Jay Z fans had a slight glimmer of hope when 4:44 started popping up on New York City billboards and social media. Most people suspected it was the name of Jay Z’s new album or something involving his company Tidal. But now it seems as though some questions have been answered. Apparently, 4:44 is a short film by Tidal made in conjunction with its partnership with Sprint.
During Wednesday night’s NBA Finals game, the black-and-white clip that featured Mahershala Ali as a boxer and Danny Glover as his coach appeared as a commercial, and although Lupita Nyong’o wasn’t in the clip, her name appeared in the credits.
Shortly after the commercial, Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure tweeted a similar 4:44 ad and referenced the Tidal partnership. Last year, Sprint announced that it was partnering with Tidal to offer the streaming service to Sprint customers, servicing customers with premium content.
There’s no release date for the movie, but it definitely got fans of Ali all worked up because of the boxing scene.