If there is a common theme that has run throughout Jay Z’s discography, it is one of success. The storyline that carries on from his debut album, Reasonable Doubt, through his Blueprint series of records, up to 2013’s Magna Carta Holy Grail, is one of the ultimate hustler, the kingpin at the top of his game. With Magna Carta Holy Grail, however, that sheen began to wear. Most regarded it as his weakest work to date, an album it seemed he’d not been as emotionally invested in as previous projects. Following Holy Grail, the world came to learn of his infidelities through his wife Beyonce’s album Lemonade. Later, a viral video of an elevator fight between him and sister-in-law Solange would increase speculation about the marital trouble between Jay and Beyonce. These events came together to create one of the most turbulent periods of his life so far as a celebrity. The persona Jay Z had built over his illustrious career had started to crack.
For an artist like Jay Z, these cracks were unacceptable. Winning was his mantra, his ethos, his life support. But when your world revolves around success, what do you to overcome that many losses? Especially when so many were self-inflicted? If you’re Shawn Carter, the answer is simple; you go back to basics. You work with one producer, put pen to paper, and air your dirty laundry through some of the most visceral songs in your discography.
4:44 , to that end, is easily his most personal work to date. Easily. Jigga treats entire songs here as confessionals, going into graphic detail on some of the most personal aspects of his life he’s ever talked about on a record. The album begins with ‘Kill Jay Z’, an honest and brutal takedown of his own ego. He sounds emotionally drained on this cut, forcing himself to air his transgressions into the microphone for anyone to hear. He does this at several points on the album, such as the title track ‘4:44’. Jay treats this song as an open apology to Beyonce, beginning the first two verses by just coming out and saying “I apologize”. The last verse, one of the most potent on the record, details the heartbreak he feels realizing when his kids grow up they will learn of his infidelities with Beyonce. There is a palpable pain in his voice here. It’s difficult to remember a time Jay Z has left himself so vulnerable on an album, but that vulnerability makes a truly compelling listen. It is the detail and the way with which he drags himself back down to earth that places this record alongside Reasonable Doubt and The Blueprint as some of his best work.
There is a moment on the third track, ‘Smile’, that brings back the Jay Z we all love. It is a moment that reminds you why he still sits atop the highest echelon of rappers. The last verse of ‘Smile’ cuts in halfway through the song’s second chorus. He is animated, more so than at any other point on the record thus far. Up until this point, the song has been good but standard play; he’s thrown out two 16’s and sang a few notes over a Stevie Wonder-sampled chorus. But when this third verse hits the 16th bar, where you expect the song to be nearly finished, Jay Z doesn’t stop. He grows even harsher in tone, showcasing the same defiance of song structure in his lyrics;
“Ours was, ‘Fuck you, pay me’
Now it’s, ‘Fuck payin’ me, I pay you
Put the rest away for Blue’
That blood money, I giggle at it
Can’t even support my miss’s habit
Jewelry shoppin’ in Paris
All y’all jewelers should be embarrassed.”
Thus far in the album, Mr. Carter has been confident, but far more subdued than one’s used to hearing from a Jay Z album. The bragging on 4:44 has been superseded by the messages he’s trying to send, whether it be on love (as is found talking about his mother’s sexuality earlier on ‘Smile’), past demons (which he details to great effect on ‘Kill Jay Z’), or even financial security (like with ‘The Story of O.J.’). This moment in the album, however, stands out. It is the first moment where you begin to see the light at the other end of the tunnel Jay’s trying to dig his way through. Through He ends this stanza with a solid “HUH”, as if to laugh at your expectations for this song.
In addition to these confessional tracks, Jay Z wants you to learn from his mistakes on 4:44. The major theme of the album is Jay owning his past and showing you how to not follow the same path. ‘The Story of O.J.’ does this perfectly. Jay urges the listener here to be smart with their money, just as he expresses regret over buying so many cars in his youth. Throughout the album he makes a similar plea, instead asking the listener to save the wealth and pass it to their kids. On ‘O.J.’, he’s palpably excited over the prospects of this, proclaiming, “I bought some artwork for one million / Two years later, that shit worth two million / Few years later, that shit worth eight million / I can’t wait to give this shit to my children”. The closing track, ‘Legacy’, expands on this idea. He plainly states on this track that “generational wealth [is] the key / my parents ain’t have shit so that shift starts with me”. Jay believes this inheritance is the key to achieving his form of “Black Excellence”. If there is a mission statement of 4:44, it is to do your part for your children, and leave behind the tools and resources they need to succeed.
While the rapping on this album is superb, the instrumentals here are just as good. Legendary hip-hop producer No I.D. handled production for the entirety of the album, giving 4:44 a singular sonic palette. The instrumentals harken back to early Hov, heavy in soul samples, with a more modern trap flair with the drum kits used. It’s a tasteful blend of old and new sounds in hip hop, not unlike the lyrical content Mr. Carter himself brings. No I.D. utilizes a couple Nina Simone samples over the course of the album, such as on ‘Caught Their Eyes’. The unimposing Frank Ocean hook acts as a nice contrast to the shots Jay takes at the music industry on this cut, specifically how Prince’s estate handled his music after his death. ’The Story of O.J.’ samples her song ‘Four Women’, whose song topic he alludes to in the chorus. Each instrumental works as the perfect pedestal for Jay to deliver his message through.
Jay Z’s latest album is the most introspective he’s ever been on a record. The lessons of wealth and love he imbues through his penance stand starkly against the rest of his catalogue. The fact that it comes so deep into his career makes it all the more impressive. While the album may not come with the bravado one normally looks for in a hip hop album, as a project it is arguably the most cohesive rap project to come out this year. Jay Z has won more than any other artist in recent memory. With 4:44, he makes his losses feel like wins as well, cementing his legacy as one of the greatest artists of all time.
Words by Sebastian Campbell