4:44 Shows Jay-Z’s Growth

4:44 is rapper and songwriter Jay-Z’s latest album.

The album, released on June 30, was built around several issues in his life including his relationship with Beyonce, his mother and various social issues. Many view it as a response to Beyoncé’s most recent record Lemonade, which exposed the power couple’s marital issues.

Jay-Z has been in the music industry since 1989 and has always been known for his distinct “hustler” persona. However, this album showed his maturity. Perhaps being a father or going through different changes in his personal life changed his mindset, but whatever it is, his music proves he is not the same person he was before.

“The samples aren’t just aesthetically beautiful but profound in context,” said Sheldon Pearce in his critique of the album for Pitchfork, a music review website. “They speak when Jay is silent, often saying what he can’t.”

This statement could not have said it better.

Throughout the track list you are taken into something deeper than what you found on Jay-Z’s last album, Magna Carta Holy Grail. The subjects he touched upon were more raw and intimate and you feel the emotions throughout the lyrics.

Despite the entire tracklist being utterly amazing, there are several songs on the album that truly stand out. Some of the most impactful tracks on the album are Smile and Legacy.

Jay-Z dedicates the song Smile to his mother Gloria Carter, who comes out as lesbian on the song: “Love who you love,” Carter says on the song, “because life isn’t guaranteed.”

When discussing Smile on the iHeartRadio website, Jay-Z revealed to Nicole Mastrogiannis: “There are gonna be bad times, and those bad times can do two things: they can get you in a place where you’re stuck in a rut, or it can make your future that much better because you’ve experienced these things.”

On the song Legacy, the last song on the track list, he raps: “We gon’ start a society within a society/That’s major, just like the Negro League/There was a time America wouldn’t let us ball/Those times are now back.”

Jay-Z expressed to Mastrogiannis that the song was directed toward his daughter, Blue Ivy, to serve as a “will” and a “legacy” for when she grows up.

The album is undeniably one of the best Jay-Z has ever produced. It’s a must listen. You will not regret diving into this story, from beginning to end. You will meet a new Jay-Z. The album is exclusively found on Tidal and has been free to all subscribers. This marks a new era of Jay-Z.