[#24 POP] JAY-Z - 4:44

JAY-Z - 4:44

 

안녕하세요. 음악을 좋아하는 팝덕 '팝오리'입니다.

 

오늘은 2019년 4월 10일 발매된 

JAY-Z의 정규 13집 '4:44'에 대해서 리뷰해보려고 합니다.

ARTIST

JAY-Z

- 이름 : JAY-Z
- 출생 : 1969년 12월 4일
- 국적 : 미국
- 소속사 : Roc Nation
- 데뷔일 : 1994년

 

TRACK LIST

JAY-Z - 4:44

총 10곡으로 구성되어 있습니다.

INFORMATION

JAY-Z - 4:44

[앨범 소개]

힙합의 제왕, '제이지(JAY Z)'의 13번째 정규 앨범 [4:44]

 

그래미 어워즈 21회 수상을 비롯해 통산 6000만 장에 가까운 앨범을 판매한 자타 공인 힙합의 제왕이자 뉴욕의 제왕으로 불리는 '제이지'가 새 앨범 [4:44]로 돌아왔다. 아내 비욘세(Beyonce)와의 이야기를 다루며 큰 화제를 모은 트랙 "4:44", 카니예 웨스트(Kanye West)를 언급하며 무수한 추측을 쏟아낸 곡 "Kill Jay Z", 그리고 제이지의 어머니 글로리아 카터(Gloria Carter)가 직접 음반 작업에 참여한 "Smile"등, '제이지' 자신을 비롯한 가족들의 개인적인 이야기들을 담아냈다. 앨범의 총괄 프로듀싱은 전설적인 프로듀서 노 아이디(No. I.D)가 담당했으며, 제이지의 아내이자 빛나는 디바 비욘세, 최고의 인기를 누리고 있는 알앤비 스타 프랭크 오션(Frank Ocean) 그리고 레게 음악의 전설, 밥 말리의 아들로 그래미 어워드 3회 수상에 빛나는 레게 뮤지션 데미언 말리(Damian Marley) 등이 앨범에 참여하였다.

REVIEW

01. KILL Jay Z

https://youtu.be/rQLVU4j7Ejo?si=QXpBRZB9l4w22IbY

---

Kill Jay Z, they'll never love you
You'll never be enough, let's just keep it real, Jay Z
Fuck Jay Z, I mean, you shot your own brother
How can we know if we can trust Jay Z
And you know better, nigga, I know you do
But you gotta do better, boy, you owe it to Blue
You had no father, you had the armor
But you got a daughter, gotta get softer
Die Jay Z, this ain't back in the days
You don't need an alibi, Jay Z
Cry Jay Z, we know the pain is real
But you can't heal what you never reveal
What's up, Jay Z You know you owe the truth
To all the youth that fell in love with Jay Z
You got people you love you sold drugs to
You got high on the life, that shit drugged you
You walkin' around like you invincible
You dropped outta school, you lost your principles
I know people backstab you, I felt bad too
But this 'fuck everybody' attitude ain't natural
But you ain't a saint, this ain't kumbaye
But you got hurt because you did cool by 'Ye
You gave him 20 million without blinkin'
He gave you 20 minutes on stage, fuck was he thinkin'
Fuck wrong with everybody is what you sayin'
But if everybody's crazy, you're the one that's insane
Crazy how life works
You got a knot in your chest, imagine how a knife hurts
You stabbed Un over some records
Your excuse was He was talkin' too reckless
Let go your ego over your right shoulder
Your left is sayin', Finish your breakfast
You egged Solange on
Knowin' all along, all you had to say you was wrong
You almost went Eric Benet
Let the baddest girl in the world get away
I don't even know what else to say
Nigga, never go Eric Benet
I don't even know what you woulda done
In the Future, other niggas playin' football with your son
You woulda lost it
Thirteen bottles of Ace of Spade, what it did to Boston
Nah, Jay Z
Bye, Jay Z

 

02. The Story of O.J.

https://youtu.be/RM7lw0Ovzq0?si=FGoKJQXj9lI5mphU

---

Skin is, skin, is
Skin black, my skin is black
My, black, my skin is yellow

Light nigga, dark nigga, faux nigga, real nigga
Rich nigga, poor nigga, house nigga, field nigga
Still nigga, still nigga
I like that second one
Light nigga, dark nigga, faux nigga, real nigga
Rich nigga, poor nigga, house nigga, field nigga
Still nigga, still nigga

