4:44 is the thirteenth studio album by American rapper Jay-Z, released on June 30, 2017, through Roc Nation as an exclusive to Sprint and Tidal customers. The album was the first in a planned series of music exclusives from the Sprint–Tidal partnership, which never came to fruition due to Sprint's demise in 2020. On July 2, the album was made available for free digital download on Tidal's site for a limited time. A physical edition was released on July 7, including three additional tracks. On the same day, the album was made available to other streaming platforms, such as Apple Music, Google Play Music and Amazon Music.
4:44 | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | June 30, 2017 | |||
Recorded | December 2016 – June 2017 | |||
Studio | No I.D.'s studio (Hollywood, California) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 36:11 46:16 (with bonus tracks) | |||
Label | Roc Nation | |||
Producer | ||||
Jay-Z chronology | ||||
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Singles from 4:44 | ||||
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Like Jay-Z's previous album, Magna Carta Holy Grail (2013), 4:44 was not preceded by any singles. The album was recorded from December 2016 to June 2017, and produced by No I.D., with additional contributions by Jay-Z himself. James Blake and Dominic Maker also contributed production to the album's bonus tracks. It features guest appearances from Frank Ocean, Damian Marley, Jay-Z's wife Beyoncé, and his mother, Gloria Carter. It also has additional vocal contributions from his daughter Blue Ivy Carter, James Fauntleroy, Kim Burrell and The-Dream.
The album was widely acclaimed by critics, who praised its emotional and personal content. It debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with 262,000 album-equivalent units in its first week, making it Jay-Z's 14th album to top the chart.[2] The album spawned three singles, the title track "4:44", "Bam" and "Family Feud", as well as several music videos, directed by a variety of high-profile collaborators. On July 5, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), in recognition of one million copies purchased by Sprint and offered to consumers as free downloads.[3] At the 60th Annual Grammy Awards, the album received a Grammy Award nomination for Album of the Year, while the title track was nominated for Song of the Year and "The Story of O.J." was nominated for Record of the Year.[4]
Background and recording
editIn June 2017, 4:44 posters in New York City, Los Angeles, and Miami, as well as internet banner ads, teased the release of the album.[5][6][7] A one-minute teaser ad was aired during the NBA Finals on June 7 featuring actors Mahershala Ali, Lupita Nyong'o, and Danny Glover, ending with "4:44 – 6.30.17, Exclusively on Tidal".[8]
On June 18, Father's Day, a clip titled "Adnis" was posted on Sprint's YouTube page.[9] Adnis was Jay-Z's father's name.[10] A second teaser trailer was released on June 27 titled "Kill Jay Z", which featured a young man with a "Stay Black" T-shirt.[11] A third teaser followed on June 28 titled "ManyFacedGod", featuring Lupita Nyong'o crying "hysterically" on the floor.[11]
No I.D. says Jay-Z approached him about working together, and initially declined.[12] He cited feeling "uninspired" and "didn't think [he] had anything at the time". However, he researched Quincy Jones as inspiration to begin work with Jay-Z. No I.D. states he "began to play the samples like I would play an instrument." To get inspiration for 4:44, No I.D. pointed to albums such as What's Going On by Marvin Gaye, Confessions by Usher, The Blueprint by Jay-Z, Illmatic by Nas, and My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy by Kanye West, saying he "analyzed the mistakes and tried not to make those mistakes."[12]
The album was largely recorded in No I.D.'s home studio in Hollywood.[13] Its recording began in late December 2016, according to No I.D.[13] It was finished shortly before the album's release.[14] "4:44" was written when Jay-Z woke up one morning at 4:44 am,[15] and recorded at his house using Beyoncé's microphone.[12]
Composition
edit4:44 is a hip hop[16] and conscious hip hop[17][18] album. It contains samples from many genres, like funk, progressive rock, reggae, hip hop and soul.[19] These include Stevie Wonder's "Love's in Need of Love Today", The Clark Sisters's "Ha Ya (Eternal Life)",[20] Donny Hathaway's "Someday We'll All Be Free", Fugees's "Fu-Gee-La",[21] and Nina Simone's "Four Women" and "Baltimore".[22] While most of the samples span previous decades, the title track to 4.44 is sampled from the 2016 record 'Late Nights and Heartbreaks' from independent British group Hannah Williams and The Affirmations. Complex Networks premiered the official music video to the original record, directed by British Hip-Hop video director Nick Donnelly[23]
