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The Narrative Of Jay-Z's '4:44' Is Driven By The Value Of Black Capitalism | Genius
JAY-Z’s new album 4:44 is one of his most personal albums to date. Throughout the project, the Brooklyn rapper discusses his marriage, his daughter Blue Ivy, and most constant of all, his views on how entrepreneurship and capitalism can help black people. The idea of black capitalism has existed since slaves were freed in 1863, and has been a part of modern black culture ever since. Black capitalism is the act of black people creating their own businesses and spending money with other black entrepreneurs, thus preserving and enhancing wealth in their own communities.
Recently, specific movements within black capitalism have sprung to life, including “Bank Black” and “Buy Black,” both of which seek to keep money in black communities. JAY-Z is steadfast in his support of this ideology, sprinkling it throughout 4:44.
One of the most prominent examples of this narrative is “The Story of O.J.” Early on, JAY-Z, expresses regret over his decision to not buy a building in the DUMBO area of Brooklyn, which is now extremely expensive due to gentrification:
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
Next, he shakes off criticism about his taste for high-end art and reveals a deeper plan for his children’s financial freedom:
Financial freedom my only hope
fukk livin' rich and dyin' broke
I bought some artwork for 1 million
2 years later, that shyt worth 2 million
Few years later, that shyt worth 8 million
I can’t wait to give this shyt to my children
Fine art appreciates year over year and Jay-Z plans on keeping it within his family, thus retaining wealth amongst black people.
Lyrics on “Smile” also point to the power of black ownership:
Respect Jimmy Iovine
But he gotta respect the Elohim as a whole new regime
And nikkas playin' for power, huh
So our music is ours
nikkas only own houses
JAY-Z references his ongoing streaming platform competition with music legend and Apple Music executive Jimmy Iovine. Jay feels that TIDAL is aimed more toward artists making money and owning the fruits of their labor than Apple Music.
The second verse of “Caught Their Eyes” is about Jay’s distaste for how Prince’s estate monetized his music and home after his death, underscoring the point that black artists should always strive to own their material:
This guy had ‘Slave’ on his face
You think he wanted the masters with his masters?
You greedy b*stards sold tickets to walk through his house
I’m surprised you ain’t auction off the casket
He renounces his checkered past and offers a glimpse into his new approach to money making on “Family Feud”:
fukk 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-Jouët, huh
Before finding success with hip-hop, Jay worked as a drug dealer. Here, he shows that he’s still aiming higher, purchasing a large stake in Armand de Brignac champagne, also known as “Ace Of Spades.”
On the same song, Jay sends support to his industry peer and friend Sean “Diddy” Combs, who is part-owner of the vodka brand Cîroc:
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 Cîroc
Y'all need to stop
His support of black capitalism is evident throughout the album’s final track, “Legacy”:
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
Jay plans to give his money to his family after he passes away, and expects his wife Beyoncé to use the money for philanthropic goals.
Later on, he tells Blue Ivy to leave wealth for her new twin siblings and to take his acquisitions to new heights:
Leave a piece for your siblings to give to their children too
TIDAL, the champagne, D'USSÉ, I’d like to see
A nice peace-fund ideas from people who look like we
We gon' start a society within a society
Jay also comments on discrimination in the lucrative tech industry:
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
Even though he changed his family’s life financially, Jay-Z never forgot who he owes it all to:
My parents ain’t have shyt, so that ship started with me
My mom took her money, she bought me bonds
That was the sweetest thing of all time, uh
