism that might be launched at him. Most notably the fact that he shot his own brother when he was 12. But he also reiterates that he never had a father and how this gives him the extra responsibility to be a good father to his daughter, Blue Ivy Carter. Further objections include his past as a drug dealer and the insinuation that Jay-Z has become arrogant and lost touch with reality. He also mentions his controversial journey to Cuba in 2013 and his stabbing of Lance “Un” Rivera in 1999. This song has a brilliant lyrical premise, it is incredibly well-performed and the instrumental fits the belligerent mood perfectly. It is a layered composition of chopped-up samples by The Alan Parson Project.

The Carter family strolling through Havanna, Cuba, in 2013 (source: Travelista TV blog)

The Story of O.J.

This track starts off in a similar atmosphere as the one before. There is another vocal sample, this time pitched-up. In between comes a Jazz piano giving it the musical mood of a bar. The lyrics deal with class distinctions within the black community. The song bristles with allusions to Black American history, culminating in the phrase: “I’m not black. I’m O.J.”. At the same time, Jay-Z continues the thread of hyper-materialism, which was already established on the previous album, when Jay-Z modestly announced that he “just want(s) a Picasso”. This time around, he laments not having bought a certain piece of real estate for two million Dollars, because it would be worth around 25 million Dollars now. Together with the hook, these verses exhibit the typical Jay-Z humour, interspersed with a certain social critique as all these attributions serve as a mirror to the very society that surrounds us. Some people will love this song, many will love to hate it.

"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"

A hyper-materialist's wet dream: a real Picasso (source: The Picasso Estate)

Smile

This is a feature with the artist’s mother, Gloria Carter. The slow beat is made up of a Stevie Wonder sample combined with Hi-Hat triplets – an experimental fusion of soul and trap music. Jay-Z performs this song in double-time. The song mentions his mother’s coming-out as a lesbian and tirelessly praises Jay-Z's own acclaimed career. This extended self-glorification serves no particular purpose and could have been left out. Despite the creative musical approach, this is the first song that profoundly bores me. But then comes a poem written by Mrs Carter. This element reminds me of Common’s father’s cameo appearances. The poem is moving and adds emotional depth to an otherwise subpar song.

Jay-Z and his mother, Gloria Carter (source: celebfamily.com)  

Caught Their Eyes

This brilliant composition featuring Frank Ocean is perhaps one of the highlights of the album. There is a Caribbean flavour in the air, Reggae, clear skies and pearl-white sands moulded into music. The lyrics escape me but that does not seem to matter since I have found the perfect summer joint. Frank Ocean serves Jay-Z once again as a congenial collaborator.

Singer Frank Ocean (source: hotnewhiphop.com)

4:44

This is the one for the tabloids, a summary of the ups and downs in Jay-Z’s and Beyoncé’s marriage. The title is an allusion to their birthdays on December 4th and September 4th, respectively, and their marriage on April 4th, 2008. Carried by a sample from The Affirmation’s “Late Nights and Heartbreak”, this song is a grand apology to Beyoncé. Jay-Z takes all the blame for past misfortune. It is a love letter full of longing, respect, and reverence. He mentions the births of his children, but also miscarriages, past infidelity, and arguments. Clearly the response to Beyoncé’s Lemonade album, this is the emotional highlight of the album.

Family Feud

After the confession of past arguments comes the affirmation of the brilliant showbiz couple Carter. “What’s better than one billionaire? – Two!?” There is the hyper-materialism again. Picasso, anyone? Musically, this song is much richer than its lyrics. There are rhythmic variations and the bridge performed by Beyoncé is fantastic. 

The Carters (source: adpm.ro)

Bam

This is a stomping dancehall-inspired tune featuring Damian Marley. It is another nice little foray into Caribbean music and the rhythm once again makes up for a lack of lyrical substance. Even though there is no discernible topic to this song, it does contain some of the nicest punchlines of the album: “N****s are skipping leg day just to run they mouth / I be skippin’ leg day, I still run the world”.

Singer Damian Marley (source: fanart.tv)

Moonlight

The Fugees’ “Fu-Gee-La” in the meatgrinder! The result is an incredibly fresh take on a song we all thought we knew inside out. Jay-Z’s version adds a new facet to this classic, turning it into a bona fide diss track against an industry “stuck in la-la-land”. A very powerful statement that goes right back into the battle tradition of past decades.

Rap group The Fugees enjoyed phenomenal success with their 1996 album The Score (source: thereelnetwork.net)

Marcy

This is another “back to the roots” song. The title is a reference to Marcy projects, the place where Jay-Z grew up at 534 Flushing Avenue in Brooklyn, New York. The melodious beat features a sample from Portuguese band Quartelo 1111. This fact alone is very impressive because it shows how deep No I.D. digs for samples. The song itself is a journey into Carter’s adolescence in the 1980s, contrasting his youth in poverty with the life of luxury he is living now. It is a sentimental ballad that probably will not last long in my memory. But that sample though… crazy.

Legacy

The album ends with a soulful sample from Donnie Hathaway. It is a song dedicated to Jay-Z’s daughter, bestowing his blessings on her future. Once again, a very sentimental and personal song that helps fans catch a glimpse of Mr Carter’s innermost thoughts and feelings.  

Conclusion

In my opinion, 4:44 is a very good but not an excellent album. At age 47, Jay-Z once again shows his ability to open himself to new, contemporary musical influences. The soundscape is lustrous and diverse, the lyrics range from witty and insightful to bland and materialistic.