Elia Leight of Rolling Stone notes 4:44 is "sample-heavy at a time when so much of rap has moved away from that sound".[12] Jay-Z and No I.D. created a playlist based on Jay-Z's taste, and sampled some songs of it in the album.[24][13] Later, Jay-Z posted the playlist, titled 4:44 Inspired By, on Tidal.[25]
On the album, Jay-Z touches on a wide array of topics, such as the ongoing hip hop culture, his family life, his relationships, stereotypes and racism.[26][27][28] Many critics have noted that 4:44 is a response to Lemonade, with Jay-Z referencing lines from the album.[29][30][31] For example, the "You better call Becky with the good hair" line on Beyoncé's "Sorry", with Jay-Z retorting, "Leave me alone, Becky" in "Family Feud".[32][33][34] However, No I.D. said that to make the entire album a response to Lemonade was not the intention. Instead, Jay-Z wanted to focus on an album "where I talk about the things that I've never talked about".[35]
"Kill Jay Z" is about "killing" his ego Jay Z (without hyphen), featured in his previous album Magna Carta Holy Grail.[28] The song references his friendship with Kanye West,[36][37] as well as an incident in which he shot his brother. He also references his rumored extramarital relationships.[28] "The Story of O.J." references racism, stereotypes and the experience of being a black person in America.[38] "Smile" discusses his mother being a lesbian,[15][39][40] while featuring a poem from her. "Caught Their Eyes" references Prince; before his death, Prince befriended Jay-Z, giving exclusive streaming rights for his catalog to Tidal.[28] "4:44", the album's title track, is "one long, tearful, soul-ripped-open apology" dedicated to Beyoncé.[15]
"Family Feud" is about a "separation within the culture" and "tensions in the black community and at home".[28] The track also references his infidelity.[34] The "reggae-tinged" song "Bam" features Damian Marley's vocals, with a four-piece horn section and guitar.[28] Jay-Z said about the track: "it's just jammin', it's just like the song. But it's secretly Shawn Carter saying, 'Man, you need a bit of ego.'"[41] "Moonlight" references two films nominated to the 2017 Oscars for Best Picture, Moonlight and La La Land, as a "commentary on the culture and where we're going".[28]
Release and promotion
editJay-Z held listening parties for the album at participating Sprint stores on June 29, 2017.[42] 4:44 was released as an exclusive to Tidal and Sprint subscribers on June 30, the first in a planned series of music exclusives from the Sprint–Tidal partnership.[43][44] Through an iHeartRadio and Roc Nation partnership, 4:44 was played on a loop on various rap stations until July 1.[35] Jay-Z provided song commentary via iHeartRadio upon the album's release.[45] On July 7, a physical version of the album featuring three additional tracks was released,[12][46] and the album was made available to other streaming platforms, such as Apple Music, Google Play Music and Amazon Music.[47]
Music videos were released for every song on the album except "Caught Their Eyes". An animated music video for "The Story of O.J." was uploaded on Tidal soon after the album's release.[48] The video was directed by Mark Romanek and Jay-Z and shows a character named Jaybo, based on The Story of Little Black Sambo.[49] This was followed weekly by "4:44" directed by TNEG,[50] "Bam" directed by Rohan Blair-Mangat,[51] "Kill Jay Z" directed by Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz,[52] "Adnis" directed by Romanek,[53] "Moonlight" directed by Alan Yang,[54] and "ManyFacedGod" directed by Francesco Carrozzini.[55] On November 24, three further videos were released: "Legacy" directed by Jeymes Samuel, "Smile" directed by Miles Jay and "Marcy Me" directed by Ben and Joshua Safdie.[56] On December 29, an all-star video for "Family Feud" was released (featuring actors Jessica Chastain, Michael B. Jordan, Janet Mock, and David Oyelowo among many others), directed by Ava DuVernay and scored by Flying Lotus,[57] followed on January 7, 2018, by "Blue's Freestyle", directed by Maurice Taylor of Artlife Studios.[58]
Singles
editThe album's title track, "4:44", was released as the lead single to rhythmic contemporary radio on July 11, 2017.[59]
The song "Bam", was released as the second single to rhythmic contemporary radio on September 26, 2017.[60][61]
The song "Family Feud" was released to British contemporary hit radio on January 26, 2018, as the album's third single.[62]
Tour
editOn July 10, Jay-Z announced the 32-date North American 4:44 Tour beginning on October 27 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. The tour concluded on December 21 at The Forum in Inglewood.[63]
Critical reception
editAggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 7.8/10[64] |
