4:44 - JAY-Z (2017)

4:44 is the thirteenth album by legendary rap mogul Shawn Carter, a.k.a. JAY-Z. Released in 2017, it was his follow up to 2013’s double-platinum record Magna Carta…Holy Grail. However, the ‘platinum’ status of Jay’s records should not be a surprise considering all thirteen of his albums have achieved this accolade. Not bad for a kid raised in the Brooklyn projects. Carter began rapping as a teenager and by the mid-1990s had featured on tracks with Jaz-O, Big Daddy Kane and Big L. In 1995, with Damon Dash and Kareen Biggs, Carter set up independent record label Roc-A-Fella Records and in 1996 released his debut album Reasonable Doubt. Since 1996, JAY-Z has become the first hip-hop billionaire, holds the record for most Grammy’s by a rapper (22) and has his fingers in just about every other business pie one can imagine. So naturally expectations for 4:44, just like all his other releases, were high.

4:44 is an album, as Anthony Fantano puts it, for the hardcore JAY-Z fan, not for your average rap or Jay fan. This does not mean to say it is not enjoyable, however, is not what springs to mind when you think JAY-Z (bar potentially ‘The Story of O.J.’). 4:44 is not a ‘N****s in Paris’ or ’99 Problems’ hype album, but more of a down-to-earth and honest representation of Carter. This is almost mirrored in the stripped-back nature of the album colour; the pale orange with “4:44” printed across it is not exactly the chain wearing, cigar-smoking JAY-Z covers of the past. The album tackles issues with race, sexuality and infidelity, to be more specific, his infidelity. After Beyoncé’s 2016 release Lemonade caused controversy about her and JAY-Z’s relationship, Carter used 4:44 to express his thoughts on the supposed events. Lyrics in ‘Family Feud (feat. Beyoncé)’ and ‘Kill Jay Z’ express his feelings towards the apparent events and somewhat own up to his mistakes. The lyrics reference “Becky with the good hair” as sung by Beyoncé on ‘Sorry’ and Solange Knowles’ involvement with the situation. On the title track, ‘4:44’, Jay raps about how the cheating scandal would affect his children’s view of him: "And if my children knew, I don't even know what I would do / If they ain’t look at me the same / I would prolly die with all the shame.”. The track ‘Smile’ speaks of his mother, Gloria, and how she had to hide her sexuality for years. Carter raps about the shame she felt prior to coming out due to societal expectations of a mother-of-four, but how pleased he was to see her happy after years of inner struggle. The theme of race is present throughout, especially noticeable on ‘The Story of O.J.’. The line “I’m not black, I’m O.J.” hints at the idea that wealth and success transcend race. Carter still manages to squeeze in a mention of his wealth, however, does not brandish it, more states facts about the fact he is, indeed, rich. The honesty expressed on 4:44 compliments the simplistic nature of the beats. This album is more about what is being said, rather than the catchy instrumental his singles are known for.

The stand-out tracks for me are ‘Smile’ and ‘Bam’. Special mention must go to ‘The Story of O.J.’ though, not just because it is a great song but because of the music video that depicts negative stereotypes about black communities and African American culture. ‘Bam’ is one of my favourites merely because of Damian Marley. Much like ‘Caught Their Eyes (feat. Frank Ocean)’, the track takes influence from the featured artists’ music. ‘Bam’ is a reggae fusion song; this accentuates the talent of Marley but also allows Carter to rap over a different style of beat. It is simply refreshingly excellent. ‘Smile’ I also enjoy because of the beat. The 808-style trap beat sits firmly behind JAY-Z’s powerful lyrics on this track which results in (in my humble opinion) the best song on the album. All-in-all, 4:44 is not the best JAY-Z record, and although I enjoyed tracks like ‘Kill Jay Z’ and ‘Moonlight’, they did not do enough to stand-out. I enjoyed 4:44 the most when it was merely on in the background as it is relatively low-fi for such a modern rap album. Think I’ll just stick to Reasonable Doubt for now.