All of JAY-Z's Subliminal Shots on '4:44'

What’s up, guys?
For Complex News, I’m Justin Block.
Jay Z’s thirteenth studio album 4:44 dropped on Friday night, and after one listen you
can gather that Hov had some things to say, some obvious and some not so much.
A few assumed targets of his subliminals are aimed at the likes of Kanye West, Future,
Prince Estate advisers, and even actor and musician Eric Benét.
If we're talking about subliminals, this isn’t the first time Hov has delivered a few sneak
disses on record.
Throughout his discography, you’ll hear him going in on Mase, 50 Cent, Joe Budden,
and of course, Nas.
As years have gone by, rap fans have come to investigate his complicated relationships
with Lil Wayne and Drake, the latter possibly in Hov’s line of fire on songs like “I
Got the Keys” and “Shining.”
On 4:44, Jay is in top form with his subs open for interpretation by new fans and stans
alike.
Let’s take a look at some of the notable subliminal disses from
the album.
In a November 2016 rant during the Saint Pablo Tour stop in Sacramento, Kanye called out
Jay Z for not calling to check on him and Kim Kardashian after the Paris robbery.
In the last verse, Jay makes a reference to the infamous elevator fight with Beyoncé's
sister Solange, cautioning himself to not end up like Eric Benét who split from Halle
Berry in 2003 amid rumors that he was cheating.
Jay’s wordplay here could also be pointing out the situation with Future and Ciara's
relationship, as well as their tense custody battle.
On “Caught Their Eyes,” Jay goes after music-industry advisers to Prince’s estate,
Charles Koppelman and Londell McMillan.
He chides them for profiting off Prince’s death.
In “Bam,” Jay might be coming at ‘Ye again by responding to one of his lines on
“30 Hours,” which he raps about hitting the gym and doing all chest and no legs.
Though Jay has specific targets in mind, he’s also addressing the current state of hip-hop.
“Moonlight” finds him cleverly mentioning La La Land winning the Oscar, and then giving
it to Moonlight, as well as pushing younger rappers to get more original.
Just like Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN, Drake’s More Life, and both Future albums, we’ll
be talking about 4:44 for a while.
If Jay is here to get some things off his chest while sharing his latest work of art
with the world, he’s already got a reaction from Eric Benét.
Hey yo ‪#Jayz!
Just so ya know, I got the baddest girl in the world as my wife....like right now!
Never count Hov out for firing shots and making them count.
That’s the news for now, but for more, subscribe to Complex News on YouTube today.
For Complex News, I’m Justin Block.

All of JAY-Z's Subliminal Shots on '4:44'

Latest Posts