![]() This track is followed by “The Story of OJ,” which has garnered a lot of attention due to its music video containing images of animated black caricatures comparable to those made infamous in pre-1960s America. Luckily for us and Jay-Z, nothing about 4:44 seems “safe” and it thankfully yields impressive results.Ĥ:44 is set off excellently with “Kill Jay-Z,” a track that according to the artist himself was meant to kill his own ego in order to be open on the record: “Cry Jay-Z/we know the pain is real/but you can’t heal/what you never reveal.” This is an artist that recognizes the role he plays as a leader among hip hop fans and does not plan on wasting the platform. In his case, it almost seems like a risk to put out material that might be seen as lukewarm and/or “safe” in terms of legacy. ![]() ![]() Married to the one of the biggest pop stars of his generation and regularly appearing on the entertainer’s Forbes list, Jay-Z is in a different category as a celebrity. But this is typical of the rap game, as up to this point we have not seen many rappers age and remain relevant on the level of Jay-Z fame. While Magna Carta Holy Grail, was definitely better than Kingdom Come, it still did not have the impact of The Black Album. Jay-Z’s new album comes into the conversation on a platform of an artist who has achieved “God” status in the game, but hasn’t made “relevant” music in a bit. Do you really feel like hardcore Whodini fans were really feeling Bone Thugs-N-Harmony like that? My guess is no, and that’s okay. It’s my belief that Migos’ music is simply not made for my generation of rap fans, much the same as it was for rap fans of the generation before me. I don’t quite get how people from my generation don’t recognize the cycle at this point. I cannot tell you how annoyed I get hearing folks from my generation or prior hounding young people about how “horrible” their music is. To be honest, I largely believe that to be the case. I must admit I was wondering essentially “What more does Jay-Z have to say at this point? Unless he was going to focus on, say, a skills-based album, it would almost be a lost cause.” My question was answered in spades with the release of 4:44.Īs you may have seen from my review of Tribe’s We Got It From Here, Thank You 4 Your Service, I struggle with the whole “Rap music is a young man’s game” motif. A few weeks back, prior to the announcement of a new record, I had a convo with the homie Langston Wilkins and the topic of Jay-Z came up. ![]()
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