OJ like, I'm not black, I'm OJ okay

House nigga, don't fuck with me
I'm a field nigga, go shine cutlery
Go play the quarters where the butlers be
I'ma play the corners where the hustlers be
I told him, Please don't die over the neighborhood
That your mama rentin'
Take your drug money and buy the neighborhood
That's how you rinse it
I bought every V12 engine
Wish I could take it back to the beginnin'
I coulda bought a place in Dumbo before it was Dumbo
For like 2 million
That same building today is worth 25 million
Guess how I'm feelin' Dumbo

Light nigga, dark nigga, faux nigga, real nigga
Rich nigga, poor nigga, house nigga, field nigga
Still nigga, still nigga
Light nigga, dark nigga, faux nigga, real nigga
Rich nigga, poor nigga, house nigga, field nigga
Still nigga, still nigga

You wanna know what's more important than throwin' away money at a strip club Credit
You ever wonder why Jewish people own all the property in America This how they did it

Financial freedom my only hope
Fuck livin' rich and dyin' broke
I bought some artwork for 1 million
2 years later, that shit worth 2 million
Few years later, that shit worth 8 million
I can't wait to give this shit to my children
Y'all think it's bougie, I'm like, it's fine
But I'm tryin' to give you a million dollars worth of game for $999
I turned that 2 to a 4, 4 to an 8
I turned my life into a nice first week release date
Y'all out here still takin' advances, huh
Me and my niggas takin' real chances, uh
Y'all on the 'Gram holdin' money to your ear
There's a disconnect, we don't call that money over here, yeah

Light nigga, dark nigga, faux nigga, real nigga
Rich nigga, poor nigga, house nigga, field nigga
Still nigga, still nigga
Light nigga, dark nigga, faux nigga, real nigga
Rich nigga, poor nigga, house nigga, field nigga
Still nigga, still nigga

03.Smile ft. Gloria Carter

https://youtu.be/SSumXG5_rs8?si=4cNotUc83I8aGNWz

 

---

Good morn' or evening, friends
Smile, you recordin'

Slammin' Bentley doors like we invented doors
20 years ago we drove Bentley Azures
We drinkin' Cristal and yeah
Kept the tray on me like Chris Paul then
Drinkin' Ace of Spades like it's codeine now
Tryna put a million on the whole team now
Push through the pain so we can see new life
So all the ladies havin' babies, see a sacrifice
Mama had four kids, but she's a lesbian
Had to pretend so long that she's a thespian
Had to hide in the closet, so she medicate
Society shame and the pain was too much to take
Cried tears of joy when you fell in love
Don't matter to me if it's a him or her
I just wanna see you smile through all the hate
Marie Antoinette, baby, let 'em eat cake

Bad times turn to good memories, smile
Even when I'm gone and you remember me, smile
Good times never fade away, smile
Even if I'm not with you here today, smile
Good morn' or evening, friends
Smile
Here's your friendly announcer
Smile

Far as draft picks, my name did not get called
Bet before I go I put a billion on the board
Hall of Fame Hov, I did it all without a pen
Y'all knew that was comin', I had to remind y'all again, huh
Flyin' paper planes through the projects
Now the whole projects on my jet
Now you see the real in the front row
In every one of y'all televised shows
Super facts
Niggas switched sides, traded pride, we don't do all that
A loss ain't a loss, it's a lesson
Appreciate the pain, it's a blessin'

Bad times turn to good memories, smile
Even when I'm gone and you remember me, smile
Good times never fade away, smile
Even if I'm not with you here today, smile
Good morn' or evening, friends

