4:44
The most crafty and evasive MC lays bare his complicated life. This late-career gem is soulful and diamond-sharp, confronting the failings and legacy of Shawn Carter and America.
JAY-Z sounds old. More than that, he sounds tired. On 4:44’s title track and centerpiece, he sounds like he’s rapping into a cellphone; there’s a tinny, 8-track immediacy as the rapper disembowels himself over his much-publicized infidelities. By the third verse, he’s picturing his kids hearing the song, barely even…
Viewed as a response to Beyoncé's 'Lemonade', Jay Z is all apologies on his old-school 13th studio album '4:44'.
The Brooklyn rapper's 13th record is a low-key examination of his own bruised ego
Jay Z isn't preaching from a gilded throne: He's speaking from the position of someone who's overcome numerous struggles.
If you know anything about Jay-Z‘s illustrious and groundbreaking career as a rapper, label owner, entrepreneur and “business, man,” it’s that the Brooklyn native rarely has had time for apologies.
AllMusic provides comprehensive music info including reviews and biographies. Get recommendations for new music to listen to, stream or own.
On 4:44, 47-year-old JAY-Z becomes a man, puts away childish things. Fans have watched him age over the years, but here, 13 albums into his...
We all know JAY-Z is one of the best to ever do it. He’s a modern day Shakespeare, the first rapper ever inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame,
His spats with Kanye, his mother’s sexuality, his betrayal of Beyoncé… the rapper lays it all bare on his 13th album
This is an album concerned with legacy—about what we leave behind, about how we’re remembered.
The rapper’s first album since the infidelity accusations on Beyoncé’s Lemonade sees him rowing back on recent hubris and doing battle with his ego
With a rare display of vulnerability and contrition, grace and grown-up wisdom, Jay Z has delivered one of the most mature albums in hip hop history.