JAY-Z (yes, yet another name change) has attained platinum status again for his newest body of work which has been rumoured to be a self-snitching autobiography. Today we dig into JAY-Z’s latest album which we think is another creative masterclass.

In this mainstream music feature, we showcase some of the hottest hip-hop albums on the scene. We highlight any tracks worthy of our prestigious ? Five Star⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and also throw a few bullet points on our first thoughts for each track on the album. Useful if you don’t have time to go through the entire album on your first play.

So take this journey with us. Plug in, press play, and bop your head.

https://listen.tidal.com/album/75413011

1. “Kill Jay Z” (2:58)

• Sounds like film intro music! 
• Dope strings swelling throughout the track 
• That Kanye diss though… Wait, is it a diss?

2. “The Story of O.J.” (3:52)

• Clean beat – sounds like a throwback track 
• The Nina Simone sample is hard  
• Love that Jazz piano bouncing everywhere  
•  Schooled – real knowledge for future entrepreneurs 
• “What’s more important…Credit” – real talk! 
• Money phone diss – JAY GOES IN!
• ? Five Star⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

3. “Smile”(4:50)

• The melodic beat is really smooth 
• JAY is destroying this beat! 
• Flow is crazy halfway through – so much switching 
• “White suit…Inferior IQ…Tidal…Spite you…” – BARS! 
• This track is real. J’s bars plus his mother’s message really hit home, “happy but not free” 
• ? Five Star⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

4. “Caught Their Eyes” (3:26)

• “Ye Maan” – Loving the Yardie  influence
• His story telling finesse is unparalleled  
• Damn!!!! All these years and his flow is still schooling people
• Frank Ocean adds a well-matched hook to this track 

5. “4:44” (4:44) << Nice!!

• Ingenious title track – Woke up at 4:44 am. The track even lasts for 4 minutes and 44 seconds!
• Sounds like a heartfelt confession to Bey???
• JAY-Z is not holding back
• “…You RISKED that for BLUE???”  

6. “Family Feud”(4:11)

• “Super Bowl goals” – this is high-class music 
• Clean transition into rapping 
• References to nose rings was slick 
• “LET ME ALONE BECKY” –  LOL
• Real message about the importance of being a family unit 
• Word play is always tight – “Yall think small, I think biggy” 

7. “Bam” (3:55)

• Damian Marley’s vocals
• Getting them Caribbean Carnival vibes
• Jay just sounds too comfortable on this beat

8. “Moonlight” (2:24)

• Dope Fugees sample
• Smart reference to the Oscar winning film and the La La Land winning error 
• New school rappers stuck in a dream world are getting schooled
• Calabasas is getting popular these days huh! 

9. “Marcy Me” (2:54)

• That’s that old Jay-Z (pre-name change) sound
• “Marcy me, streets is my artery” – Can’t get the Marcy out of JAY

10. “Legacy” (2:57) 

• His daughter asking “Daddy, what is a will?” – DEEP!!!
• Saxophone’s and trumpets are too smooth on this 
• Everyone’s chopping and screwing  
• Schooled – JAY has really helped improve societies outlook on “black excellence” 
• ? Five Star⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

This is a great album which will definitely stand the test of time. No I.D. produced the entire album and it feels like a real body of work rather than just a list of singles. The undertones on being street smart and business savvy carry a powerful message for those who choose to heed the advice, “a million dollars worth of game for $9.99”. Musically, JAY-Z’s flow coupled with the vast array of samples and heavy hitting drum beats, help bring consistent variety to the album. 4:44 is a classy piece of entertainment to further prove and cement JAY-Z as one of the G.O.A.T in Hip-Hop.