American rapper and music entrepreneur, Jay-Z has released his 13th studio album after a four year hiatus. The album titled 4:44 came out yesterday as an exclusive on his upstart Tidal streaming service whose new part-owners, telecom provider Sprint, is banking on the release to woo customers.
In his lyrics, he puts a much awaited reply to his wife, Beyonce’s, ‘supposed public chastisement due to infidelity’ in her album ‘Lemonade’, “I apologize / Our love was one for the ages and I contained us,”
Jay-Z raps over a brassy Gospel refrain. “What good is a menage-a-trois when you have a soulmate? You risked that for Blue?” he asks rhetorically, referring to the couple’s five-year-old daughter Blue Ivy. On the soulful track ‘Smile’, Jay-Z for the first time confirms hushed rumours that his mother is lesbian, explaining how she turned to substances to cope with the stigma.
“Mama had four kids but she’s a lesbian / Had to pretend so long, that she’s a thespian,” raps Jay-Z, who has spoken of how his father’s absence contributed to his troubled youth in public housing in Brooklyn. “Don’t matter to me if it’s a him or her / I just want to see you smile through all the hate,” he raps.
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