3. Smile and Family Feud are my favorite song so far. 💪🏾

Gloria Carter’s (Jay-Z’s mother) words on “Smile” can hit home for a lot of people that live double lives and don’t even know it.  In “Family Feud”, am I the only one that noticed that he’s talking about the elevator fight between him and Solange Knowles (Beyonce’s sister)?

4. I‘ve seen 4 people I know on my Facebook and Instagram already take down their money to the ear pics. Thank you HOV!🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾

It really is sad that it took Jay-Z to tell many how stupid one looks putting money to your ear and posting a picture of you doing so on social media.  Because of that, reality kicked in and people started taking said pics of themselves down.  Is that a good thing or a bad thing?  

5. Dem Too watchy watchy watchy. Too much soo soo soo soo soo. (My new response to everything!)- “BAM” 😎

It just sounds like something I would say.

6. Hope this album makes all new rappers retire and just start over. 🙏🏾

While we all secretly love a little Trap Music here and there, the fact is, it is not REAL HIP-HOP.  The new hip-hop today can turn anyone in to a hip-hop artist; EVEN ME!  The master has preached to the grasshoppers with hopes that they will see and appreciate the REAL Hip-Hop for what it was and work to bring that back.  Perhaps old hip-hop working with new hip-hop?

7. Thank you HOV for reminding me how extra dope my Dad is!! 😎Two words: SAVINGS BONDS. That’s so sweet Dad! #legacy

I write this in regards to a verse in his track “Legacy”.  He says, “My mom took her money, she bought me bonds.  That was the sweetest thing of all time, uh.” It made me think of the days my Dad worked and would bring home savings bonds in my name for me.  As a kid I had no idea what it was and the reason for having so many.  Now that I am older, it all makes sense.  It also showed me how important it is to keep a business within the family.  I’m talking immediate family, not the out of the woodwork family.

8. 4:44 track is the 2017 Song Cry. 😭

4:44 is the 2017 version of “Song Cry” off of “The BluePrint” album. Some say it is a response to Beyonce’s Lemonade album.  4:44 is truly a Confessions of a Grown Man track, as well as “Kill Jay-Z”.

9. I wish he did a 2017 version of Dear Summer. 🤔

Summer has evolved so much in Brooklyn that it would’ve been so fitting to have a modernized version of “Dear Summer”  Day Parties are the new Sunday Dinners and Brunch is the new backyard barbecue.  Festivals are the new block parties and the true meaning behind “AfroPunk” fades and suddenly becomes a trend.  

10. Now all I need is a pop up concert from Jay just for Tidal users before Made in America and all will be well!!🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾

The anticipation for Budweiser’s Made in America just went up a notch since Jay’-Z is a headliner for the two-day festival.  However, a pop-up concert in Brooklyn is just what Brooklyn needs to celebrate 4:44.  Plus, it’s been a while since Jay has touched a stage.  A Brooklyn one at that.

11. I hope Kanye got that message from his Big Brother! ☕️ And Future too!🐸☕️🐸

Dear Kanye, Big Brother has spoken.  Get your -ish together before your -ish becomes the end of you.  And Future, just accept the fact that your son has a very good step-father in his life.  Petty ain’t for everybody.

12. I would post my favorite verses but most have been posted over social media already. 😕 I’ll just add them to my list along with Fabolous quotes and drop them with my dopest pics. 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾

Let’s be real folks!  Everyone has a list of quotes and verses in their Notes app waiting to be used as a caption under their pictures or as a post on Facebook.  What I don’t understand is why do people get really mad when on cites a potentially great album but doesn’t get mad when citing other authors or books, etc.?  How does posting verses from a great artist of our time turn in to Jigga haters saying it’s too much?  But when we don’t celebrate them it’s a problem.  Would you rather people cite your president? 

13. This album is Jay-Z’s confessions. #tellall

Again…Confessions of a Grown Man.

14. Jay-Z just gave all scammers the blueprint to living right and smart. Too bad they won’t follow it. 🤷🏾‍♀️

Not everyone goes down the right path in life to success.  That is quite fine.  To each is own.  But don’t be stupid with your illegal actions.  

 

15. “A man who can’t take care of his family can’t be rich.” – “Family Feud” This will go over a lot of deadbeats heads. 🙄🙄

Money and spending time with your kids a day here and a day there is not what it takes to care for them and your family.  Whether or not you stay with the child’s mother/father you have to understand because of that child, that mother/father of your child is still family.    

16. So now this 4:44 album has dropped…who is the greatest rapper out there currently?🤔🤔🤔

Hmmmmmmmm….

 

 

 

MAVERICK CONCLUSION:

Like it or not, Hip-Hop needed this album.  Brooklyn needed this album.  You can’t name one NEW Hip-Hop artist or rapper that can or would set it straight like this. Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole are not considered new artists so save your debate.  Sounds like this may be Jay’s best work yet…but I have to listen to it maybe three more times to confirm that. Trap lovers won’t get this album and the young generation won’t understand it.  It’s deeper than just the music.  4:44 is a way of living believe it or not.  It’s showing us that it’s OK to grow and f**k up during the journey.  Humble yourself but still leave room for a little ego.

 

 

 

What’s y’all take on the album?  Share with us your thoughts and favorite tracks on the album.