Metacritic | 82/100[65] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [19] |
The A.V. Club | A−[66] |
The Daily Telegraph | [67] |
The Guardian | [68] |
NME | [69] |
The Observer | [70] |
Pitchfork | 8.4/10[29] |
Rolling Stone | [71] |
The Times | [72] |
Vice (Expert Witness) | A−[73] |
4:44 was released to universal acclaim from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 82, based on 29 reviews.[65] Many critics praised its emotional and personal content.[67][74][75] Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph gave the album a perfect score, stating "It's a highly personal work bravely opening up the artist's very human flaws as an example to others, locating in his own suffering a path towards forgiveness, redemption and, ultimately, a better world. There is little braver than admitting your mistakes and trying to change your ways. By embracing vulnerability, Jay Z has taken a step towards genuine wisdom."[67]
Brittany Spanos of Rolling Stone called the album "a stunning, raw and mature apology that's as much an ode to partnership and family as it is an example of how vulnerability can make for truly excellent art." Spanos states "4:44" is "the most specific and touching" song on the album.[76] 4:44 was named "Best New Music" by Pitchfork, with reviewer Sheldon Pearce writing, "The most crafty and evasive MC lays bare his complicated life. This late-career gem is personal and diamond-sharp, confronting the failings and legacy of Shawn Carter and America."[29] He also calls the album a "historical artifact".[29]
Publication | List | Rank |
---|---|---|
The Atlantic | The 10 Best Albums of 2017 | 10[77] |
Esquire | The Best Albums of 2017 | 3[78] |
Exclaim | Exclaim!'s Top 10 Hip-Hop Albums of 2017 | 3[79] |
The Independent | The 30 Best Albums of 2017 | 15[80] |
People | People Picks The 10 Best Albums of 2017 | 5[81] |
Pitchfork | The 50 Best Albums of 2017 | 13[82] |
The Ringer | The Best Albums of 2017 | 1[83] |
Rolling Stone | 50 Best Albums of 2017 | 12[84] |
Slant Magazine | The 25 Best Albums of 2017 | 5[85] |
Uproxx | All The Best Albums of 2017 | 7[86] |
Commercial performance
edit4:44 debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with 262,000 album-equivalent units, (of which 174,000 copies were pure album sales) in its first week, according to Nielsen Soundscan.[2] This became Jay-Z's 14th number one album.[2] The album was a Tidal exclusive for the first week and the streaming numbers on Tidal were not reported. On July 5, 2017, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of over a million units.[87] The album was certified only a week after its release.[87] During this period, it was reported that mobile company Sprint, a major share-holder in Tidal,[88] had bought a million copies of 4:44 and provided subscribers free downloads of the album.[88] In its second week, the album remained at number one on the chart, earning an additional 87,000 units.[89] In its third week, the album dropped to number seven on the chart, earning 45,000 more units.[90] In its fourth week, the album climbed to number five on the chart, earning 33,000 units.[91] By the end of 2017, the album had accumulated 639,000 album-equivalent units in the United States, with 399,000 as pure sales, not including the one million copies given away.[92] In 2017, 4:44 was ranked as the 36th most popular album of the year on the Billboard 200.[93]
Track listing
editCredits adapted from digital booklet.[22]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Kill Jay Z" | No I.D. | 2:58 | |
2. | "The Story of O.J." |
| 3:51 | |
3. | "Smile" (featuring Gloria Carter) |
|
| 4:49 |
4. | "Caught Their Eyes" (featuring Frank Ocean) |
|
| 3:26 |
5. | "4:44" |
| No I.D. | 4:44 |
6. | "Family Feud" (featuring Beyoncé) |
| No I.D. | 4:11 |
7. | "Bam" (featuring Damian Marley) |
| No I.D. | 3:54 |
8. | "Moonlight" |
|
| 2:23 |
9. | "Marcy Me" |
| No I.D. | 2:54 |
10. | "Legacy" |
|
| 2:57 |
Total length: | 36:11 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
11. | "Adnis" |
|
| 2:26 |
12. | "Blue's Freestyle / We Family" (featuring Blue Ivy Carter) |
|
| 4:23 |
13. | "ManyFacedGod" (featuring James Blake) |
|
| 3:18 |
Total length: | 46:16 |
Notes
- ^[a] signifies a co-producer
- ^[b] signifies an additional producer
- "4:44" features background vocals by Kim Burrell
- "Family Feud" originally didn't feature credited vocals by Beyoncé
- "Marcy Me" features additional vocals by The-Dream
- "Legacy" features intro vocals by Blue Ivy Carter and background vocals by James Fauntleroy
- "ManyFacedGod" is stylized as "MaNyfaCedGod"
Sample credits[22]
- "Kill Jay Z" contains a sample and portions from "Don't Let It Show", written by Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson, and performed by The Alan Parsons Project.