I mastered my aesthetics
I know you often heard me wax poetic
'Bout bein' back in the Lexus
But trust me, that was nothin'
A nigga up in the hundreds of millions
I have no ceilings, ah, this that feelin', I'm that boy
Anita Baker's You Bring Me Joy
Slappin' out of the toy, the separation is clear
In my rear view mirror, objects is further than they appear
Oh yeah, I was born with a pair
Playin' for high stakes
Norman's Cay, he looked up and out of the Lear
How niggas can't relate
Fuck a slice of the apple pie, want my own cake
In charge of my own fate
Respect Jimmy Iovine
But he gotta respect the Elohim as a whole new regime
And niggas playin' for power, huh
So our music is ours
Niggas only own houses
Ours was, Fuck you, pay me
Now it's, Fuck payin' me, I pay you
Put the rest away for Blue
That blood money, I giggle at it
Can't even support my miss's habit
Jewelry shoppin' in Paris
All y'all jewelers should be embarrassed, huh
Blood diamonds drippin' with guilt
I still ain't trippin', that's life, winners and losers
Drug dealers and abusers, America likes me ruthless
My therapist said I relapsed
I said, Prehaps I Freudian slipped in European whips
God sent me to break the chain
I'm the true and livin'
God in the flesh, the rest of these niggas is vain
A stain on the white suit, inferior IQ
Niggas'll rip your shit off TIDAL just to spite you
Ahhhh, what did I do
'Cept try to free you
Niggas'll love you but hate you 'cause they can't be you
Dump 'em all in the bayou, uh
Everybody wave bye to the guy you thought you could lie to
This was meant to be a haiku, huh
But my story's too wide to fit inside the line or two
Oh, these that drugs
Heroin flow, I spaz on the stove
This is Hov, no flex zone, nigga, who lied to you
Look, you a pedestrian
Don't ever question the security I provided you
Oh y'all thought I was washed
I'm at the cleaners
Launderin' dirty money like the Teamsters, huh
Shout out to Hoffa back home, he in the church
When I heard you got booked, that shit hurt
Fear for you, bro, we know the system don't work
Take a young nigga's freedom over some dirt
Yet it's legal in Colorado
Yeah, we deny
Black entrepreneurs, free enterprise
That's why it's a black market, that's why it's called the trap
That's why it's called the projects 'cause it's exactly that
All these people was gon' kill me, heh
'Cause the more I reveal me, the more they 'fraid of the real me
Welcome back Carter, smile

Living in the shadow
Can you imagine what kind of life it is to live
In the shadows people see you as happy and free
Because that's what you want them to see
Living two lives, happy, but not free
You live in the shadows for fear of someone hurting your family or the person you love
The world is changing and they say it's time to be free
But you live with the fear of just being me
Living in the shadow feels like the safe place to be
No harm for them, no harm for me
But life is short, and it's time to be free
Love who you love, because life isn't guaranteed
Smile

04. Caught Their Eyes

https://youtu.be/aqIEkPli_d0?si=CRa5QtnY-tYyQ9p-

---

Ready for it
I'm ready for it
Yeah
Ah

East Side nigga
With that feets high
Nigga with that Lisa
Talkin' about that Lisa, nigga
With that we sa, nigga
With that East Side
That dance, uh
Your eyes speak the truth when everything else lies
May pretend that we kin but the vibes don't fly

Bruh, I survived readin' guys like you
I'm surprised y'all think you can disguise y'all truths
I seen eyes wide as they're about to shoot
You can be a hairpin off and you can trigger your Roots
I wave to these haters, don't give me dap
You know the world can see just how phony you act, bruh
Y'all body language is all remedial
How could you see the difference between you and I
My crash course was much tougher
'Round friends who kill they friends
Then hug their friends' mothers
And show up at the funeral, complete with blank stares
Invisible ink, I had to read things that wasn't there
Memories may sneak down my cheek
But I could see a side eye in my sleep

Ready for it, deep breath, fill up the void
Eyes open them up, check off the coins
Still stingin' from tears, they try to see you
I'm ready for earth, ready for real
Solipsistic, admit it, I see you there
So it seems, so you seem
I can't tell if you're image or are just the flare
In my dreams, in my dreams

I sat down with Prince, eye to eye
He told me his wishes before he died
Now, Londell McMillan, he must be color blind
They only see green from them purple eyes
They eyes hide, they eyes high
My eyes wide shut to all the lies
These industry niggas, they always been fishy
But ain't no Biggie, no lazy eye, huh
This guy had 'Slave' on his face
You think he wanted the masters with his masters
You greedy bastards sold tickets to walk through his house
I'm surprised you ain't auction off the casket
Don't big bro me, don't Big Homie
I've seen pure admiration become rivals
I've been to Paris at least two times
I've seen the Eiffel, I've seen a eyeful

Ready for it, deep breath, fill up the void
Eyes open them up, check off the coins
Still stingin' from tears, they try to see you
I'm ready for earth, ready for real
Solipsistic, admit it, I see you there
So it seems, so you seem
I can't tell if you're image or are just the flare
In my dreams, in my dreams

I've been out of touch for a couple years
I've been ready for this for real
Hopin' I can touch what I see
'Cause I've been ready for you, for real

Look, you've done enough Have you no sense of decency, sir
At long last, have you left no sense of decency

East Side nigga
With that feets high
Nigga with that Li sa
Talkin' about that Li sa, nigga
With that we sa, nigga
With that East Side
That dance, uh
Your eyes speak the truth with everything else, stars
They pretend we can but the vibes don't fly

