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0854242007583
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Overview
Jay-Z's June 2017 was momentous. The 44th president of the United States inducted him as the first rap lyricist into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. The Beyoncé Knowles-Shawn Carter family added fourth and fifth members. Going by a jocular shot at specific Al Sharpton social media activity within, there was also the completion of 4:44, delivered on the last of the month. Approach-wise, the 13th Jay-Z studio album is a change of course for its employment of only one beatmaker, No I.D., whose previous Jay-Z credits across a decade plus -- a comparatively flashy crop that includes a major portion of The Blueprint 3 -- amount to an album's worth of tracks, primarily as co-producer. Even more noteworthy is its chronological distinction as a follow-up to Beyoncé's Lemonade, a cathartic album prompted in part by Jay-Z's extramarital behavior. This somehow makes album 12 seem older than its true age. From any other artist, 36 minutes of repentance, self-satisfaction, and wisdom regarding issues such as faithfulness, vast wealth, ethical consumption, and the deficiencies of a younger rap generation would likely fall flat, but Jay-Z continues to write at a Hall of Fame level and raps with high levels of conviction, contrition, and wit. He and No I.D. are consistently attuned. The whole album has a fine matte-like finish with nuanced rhythms and soul, funk, reggae, and prog samples that frequently enhance the tracks on an emotional level, not just a sonic one. Even the Frank Ocean and Beyoncé appearances sound sourced from a crate. Filled with references to profit and forms of pride granted by birth and earned by hustling, 4:44 nonetheless is an unglamorous set well suited for solitary and reflective late-night listening. There are no radio play bids. Jay-Z has been in this mode at various points, but never in such concentrated, enlightened form, whether the subject is his mistakes as a husband, the struggles of his long-closeted lesbian mother, the effects of enduring systemic racism, or the assertion of his supremacy. [The physical CD release of 4:44 featured three bonus tracks.]
Product Details
Release Date: | 07/07/2017 |
---|---|
Label: | Roc Nation |
UPC: | 0854242007583 |
catalogNumber: | 002718402 |
Rank: | 22361 |
Tracks
Album Credits
Performance Credits
Jay-Z Primary ArtistKim Burrell Vocals
James Fauntleroy Vocals
The-Dream Vocals
Crystal Torres Trumpet,Flugelhorn
Steve Wyreman Synthesizer,Bass,Guitar,Celeste,Hammond Organ,Electric Piano,CS-80
Kenneth Whalum Tenor Saxophone
Nate Mercereau Guitar,Piano,Celeste,French Horn,Moog Synthesizer
James Blake Piano
Ron Gilmore Vocoder
Jonah Levine Trombone
Blue Ivy Carter Vocals
Technical Credits
Nina Simone ComposerDonny Hathaway Composer
Randy Newman Composer
Jacob Miller Composer
Jerry Peters Composer
Gene Redd Composer
Salaam Remi Composer
Sylvia Robinson Composer
Stevie Wonder Composer
Eric Woolfson Composer
Allen McGrier Composer
Winston Riley Composer
Damian "Junior Gong" Marley Composer
Jay-Z Producer
Alan Parsons Composer
Wyclef Jean Composer
Lauryn Hill Composer
Deborah Mannis-Gardner Sample Clearance
Anita Poree Composer
Sonia Bazanta Composer
Shawn Carter Composer,Executive Producer
Beyoncé Knowles Composer
Michael Burton Composer
Brian Roettinger Art Direction
Elbernita Clark Composer
Tózé Brito Composer
Jose Cid Composer
James Fauntleroy Vocal Producer
Mike Miller Vocal Engineer
Roger Lewis Composer
Stuart White Vocal Engineer
Teena Marie Brockert Composer
Dion Wilson Composer
Edward Howard Composer
Ophlin N. Russell Composer
Gimel "Young Guru" Keaton Engineer
Nate Mercereau Arp String Ensemble
James Blake Composer,Producer
Pras Michel Composer
Dominic Maker Composer,Producer
Terius Nash Composer
Jimmy Crosby Composer
No Id Producer,Executive Producer,Additional Production
Christopher Breaux Composer
Michael Law Thomas Engineer
Kanan Keeny Composer
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