- "The Story of O.J." contains elements and excerpts from "Four Women", written and performed by Nina Simone; elements from "Kool is Back", as performed by Funk, Inc.; and excerpts from "Kool Back Again", written by Gene Redd and Jimmy Crosby, and performed by Kool & the Gang.
- "Smile" contains elements and excerpts from "Love's in Need of Love Today", written and performed by Stevie Wonder.
- "Caught Their Eyes" contains a sample and excerpts from "Baltimore", written by Randy Newman, and performed by Nina Simone; and an excerpt from the Army–McCarthy hearings.[94]
- "4:44" contains samples of "Late Nights and Heartbreak", written by Kanan Keeney, and performed by Hannah Williams and The Affirmations; and an interpolation of "(At Your Best) You Are Love" written by Ernie Isley, Marvin Isley, Chris Jasper, Rudolph Isley, O'Kelly Isley, Jr. and Ronald Isley, and performed by The Isley Brothers.[94]
- "Family Feud" contains portions of "Ha Ya (Eternal Life)", written by Elbernita Clark, and performed by The Clark Sisters.
- "Bam" contains elements from "Bam Bam", written by Winston Riley and Ophlin Russell, and performed by Sister Nancy; and elements from "Tenement Yard", written by Roger Lewis, and performed by Jacob Miller. R. Henry Gordon, N. N. McCarthy and Frederick "Toots" Hibbert hold the copyright to the original version of the song "Bam Bam" (of which the Sister Nancy version is a cover). The original songwriters were not credited or issued royalties for use of the song by Sister Nancy or Jay-Z.[95][96]
- "Moonlight" contains a sample of "Fu-Gee-La", as performed by The Fugees.
- "Marcy Me" contains elements from "Todo o Mundo e Ninguém", written by José Cid and Tozé Brito, and performed by Quarteto 1111; and an interpolation of "Unbelievable", as performed by The Notorious B.I.G., from the album Ready to Die.[94]
- "Legacy" contains a sample and excerpts from the recording "Someday We'll All Be Free", written by Edward Howard, and performed by Donny Hathaway; and an interpolation of "Glaciers of Ice", written by Corey Woods, Dennis Coles, Robert Diggs, and Elgin Turner, and performed by Raekwon.
- "Blue's Freestyle / We Family" contains elements and portions of "La Verdolaga", written by Sonia Bazanta, and performed by Totó la Momposina.
- "ManyFacedGod" embodies portions of "Pillow Talk", written by Michael Burton, and performed by Sylvia Robinson; a sample of "Going in Circles", written by Jerry Peters and Anita Poree, and performed by Dwight T. Ross; and an interpolation of "Partition", written by Terius Nash, Dimitri Jay, Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, Timothy Mosley, Jerome Harmon, Dwane Weir and Mike Dean, and performed by Beyoncé.[94]
Personnel
editAdapted from digital booklet.[22]
Musicians
|
Technical
Artwork
|
Charts
edit
Weekly chartsedit
|
Year-end chartsedit
|
Certifications
editRegion | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI)[125] | Silver | 60,000‡ |
United States (RIAA)[87] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
- By July 2, the album was offered as a free download, sponsored by Sprint, via the website 444.tidal.com.[126][127] Those album downloads—which were free to the consumer but purchased by Sprint for distribution—were counted by the RIAA towards the Platinum certification. Roc Nation told Billboard that the certification reflects those 1 million downloads, and no streams were applied towards the certification.[3]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Kellman, Andy (June 30, 2017). "4:44 - Jay Z". AllMusic. Archived from the original on June 26, 2019. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
- ^ a b c Caulfield, Keith (July 16, 2017). "JAY-Z Scores 14th No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart With '4:44'". Billboard. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
- ^ a b Caulfield, Keith (July 4, 2017). "JAY-Z's '4:44' Certified Platinum Following Sprint Promotion". Billboard. Retrieved July 4, 2017.