05. 4:44

https://youtu.be/zSkA61esq_c?si=62kX5i_Y-So_CK4V

---

Do I find it so hard
When I know in my heart
I'm letting you down every day
Letting you down every day
Why do I keep on running away
Look I apologize often womanize
Took for my child to be born
See through a woman's eyes
Took for these natural twins 
to believe in miracles
Took me too long for this song
I don't deserve you
I harass you out in Paris
Please come back to Rome 
you make it home
We talked for hours 
when you were on tour
Please pick up the phone 
pick up the phone
I said Don't embarrass me
instead of Be mine
That was my proposal 
for us to go steady
That was your 21st birthday
You mature faster than me 
I wasn't ready
So I apologize
I seen the innocence leave your eyes
I still mourn this death and
I apologize for all the stillborns
'Cause I wasn't present 
your body wouldn't accept it
I apologize to all the women whom I
Toyed with your emotions 
because I was emotionless
And I apologize 'cause at 
your best you are love
And because I fall short of 
what I say I'm all about
Your eyes leave with the soul 
that your body once housed
And you stare blankly into space
Thinkin' of all the time 
you wasted it on all this basic shit
So I apologize
I'm never gonna treat you
I'm never gonna treat you 
like I should
I apologize
Our love was one for the ages 
and I contained us
And all this ratchet shit and 
we more expansive
Not meant to cry and die alone 
in these mansions
Or sleep with our back turned
We supposed to vacay 
'til our backs burn
We're supposed to laugh 
'til our heart stops
And then meet in a space 
where the dark stop
And let love light the way
Like the men before me 
I cut off my nose to spite my face
I never wanted another 
woman to know
Something about me 
that you didn't know
I promised I cried 
I couldn't hold
I suck at love 
I think I need a do-over
I will be emotionally available 
if I invited you over
I stew over 
what if you over my shit
I'm never gonna treat you
I'm never gonna treat you 
like I should
And if my children knew 
I don't even know what I would do
If they ain't look at me the same
I would prob'ly die 
with all the shame
You did what with who
What good is a menage a trois 
when you have a soulmate
You risked that for Blue
If I wasn't a superhero in your face
My heart breaks for the day 
I have to explain my mistakes
And the mask goes away 
and Santa Claus is fake
And you go online and see
For Blue's tooth 
the tooth fairy didn't pay
I'm never gonna treat you 
like I should

06. Family Feud

https://youtu.be/J8MVp5KZo-0?si=IQM7SLzo35rgqFEs

---

My nigga got on
My nigga got on all white, no socks
My nigga got that cocaina on today
That's how he feel
Turn my vocal up
That's how you feel, Emory
Turn my vocal up some more
Turn my vocal up, Guru
Turn the music up too

Super Bowl goals
My wife in the crib feedin' the kids liquid gold
We in a whole different mode
Kid that used to pitch bricks can't be pigeonholed
I cooked up more chicken when the kitchen closed
Oh, we gon' reach a billi' first
I told my wife the spiritual shit really work
Alhamdulillah, I run through 'em all
Hovi's home, all these phonies come to a halt
All this old talk left me confused
You'd rather be old rich me or new you
And old niggas, y'all stop actin' brand new
Like 2Pac ain't have a nose ring too, huh

Nobody wins when the family feuds
But my stash can't fit into Steve Harvey's suit
I'm clear why I'm here, how about you
Ain't no such thing as an ugly billionaire, I'm cute
Mmmmm
Pretty much
If anybody gettin' handsome checks, it should be us
Fuck rap, crack cocaine
Nah, we did that, Black owned things
Hundred percent, Black owned champagne
And we merrily merrily eatin' off these streams
Y'all still drinkin' Perrier Jouet, huh
But we ain't get through to you yet, uh
What's better than one billionaire Two two
'Specially if they're from the same hue as you
Y'all stop me when I stop tellin' the truth

Hahahaha Ha ya
I would say I'm the realest nigga rappin' Ha ya
But that ain't even a statement Ha ya
That's like sayin' I'm the tallest midget Ha ya
Wait, that ain't politically correct Ha ya
Forget it Ha ya
Can I get Amen from the congregation
Amen, amen Ha ya
Can I get a Amen from the congregation
Amen, amen Ha ya
Ha ya ya ya

