If my children knew
I don’t even know what I would do
If they ain’t look at me the same
I would probably die with all the shame
“You did what with who?”
What good is a menage a trois when you have a soulmate?
“You risked that for Blue?”
If Beyonce’s Lemonade lived up to its name with its tart, sharp bitterness, then 4:44 lives up to its name as well; it’s an album from the dark hours of the early morning when you’re alone and reflective. Jay wrestles with his demons, flaws & failures in a wonderfully vulnerable way. The album deals explicitly with his infidelity and the shame he feels at his failures as a husband and a father. This really is a family affair; the album features wife Beyonce, daughter Blue & mother Gloria and also features a track addressed to his father, Adnis. There’s little of the posturing we’re used to from Jay. Still, this album comes very close to masterpiece status. The Story of O.J. is an incisive, brilliantly written treatise on the way life can turn around in a heartbeat; 4:44 is the centerpiece of the album, a nearly five minute rant that’s the most explicit, in terms of the things Jay-Z is talking about on this record, of all the tracks here. Other tracks are really great as well. Family Feud has a hook to die for; Bam stands up with some rare swagger. Marcy Me is an evocative, nostalgic piece and Moonlight is lyrically right on point. There’s really wonderful writing here and the use of samples is good as well, particularly on 4:44, which is haunted by the sampled vocals. But the album falls a bit short of genuine greatness. Its official release on CD featured three tracks not on the original streaming release and they’re all pretty terrible; some of the other tracks are middling, though of the ten tracks that make up the album proper, there’s nothing really bad. Still, it’s amazing that Jay has found new things to say here, this far into his career; he’s always pulled off the bizarre feat of focusing a lot of his music on how incredibly wealthy he is while also, somehow, keeping his connection to his audience. I suppose this album gets at why; it digs down under the wealth to get at the real human emotions beneath. This album isn’t the masterpiece I wish it was; it’s just not consistent enough. But it’s a genuine work of art and more than worthy of attention and praise. There are things here as good as anything Jay’s ever done. If there are also failures here, well, what’s the point of the album anyway? 3 ½ stars.
tl;dr – flawed, but deeply personal, this album is another true work of art from one of rap’s legends; incisive, raw, vulnerable and thoughtful, 4:44 is as mature a work as Jay’s ever produced. 3 ½ stars.