- ^ Kreps, Daniel (November 28, 2017). "Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar, Bruno Mars Lead 2018 Grammy Nominees". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 29, 2017.
- ^ Trakin, Roy (June 6, 2017). "Is Jay Z's New Album Being Teased With '4:44' Ads?". Variety. Retrieved July 8, 2017.
- ^ "Does This Mysterious 4:44 Ad Mean a New Jay Z Album Is Coming?". Complex. June 6, 2017. Retrieved July 8, 2017.
- ^ "Fans Speculate Jay Z Is Behind '4:44' Ads in New York". NBC New York. June 7, 2017. Retrieved July 8, 2017.
- ^ Barry, Peter A. (June 8, 2017). "Tidal Teases '4:44' Visual Starring Mahershala Ali – XXL". XXL. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
- ^ "JAY-Z "Adnis"". YouTube. June 18, 2017. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
- ^ Blistein, Jon (June 19, 2017). "Jay Z Details New Album '4:44'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
- ^ a b Lamarre, Carl. "What's Going on With All These JAY-Z '4:44' Commercials?". Billboard. Retrieved June 29, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e Leight, Elias (July 2017). "'4:44' Producer No I.D. Talks Pushing Jay-Z, Creating '500 Ideas'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
- ^ a b c Coscarelli, Joe (July 1, 2017). "The Man Behind the Music for Jay-Z's Intimate '4:44'". The New York Times. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
- ^ Mench, Chris (August 18, 2017). "JAY-Z Sits Down For An In-Depth Interview About '4:44'". Genius. Retrieved August 18, 2017.
- ^ a b c Breihan, Tom (June 30, 2017). "Jay-Z '4:44' Review". Stereogum. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
- ^ "Jay Z Previews New Verse From Upcoming 13th Studio Album". HipHopDX. June 19, 2017. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
- ^ Campbell, Kambole (July 25, 2017). "Love, truth and honesty: has Jay-Z's vulnerable new album changed hip-hop?". The Guardian. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
- ^ Smith, Da'Shan (July 26, 2017). "The Importance of JAY Z's 'Smile' & Its Progression of LGBTQ Politics In Hip-Hop". Billboard. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
4:44 is considered by many as a conscious hip-hop record ...
- ^ a b Kellman, Andy. "4:44 – Jay-Z". AllMusic. Retrieved July 7, 2017.
- ^ Cummings, Moriba. "Watch: The Clark Sisters React to Jay-Z and Beyoncé Sampling Their Music on '4:44'". BET. Retrieved July 8, 2017.
- ^ "Tracing The History Of The Fugees Sample On JAY-Z's "Moonlight"". Genius. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
- ^ a b c d 4:44 (PDF) (Digital booklet). Jay-Z. Roc Nation. 2017. B0027184-02. Archived from the original on December 18, 2017. Retrieved March 23, 2019.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ "Jay Z's "4:44" Sample Comes to Life in Hannah Williams & the Affirmations' "Late Nights & Heartbreak" Video". Complex. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
- ^ France, Lisa Respers (July 4, 2017). "Jay-Z's '4:44' is even better than you thought". CNN. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
- ^ "4:44 Inspired By Tidal". Retrieved September 2, 2017.