Yeah, I'll fuck up a good thing if you let me
Let me alone, Becky
A man that don't take care his family can't be rich
I'll watch Godfather, I miss that whole shit
My consciousness was Michael's common sense
I missed the karma that came as a consequence
Niggas bustin' off through the curtains 'cause she hurtin'
Kay losin' the babies 'cause their future's uncertain
Nobody wins when the family feuds
We all screwed 'cause we never had the tools
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
Old niggas never accepted me
New niggas is the reason I stopped drinkin' Dos Equis
We all lose when the family feuds
What's better than one billionaire Two
I'll be damned if I drink some Belvedere while Puff got CiROC
Y'all need to stop

Ha ya, ha ya, ha ya, ha ya
Ha ya, ha ya, ha ya, ha ya
Ha ya, ha ya, ha ya, ha ya
Ha ya, ha ya, ha ya, ha ya
Ha ya, ha ya
Love me like, love
Ha ya
Like yeah, yeah, yeah
Like yeah, yeah, yeah
Like yeah, yeah, yeah
Like yeah, yeah, yeah
Like yeah, yeah, yeah
Like yeah, yeah, yeah
Like yeah, yeah, yeah
Like yeah, yeah, yeah
Like yeah, yeah, yeah
Like yeah, yeah, yeah
Like yeah, yeah, yeah
Like yeah, yeah, yeah
Like yeah, yeah, yeah
Like yeah, yeah, yeah
Like yeah, yeah, yeah
Like yeah, yeah, yeah
Like yeah, yeah, yeah
Like yeah, yeah, yeah

07. Bam

https://youtu.be/wHrpB2lwc2I?si=aDLHiU2mji2HgYBa

---

Now greetings to the world
Gangsta nuh live in a tenement yard
Rude boy nuh live in a tenement yard
Too much watchy, watchy, watchy
Too much su, su, su, su, su
Them chatty, chatty, chatty
Them su, su, su, su, su
Fuck all this pretty Shawn Carter shit nigga, HOV

Shawn was on that gospel shit
I was on the total fuckin' opposite
Shit, stuff a million dollars in the sock drawer
That's a war chest in case you need your chest knocked off
Y'all be talkin' crazy under them IG pictures
So when you get to hell you tell 'em Blanco sent ya
I can't take no threats, I got a set of twins
Those were just the words you'll never hear again
For the final time you don't believe these fools
I've never seen a worker rock so many jewels
I've never seen the runner with so many cars
Y'all couldn't stop me, you're not as tough as you say you are
My advice is just don't be too nice to niggas
Just set the price so niggas'll live your life, my nigga
Once upon a time in the projects
Shawn was in flight mode, I bought a Pyrex
I was in fight mode and now it's fuck me, mijo
I was movin' them kilos, help you move your peoples
Sometimes you need your ego, gotta remind these fools
Who they effin' with, and we got FN's too
Before we had AandR's, we had AR's too
We the only ones really movin' like y'all say y'all do
We still movin' like y'all niggas say y'all did
Emory passed you niggas and he did a bid
Ty Ty jumped over niggas and he's like 5'6
Got the heart of a giant, don't you ever forget
Don't you never forget, Jigga got this shit poppin'
I pulled out the pot when we was outta options

Gangsta nuh live in a tenement yard
Rude boy nuh live in a tenement yard
Too much watchy, watchy, watchy
Them su, su, su, su, su
Too much chatty, chatty, chatty
And them su, su, su, su, su
Fuck all this pretty Shawn Carter shit nigga, HOV

Put that drum in your ear, don't get Srem'd
I'll Bobby Shmurda anybody you heard of
Niggas could not be further, I fathered your style
Birth of a Nation, Nat Turner style
Uh, y'all make me turn up all this talkin' down
Uh, niggas is skippin' leg day just to run they mouth
I be skippin' leg day, I still run the world
I pressed ahead of your team with one finger curled
I'll line you all up with one finger wave
Make niggas weave, niggas is out here fake
Laced front to the back, don't front
Y'all gonna make me wig, I'ma give y'all what you want

Gangsta nuh live in a tenement yard
Dreadlocks nuh live in a tenement yard
Too much watchy, watchy, watchy
And them su, su, su, su, su
Too much chatty, chatty, chatty
And them su, su, su, su, su
Fuck all this pretty Shawn Carter shit nigga, HOV

