Jay-Z got his ass in formation on his 4:44 album, and of course many people across social media have been trying to figure out all of the subliminal shots the rapper took.
Straight off the top, there’s the first song, “Kill Jay-Z,” and it’s rife with subs aimed at Kanye West and his own marriage; there’s even a possible shot at Future thrown in.
I know people backstab you, I felt that too/But this fuck everybody attitude ain’t natural
But you ain’t the same, this ain’t Kumba ’Ye/But you got hurt because you think kumbaye
You give him $20 million without blinking/he gave you 20 minutes on stage, fuck what was he thinking?
“Fuck wrong with everybody?” is what you saying/But if everyone is crazy, you’re the one that’s insane
Ohhh ... so did Jay give Kanye money to go on tour? Only for him to have a mental-health crisis and end up just ranting onstage? Will Kanye have to pay Jay-Z back like a payday loan?
You almost went Eric Benét/Let the baddest girl in the world get away
I don’t even know what else to say/Nigga, never go Eric Benét
On Beyoncé’s Lemonade, she made reference to Jay’s infidelity, and of course the infamous “Becky with the good hair.” It seems as though Jay is admitting to losing the “baddest girl in the world,” just as Eric Benét lost Halle Berry back in the day.
And, of course, Benét’s current wife probably woke him out of his sleep this morning, so he had to respond. Read his response, but stay for the replies under it:
In the future, other niggas playin’ football with your son/You had lost it, 13 bottles of Ace of Spade what it did to Boston
More infidelity talk? Or is this a shot at Future and Russell Wilson playing football with his son? Who knows, but I know I’ve tried Ace of Spade and it was disgusting.
Throughout the rest of 4:44, which I listened to at the crack of dawn on Friday, Jay talks about everything from gentrification in “The Story of O.J.” to taking aim at Prince’s attorney and longtime friend Londell McMillan and accusing him of making money off his death in “Caught Their Eyes.” The pièce de résistance comes on “Family Feud,” where Al Sharpton, Bill Cosby and younger rappers aren’t even safe.
I’m tryna fix you/I’m tryna get these niggas with no stripes to be official
Y’all think small, I think Biggie/Y’all whole pass is in danger, ten Mississippi
Al Sharpton in the mirror takin’ selfies/How is him or Pill Cosby s’posed to help me?
Whether you’re a fan of Jay-Z or not, you can’t ever deny his word play, or the ability to create mass hysteria and fanfare whenever he drops an album.