JAY-Z strikes more than a few chords on his latest album — with apparent references to cheating on Beyoncé, his family life and his rocky relationship with Kanye West.
The rapper released his first album in four years, "4:44," early Friday morning, and many took it as his response to his wife's headline-making 2016 release "Lemonade" that sparked speculation of JAY-Z's infidelity.
That seemed to be especially clear in the album's titular track, in which he speaks to himself as he covers the heavy topic while referencing his 5-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy.
"'You did what with who?' / What good is a ménage à trois when you have a soulmate? / 'You risked that for Blue?'"
That was hardly the only time he addressed the infidelity subject on the album, though. On that same song, he seemed to say sorry to Beyoncé for his disloyalty.
"I apologize, often womanize / Took for my child to be born to see through a woman's eyes."
JAY-Z even threw a not-so-subtle reference to Beyoncé's most-talked-about infidelity anthem from last year, "Sorry," during which she tells her husband to "call Becky with the good hair."
On his new song "Family Feud, JAY-Z raps:
"Yeah, I'll f--k 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."
Another particularly intriguing portion of the song came when JAY-Z appeared to reference his infamous elevator quarrel with Beyoncé's sister Solange at The Standard in New York City that ended with the pop star hitting JAY-Z.
He tied that lyric into a reference about Halle Berry's ex, Eric Benet, losing the actress after he cheated on her.
"You egged Solange on, knowin' all along all you had to say you was wrong / You almost went Eric Benét, let the baddest girl in the world get away.
JAY-Z's new album wasn't all about Beyoncé, though. Many people suspect his pointed lyrics in his opening track "Kill Jay Z" are about his longtime collaboration partner, the egocentric Kanye West, who he lost touch with last year.
In that verse, he refers to someone who "dropped out of school" — which could be a reference to West's first album, "College Dropout."
"You walking around like you invincible/You dropped out of school, you lost your principles/I know people backstabbed you, I felt bad too."
"But this 'f--keverybody' attitude ain't natural/But you ain't the same, this ain't KumbaYe/But you got hurt because you think KumbaYe/You gave him 20 million without thinkin'/He gave you 20 minutes on stage, f--k was he thinkin'?/'F--k wrong with everybody?' is what you sayin'/But if everybody's crazy, you're the one that's insane."
West and JAY-Z put together the critically acclaimed duo album "Watch the Throne" together in 2011.
Perhaps on a lighter note, JAY-Z did refer to his newborn twins for the first time publicly in "4:44" — and maybe even took a jab at the rumors during Beyoncé's first pregnancy that she didn't actually carry her Blue Ivy before she was born.
He ended that lyric with another ode to Beyoncé shortly after he apologized earlier in the verse.
"Took for these natural twins to believe in miracles / Took me too long for this song / I don't deserve you."
He further addressed his family by seeming to reveal that his mother, Gloria Carter, is a lesbian during a verse on the song "Smile."
“Mama had four kids, but she’s a lesbian / Had to pretend so long that she’s a thespian."
He also provided some social commentary in the song "Moonlight," which he named after the Best Picture-winning movie that centered on a young African-American boy attempting to embrace his sexuality as he grows up in a rough neighborhood.
'We stuck in La La Land/Even if we win, we gonna lose."
JAY-Z explained on iHeartRadio that the song was a clear reference to "La La Land" originally being named Best Picture during an onstage Oscars mix-up, only for the award to be rightfully bestowed upon "Moonlight" amid the celebration.
"It's like a subtle nod to La La Land winning the Oscar, and then having to give it to Moonlight," he explained. "It's really a commentary on the culture and where we're going."
JAY-Z's latest album is currently available exclusively on his streaming service, Tidal.
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