Can't you see it's my ambition
I come to nice up the whole nation
What a bam bam yeah, Lord
And mi seh what a bam bam Do it, dread
Can't you see it's my ambition
I come to nice up the whole nation
What a bam bam
What a bam bam
I don't give a God damn
I don't give a God damn
When mi come a dance and mi spliff and Guinness
Yow, crowd of people go and mind yuh business
This a hunting season
Mek I tell you hunting season
Well, I tell ya something season
Yow this a hunting season
Cake and dumpling season
Spinners and dumpling season
Don't play by the king
Love is all I and I bring you know
Voice of the one pon gully banking
Top ranking, keep it skanking
Ooh wee, huh
Hear me now

08. Moonlight

https://youtu.be/VvPZuiJIisc?si=LXc0BTIahSjM1alL

---

Yeah, got a lil' cold
So bear with me
Yeah, yeah

We stuck in La La Land
Even when we win, we gon' lose
Y'all got the same fuckin' flows
I don't know who is who
We got the same fuckin' watch
She don't got time to choose
We stuck in La La Land
We got the same fuckin' moves

Y'all fuck the same fuckin' chicks
I'm in the skrt with ya yeah, right
I'm the skrt with ya cool story
I'm on the ch 'nough of this
Look, I know killers, you no killer, huh
Bathing Ape maybe not a gorilla, huh
Glorified seat filler, huh
Stop walkin' around like y'all made Thriller, huh
Fake Dracos all in the videos
We sure we shoot 'em in my city though
I don't post no threats on the Internet
I just pose a threat, blame Lenny S for that
I don't be on the 'Gram goin' ham
Givin' information to the pork, that's all spam
Please don't talk about guns
That you ain't never gon' use
Y'all always tell on y'all self
I'm just so fuckin' confused

Y'all stuck in La La Land
Even when we win, we gon' lose
Y'all got the same fuckin' flows
I don't know who is who
We got the same fuckin' watch
She don't got time to choose
We stuck in La La Land
We got the same fuckin' moves

Y'all niggas still signin' deals Still
After all they done stole, for real
After what they done to our Lauryn Hill
And y'all niggas is 'posed to be trill
That's real talk when you behind on your taxes
And you pawned all your chains
And they run off with your masters
And took it to Beverly Hills
While we in Calabasas
And my head is scratchin'
'Cause that shit is backwards
That shit ain't right
Lucian is cool but Lucian don't write
Doug ain't this tight, so
Fuck what we sellin'
Fuck is we makin'
'Cause their grass is greener
'Cause they always rakin' in mo'
Nah, nah, nah, nah
Nah, nah

09. Marcy Me

https://youtu.be/i5fxxMRzi1Q?si=Igo_PJYuPdzbZeP9

---

Live from Bedford Stuyvesant
The livest one representin' BK to the fullest
Bastards duckin' when Hov be buckin'
Chicken heads be cluckin'

Back when ratchet was a ratchet and a vixen was a vixen
And Jam Master Jay was alive I was mixin'
Cookin' coke in the kitchen
Back when Rodman was a Piston
Mike was losin' to Isiah, but he soon would get his sixth one
Gave birth to my verbal imagination
Assume a virtue if you have not
Or better yet here's a verse from Hamlet
Lord, we know who we are
Yet we know not what we may be
So maybe I'm the one or maybe I'm crazy
I'm from Marcy Houses, where the boys die by the thousand
Back when Pam was on Martin
Yeah, that's where it all started
When Denzel was blottin' carpet, I'll pack a nine millimeter
When Slick Rick made Mona Lisa
When Lisa Bonet was Beyonce of her day, I had divas, y'all
Think I just popped up in this bitch like a fetus Nah
Pregnant pause, give you some second thoughts
There's room on the bandwagon, don't abort
Marcy me

Marcy me
Streets is my artery, the vein of my existence
I'm the Gotham City heartbeat
I started in lobbies, now parley with Saudis
I'm a Sufi to goofies, I could prolly speak Farsi
That's poetry, reek of coca leaf in my past
Came through the bushes smellin' like roses
I need a trophy just for that
Old Brooklyn, not this new shit, shit feel like a spoof
Fat laces in your shoe, I'm talkin' bustin' off the roof
Hold a Uzi vertical, let the thing smoke
Y'all flirtin' with death, I be winkin' through the scope
Shout out to all the murderers turned murals
Plural, fuck the Federal Bureau
Shout out to Nostrand Ave, Flushing Ave, Myrtle
All the County of Kings, may your ground stay fertile
Shout out to Big Poppa, Daddy Kane, heroes
Thus concludin' my concerto
Marcy me