- ^ Flanagan, Andrew (July 5, 2017). "Let's Unpack Jay-Z's '4:44'". KNPR. NPR. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
- ^ "13 Things We Now Know About Jay-Z After '4:44'". BET. June 30, 2017. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g Leight, Elias; Reeves, Mosi; Shipley, Al (June 30, 2017). "Jay-Z's '4:44': A Track-by-Track Guide". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
- ^ a b c d Pearce, Sheldon (July 5, 2017). "JAY-Z: 4:44". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
- ^ McDermott, Maeve (June 30, 2017). "'4:44' is JAY-Z's explosive response to Beyoncé's 'Lemonade'". USA Today. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
- ^ Khal (June 30, 2017). "Jay Z's Song "4:44" Is His Answer to Beyoncé's 'Lemonade'". Complex. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
- ^ O'Connor, Roisin (June 30, 2017). "JAY-Z has finally addressed rumours he cheated on Beyonce". The Independent. Archived from the original on June 30, 2017. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
- ^ Vain, Madison (June 30, 2017). "JAY-Z Swears Off Alleged Mistress 'Becky' for Good: 'Let Me Alone'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
- ^ a b Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (June 30, 2017). "Jay-Z addresses Beyoncé infidelity rumours on new album 4:44". The Guardian. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
- ^ a b Lockett, Dee (June 30, 2017). "The Complete Guide to Jay-Z's New Album 4:44". Vulture. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
- ^ Thompson, Desire (June 30, 2017). "JAY-Z's '4:44' Addresses Falling Out With Kanye West". Vibe. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
- ^ Empire, Kitty (July 2, 2017). "Jay-Z: 4:44 review – now for his side of the story..." The Guardian. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
- ^ Greene, Leonard (June 30, 2017). "JAY-Z gets real about race relations, gentrification in Brooklyn on 'The Story of O.J.'". New York Daily News. Retrieved August 28, 2017.
- ^ Kreps, Daniel (June 30, 2017). "Jay-Z's Mother Comes Out on '4:44' Song 'Smile'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
- ^ "'Smile'". Pitchfork. June 30, 2017. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
- ^ Mastrogiannis, Nicole. "JAY-Z Explains '4:44' Song Meanings". iHeartRadio. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
- ^ Wicks, Amanda (June 24, 2017). "JAY-Z Announces 4:44 Listening Parties". Pitchfork. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
- ^ Brandle, Lars. "Jay Z Announces New Album '4:44' For June 30". Billboard. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
- ^ ".@S_C_'s '4:44' where I talk about the things that I've never talked aboutavailable exclusively to TIDAL and @Sprint customers on 6/30". Twitter. June 26, 2017. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
- ^ Mastrogiannis, Nicole. "JAY-Z Explains '4:44' Song Meanings iHeartRadio Album World Premiere". iHeartRadio. Archived from the original on June 30, 2017. Retrieved June 29, 2017.
- ^ Kim, Michelle (July 2017). "New JAY-Z Album 4:44 Getting Physical Release". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
- ^ Greenburg, Zack O'Malley (July 7, 2017). "Jay-Z's '4:44' Is Now on Apple And Amazon, Revealing A Lucrative Tidal-Sprint Bluff". Forbes. Retrieved July 7, 2017.
- ^ "The Story of O.J." Tidal. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
- ^ "Jay-Z Releases Animated 'The Story of O.J.' Video From '4:44'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 29, 2017.
- ^ Yoo, Noah (July 7, 2017). "JAY-Z Releases New "4:44" Video: Watch". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
- ^ Wicks, Amanda (July 14, 2017). "JAY-Z Shares New "Bam" Video with Damian Marley: Watch". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
- ^ Kim, Michelle (July 21, 2017). "Watch JAY-Z's New "Kill Jay Z" Video". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
- ^ Wicks, Amanda (July 28, 2017). "Mahershala Ali and Danny Glover Star in JAY-Z's New "Adnis" Video: Watch". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
- ^ Yoo, Noah (August 4, 2017). "JAY-Z's New Video Is a Black "Friends" Remake: Watch". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
- ^ Wicks, Amanda (August 11, 2017). "Lupita Nyong'o Stars in New JAY-Z and James Blake Video: Watch". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
- ^ Wicks, Amanda (November 24, 2017). "JAY-Z Shares 3 New Videos: Watch". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
- ^ Wicks, Amanda (December 29, 2017). "JAY-Z and Beyoncé Go to Confession in New "Family Feud" Video: Watch". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 29, 2017.
- ^ Kim, Michelle (January 7, 2017). "Watch JAY-Z's New Animated "Blue's Freestyle" Video". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
- ^ "Top 40 Rhythmic Future Releases". All Access. Archived from the original on July 8, 2017. Retrieved July 8, 2017.
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- ^ Kreps, Daniel (July 10, 2017). "Jay-Z Announces Massive North American '4:44' Tour". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
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- ^ a b "Reviews and Tracks for 4:44 by JAY-Z". Metacritic. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
- ^ Purdom, Clayton (July 6, 2017). "JAY-Z finds his third act on 4:44". The A.V. Club. Retrieved July 8, 2017.
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- ^ Emery, Andrew (June 30, 2017). "Jay-Z: 4:44 review – a bracingly honest but conservative confessional". The Guardian. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
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