After weeks of anticipation, JAY-Z's new album 4:44 has finally been released exclusively on TIDAL. After listening to soon-to-be classic tracks on the album, fans are wondering if 4:44 is an apology to Beyoncé. Some are viewing the song collection as JAY-Z's response to Lemonade.
From beginning to end, Hov openly addresses topics that fans have been speculating about over the years in this latest creative effort. The album kicks off with the track "Kill JAY-Z," a song that references 2014's infamous elevator incident involving Beyoncé's sister Solange. Throughout the intro, he discusses the events of that evening at the Met Gala and name-drops Halle Berry's ex husband, singer Eric Benét, along the way.
"You egged Solange on
knowin' all along all you had to say you was wrong
You almost went Eric Benét
let the baddest girl in the world get away
I didn't even know what else to say
Never go Eric Benét"
However, the most telling moment would come on the project's title track "4:44" as JAY-Z seems to reference alleged wrongdoings within his marriage to superstar singer, Beyoncé. (Bustle reached out to JAY-Z's rep for comment but did not receive an immediate response.) He raps,
"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
You did what with who?
What good is a ménage à trois when you have a soulmate
you risked that for Blue?"
In referring to Bey as his "soulmate" and calling his actions a risk, it's clear he may regret what happened. Publicly acknowledging wrongdoing may not exactly be an apology, but it sure seems like he's taking ownership of his actions.
Perhaps adding to the notion that 4:44 is an answer to Bey's Lemonade is the track "Family Feud," which features vocals from the 35-year-old entertainer and mother of JAY-Z's three children. Within the song, the rapper makes direct reference to the infamous "Becky with the good hair" line from his wife's "Sorry" lyrics. JAY seemingly responds,
“I’ll f*ck up a good thing if you let me
Let me alone, Becky!
A man who don’t take care of his family can’t be rich
I watched Godfather, I missed that whole sh*t"
It seems as if JAY-Z's entire 13th studio album is a gift for fans, offering them a closer look into his life as a husband and father. One thing's for sure, the Carters definitely know how to reel you in when it comes to sharing details of their personal life, and this latest effort certainly has fans hooked.