Must be in the air
Oh, can't walk away, I know, I know
Just the way I'm raised
I know, I know, I know
Oh Marcy, Marcy me
Just the way I am always gonna be
I ain't gonna change, no
Marcy, Marcy me, just the way I am
I ain't gonna change, no
I ain't gonna change, no
Couldn't change me if I wanted to
You couldn't change me if you wanted to
I'ma take this with me to the Moon
Como has nome, cavaleiro
Eu hei nome Todo o Mundo
E meu tempo

10. Legacy

https://youtu.be/hJ1dY9h9arU?si=7wjV5vsSDJ2he7sa

---

Daddy, what's a will

Take those moneys and spread 'cross families
My sisters, Hattie and Lou, the nephews, cousins and TT
Eric, the rest to B for whatever she wants to do
She might start an institute
She might put poor kids through school
My stake in Roc Nation should go to you
Leave a piece for your siblings to give to their children too
TIDAL, the champagne, D'USSe, I'd like to see
A nice peace fund ideas from people who look like we
We gon' start a society within a society
That's major, just like the Negro League
There was a time America wouldn't let us ball
Those times are now back, just now called Afro tech
Generational wealth, that's the key
My parents ain't have shit, so that shift started with me
My mom took her money, she bought me bonds
That was the sweetest thing of all time, uh

Legacy, Legacy, Legacy, Legacy
Black excellence baby, you gon' let 'em see
Legacy, Legacy, Legacy, Legacy
Black excellency, baby, let 'em see

I remember, like, listenin' to Wu Tang
And niggas like, Your seed married his seed, married my seed
That's how we keep Carter money all in the family

You see, my father, son of a preacher man
Whose daughter couldn't escape the reach of the preacher's hand
That charge of energy set all the Carters back
It took all these years to get to zero in fact
I hated religion 'cause here was this Christian
He was preachin' on Sundays, versus how he was livin' Monday
Someday I forgive him
'Cause strangely our division led to multiple religions
I studied Muslim, Buddhist, and Christians
And I was runnin' from him, He was givin' me wisdom
See how the universe works
It takes my hurt and help me find more of myself
It's a gift and a curse
That's called the Red Queen's Race

You run this hard just to stay in place
Keep up the pace, baby
Keep up the pace
You run this hard just to stay in place

Legacy, Legacy, Legacy, Legacy
Black excellence, you gon' let 'em see
Legacy, Legacy, Legacy, Legacy
Black excellency, baby, let 'em see

Day, someday, someday we'll all
Someday we'll all be free

 

RATING

제이지의 4:44는 힙합 역사에서 중요한 전환점으로 평가받는 앨범입니다. 2017년에 발매된 이 앨범은 제이지가 자신의 삶과 내면을 진솔하게 털어놓으며 성숙한 예술적 변화를 보여줍니다. 성공, 결혼, 부, 인종 문제, 개인적 실수 등에 대한 깊은 자기 성찰이 담긴 이 앨범은 과거의 화려한 성공과 자랑을 앞세우는 모습과는 달리, 솔직하고 때로는 후회에 가득 찬 모습을 보여줍니다. 그의 이 같은 변화는 아티스트로서의 성장뿐만 아니라, 힙합 장르 자체의 성숙과도 맥을 같이합니다.

 

   4:44는 제이지의 커리어에서 가장 감정적으로 진솔한 앨범입니다. 특히 타이틀 트랙인 4:44에서 그는 자신이 결혼 생활에서 겪었던 실수와 그로 인한 후회를 표현하며, 아내 비욘세에게 사과하는 내용을 담고 있습니다. 이처럼 제이지는 개인적인 삶의 문제들을 공공연하게 이야기하며, 가사에서 솔직한 감정을 드러냅니다. 이는 제이지의 과거 앨범들이 주로 권력, 성공, 부를 중심으로 했다면, 이번 앨범은 훨씬 더 내면적이고 성찰적인 내용을 다루고 있음을 보여줍니다. 이는 Kendrick Lamar의 DAMN.과 같이 현대 힙합 아티스트들이 내면의 갈등을 드러내고, 사회적 문제를 직접적으로 다루는 방식과도 연결됩니다.

