4:44 — Jay-Z’s 13th studio album, released June 30, 2017, exclusively on Tidal (later Spotify/Apple Music), a mature confessional about infidelity, generational wealth, and masculinity that served as response to Beyoncé’s Lemonade.
The Album
10 tracks of soul samples and rapped therapy sessions produced entirely by No I.D. Jay addresses cheating on Beyoncé, financial literacy, Black wealth preservation, and industry beefs. Features Frank Ocean, Damian Marley, The-Dream, Beyoncé (uncredited).
Key tracks: “Kill Jay Z” (self-critique opener), “The Story of O.J.” (colorism, wealth lessons, 6x Platinum, controversial blackface animation), “Smile” ft. Gloria Carter (mom comes out as lesbian), “Caught Their Eyes” ft. Frank Ocean, “4:44” (title track apology to Beyoncé), “Family Feud” ft. Beyoncé, “Bam” ft. Damian Marley, “Moonlight,” “Marcy Me,” “Legacy.”
Chart performance: Debuted #1 with 262,000 units (Tidal/Sprint exclusive first week). Certified Platinum in 5 days via Sprint purchase. Later certified 2x Platinum.
The Apology
“4:44” addressed Jay’s infidelity hinted at in Beyoncé’s Lemonade: “I apologize, often womanize / Took for my child to be born / See through a woman’s eyes.” The vulnerability was unprecedented for Jay-Z.
“Smile” featured Jay’s mom Gloria Carter coming out in a spoken-word poem: “Living in the shadow / Feels like the safe place to be / No harm for them, no harm for me.” The moment was powerful representation.
Cultural Commentary
“The Story of O.J.” tackled colorism (“Light nigga, dark nigga, foul nigga, house nigga”), wealth building (real estate over Ferraris), and O.J. Simpson’s Blackness denial. The blackface Sambo animation was controversial but intentional.
“Moonlight” name-checked Friends sitcom to critique Black artists fighting for crumbs while white artists share resources.
Awards & Legacy
8 Grammy nominations including Album/Record/Song of the Year. Won Best Rap Album. 4:44 was praised as Jay’s most mature, vulnerable work—a 47-year-old billionaire reckoning with mistakes.
The album’s financial literacy lessons (“Take your drug money and buy the neighborhood / That’s how you rinse it”) inspired wealth-building conversations in hip-hop.
#444Album #TheStoryOfOJ trended. The album aged beautifully as relationship/therapy/growth discourse became normalized.