 

   4:44 프로덕션은 노 아이디가 전담했으며, 클래식한 힙합 비트와 샘플링이 돋보입니다. 앨범 전반에 걸쳐 사용된 빈티지 소울, 재즈, 펑크 샘플은 힙합 본연의 샘플링 문화에 대한 존경을 담고 있습니다. 특히 트랙 The Story of O.J.에서 사용된 니나 시몬의 Four Women 샘플은 인종 문제와 흑인 정체성에 대한 심도 있는 메시지를 전달하는 데 기여하며, 제이지의 가사와 맞물려 강력한 시너지를 이룹니다. 이러한 샘플링 기법은 1990년대 힙합의 전성기를 떠올리게 하며, Nas의 Illmatic이나 A Tribe Called Quest의 The Low End Theory와 같은 고전적인 앨범들과 견줄 수 있습니다.

 

   제이지는 4:44에서 흑인 사회와 경제적 독립, 인종 문제 등 중요한 사회적 이슈를 다루고 있습니다. The Story of O.J.는 흑인 커뮤니티 내에서의 경제적 자립과 정체성 문제를 진지하게 탐구하며, 성공 후에도 여전히 존재하는 인종차별과 그로 인한 한계를 지적합니다. 이러한 주제 의식은 Public Enemy나 KRS-One과 같은 힙합 선구자들이 제기했던 사회적 문제의식과 연결되며, 힙합이 단순한 엔터테인먼트가 아니라 중요한 사회적 담론을 이끄는 도구로 사용될 수 있음을 다시 한 번 상기시킵니다.

 

   제이지는 이번 앨범에서 군더더기 없는 플로우와 성숙한 표현력을 보여줍니다. 과거의 화려한 테크닉을 자랑하는 플로우와 달리, 이번 앨범에서는 느리고 차분한 흐름을 유지하면서도 가사의 무게감을 더욱 강조합니다. 이는 Nas의 Life is Good과 같은 앨범에서 보여진 성숙한 모습과 유사하며, 나이가 들면서 힙합 아티스트가 자신의 삶과 세상을 성찰하는 과정에서 나타나는 자연스러운 변화입니다. 특히 트랙 Legacy에서는 자신의 자녀와 미래 세대에 대한 고민을 담으며, 개인적인 이야기에서 보편적인 메시지로 확장되고 있습니다.

 

   앨범은 전체적으로 매우 강력한 메시지를 담고 있지만, 일부 트랙은 다른 트랙에 비해 상대적으로 덜 임팩트가 느껴질 수 있습니다. 예를 들어, Caught Their Eyes와 같은 곡은 분위기와 주제 측면에서 다른 트랙들과 약간 이질적인 느낌을 줍니다. 이는 앨범의 전체적인 흐름에서 살짝 벗어나 있다는 인상을 줄 수 있으며, 청중에게 일관된 경험을 제공하는 데 있어 방해가 될 수 있습니다. To Pimp a Butterfly처럼 처음부터 끝까지 명확한 주제와 흐름을 유지하는 앨범과 비교했을 때, 이 점은 다소 아쉬울 수 있습니다.

 

   4:44는 감정적이고 진지한 앨범이지만, 음악적으로는 큰 혁신을 보여주지는 않습니다. 프로덕션은 매우 깔끔하고 완성도 높지만, 힙합의 새로운 경향이나 실험적인 사운드가 부족하다는 평가도 있습니다. 특히, 최근 힙합의 트렌드를 이끌고 있는 Travis Scott이나 Young Thug의 실험적이고 트렌디한 사운드와 비교했을 때, 제이지의 앨범은 클래식한 접근을 유지하고 있어 새로운 청중에게 다소 보수적인 느낌을 줄 수 있습니다.

 

   그 시대의 다른 외국 가수들과는 다르게 비교적 짧은 러닝타임을 가진 앨범입니다. 약 36분의 시간 동안 10개의 트랙으로 구성된 이 앨범은 다소 압축된 느낌을 주며, 제이지가 다루고자 하는 다양한 주제들이 충분히 탐구되지 못한 듯한 아쉬움을 남깁니다. 청중 입장에서는 더 깊은 이야기나 더 많은 트랙을 기대할 수 있었을 것이며, 이 짧은 러닝타임이 앨범의 깊이를 제한하는 요소로 작용할 수 있습니다.

 

사실 이 앨범은 그의 음악 경력에서 가장 솔직하고 감정적인 작품으로, 힙합 장르에 대한 그의 이해와 성숙한 예술적 비전을 잘 보여주거든요. 그래서 진솔한 가사와 사회적 메시지, 클래식한 힙합 프로덕션은 이 앨범을 특별하게 만듭니다. 전 굉장히 좋게 들었던 앨범이니 한번 들어보시는 것 추천합니다. 괜히 빌보드 200 1위한 앨범이 아닌 것 같네요.