my fav hov album.
I’m tired of being insecure when people ask what my favorite HOV album is and feeling like “4:44” isn’t a good enough answer for his OLDER fans, so here’s my EXPLANATION on why it’s my favorite album and if you haven’t listened to it then you should right now!
first of all, do you know how emotionally mature and grown you have to be to admit to the world that you cheated on beyonce??? beyonce… like thee beyonce giselle knowles. I admire them both for being vulnerable and sharing such a personal moment with the world and that’s why this is my favorite album from Hov. the lyrics are compelling and it’s like you’re listening to a therapy session.
(this is all my interpretation of the album and his lyrics, albums are works of art, SO HERE’S MY PERSPECTIVE)
kill JAY z - the first track starts off with him killing his ego. no more Jay Z, NOW introducing Shawn Carter. he expresses how his motivation to be and do better as a person is his daughter Blue IVY. “but you gotta do better, boy you owe it to blue” “But you got a daughter gotta get softer” as a girl who didn’t really have her daD in HER early life, hearing those words come from a fathers mouth is comforting. it makes me happy that there are men who want to do better for their daughters. “cry jay z, we know the pain is real but you can’t heal what you never reveal” straight truth, words that CAN help you in your own life. “fuck wrong with everybody is what you saying, but if everybody’s crazy, you’re the one that’s insane.” im still trying to wrap my mind around that line. “you egged solange on, knowing all along all you had to say you was wrong.” I wonder how many problems that are created by men are intensified solely because of the lack of accountability FROM THEM, hmm. “you almost went Eric Benet, let the baddest girl in the world get away.” do yall remember when this album came out and eric benet was like “oh actually im married to the baddest girl in the world.” like bro please there will never be anyone in your past or future badder than halle berry…tf.
THE STORY OF O.J - I THOUGHT THAT THE TITLE WAS VERY BOLD, BUT WHAT ABOUT JAY Z ISN’T BOLD? This song is basically about how no matter the social and financial class black people may be in, at the end of the day, all THEY see IS THE color of our skin, so why be suitable for them and remain uncomfortable in their spaces instead of creating our own? when he says “Please don’t die over the neighborhood, that your mama renting, take your drug money and buy the neighborhood, that’s how you rinse it.” black people rep their city and neighborhoods so hard, but when you die for that city or that neighborhood how are you celebrated? WHAT LEGACY DO YOU LEAVE BEHIND? it does take someone with intelligence to understand the Jay-Z sound but it doesn’t take a genius. People just don’t be listening. and until you ACTUALLY listen then you won’t be free. “financial freedom my only hope, fuck living rich and dying broke.” a key theme to this album is generational wealth. its financial, emotional, mental, and SPIRITUAL FREEDOM THAT HE’S SELLING. the key is to do things better now, so everyone after you IN YOUR BLOOD LINE can benefit from it. life doesn’t have to be so hard. white people have conditioned black people to think life should be hard, and it’s not. when this album dropped there was so much conversation going on ABOUT the different topics he INTRODUCED. I REMEMBER THE WHOLE holding a stack of money to your ear THING. “YOU ON THE GRAM HOLDING MONEY TO YA EAR, THERE’S A DISCONNECT, WE DON’T CALL THAT MONEY OVER HERE.” THEN rappers decided to go on Instagram and post themselves flexing AND blasting the song with money to their ears, It had me cacklING because despite hov not having an Instagram to even see it during that era, THEY CLEARLY DIDN’T GET THE POINT AND LOOKED EVEN MORE GOOFIER. he ALSO had a whole separate line in a different song stating THAT people ARE so infatuated with social media that they are snitching on themselves. and at that time police were using anything to lock successful black men up. KINDA HOW THEY ARE NOW…
SMILE - AN ODE TO HIS UPBRINGING AND HIS PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS MOTHER. THIS TRACK WAS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THIS ALBUM FEELING LIKE A THERAPY SESSION. BUT MY GOD CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE SAMPLES THROUGHOUT THIS WHOLE ALBUM?! “CRIED TEARS OF JOY WHEN YOU FELL IN LOVE, DON’T MATTER TO ME IF IT’S A HIM OR HER” TO EVEN SHARE HIS MOM’S SEXUALITY WITH US WAS A HUGE THING IN MY MIND BECAUSE AGAIN, THESE PEOPLE DON’T HAVE TO TELL US ANYTHING ABOUT THEIR PERSONAL LIVES. BUT DURING THE TIME THIS ALBUM CAME OUT. SEXUALITY WAS A HUGE CONVERSATION STARTER IN EVERY COMMUNITY. PEOPLE STILL MAKE JOKES ON TWITTER ABOUT “WOULD YOU WANT A GAY SON OR A HO DAUGHTER” BUT IMAGINE IF YOUR PARENT WAS STRUGGLING WITH THEIR SEXUALITY, HOW WOULD YOU HANDLE THAT? ANOTHER REASON WHY I LOVE LISTENING TO THIS ALBUM IS THAT IT FEEDS YOUR EGO. “HALL OF FAME HOV DID IT ALL WITHOUT A PEN, YALL KNEW THAT WAS COMING I HAD TO REMIND YALL AGAIN” LIKE WHEW! TALK YO SH*T THEN HOV. MY FAVORITE THING ABOUT JAY Z AND BEYONCE HONESTLY IS THAT THEY KEEP THE SAME CIRCLE BUT THEY ARE STILL EVOLVING IF THAT MAKES SENSE. LIKE WHEN HE SAID “FLYIN PAPER PLANES THROUGH THE PROJECTS, NOW THE WHOLE PROJECTS ON MY JET.” LIKE CMON NOW WHO CAN RELATE?! SO MANY PEOPLE GET RICH AND FAMOUS AND FORGET ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO HELPED MAKE THEM INTO THAT STAR. I LOVE THAT THE CARTERS APPRECIATE WHERE THEY CAME FROM AND HONOR THEM TOO. AND HE BRINGS UP HIS CREW A LOT, I LOVE THAT. MY HOMEGIRLS MEAN ALOT TO ME TOO. THERE’S A LINE “I MASTERED MY AESTHETICS” A TIP I TOOK FROM HIM THAT OTHERS SHOULD TOO. INTERPRET IT HOW YOU WANT. “GOD SENT ME TO BREAK THE CHAIN, I’M THE TRUE AND LIVING. GOD IN THE FLESH, THE REST OF THESE NGGA’S IS VAIN” WTFFFFF HOW CAN YOU NOT LIKE LISTENING LIKE I DON’T KNOW IF MY EGO IS THE ONLY ONE THAT NEEDS LYRICS LIKE THIS TO FEEL ALIVE OR IF IM THE ONLY ONE WHO BELIEVES IM A CHOSEN ONE TOO BUT I FELT THAT IN MY SOUL. “N*GGAS’LL LOVE YOU BUT HATE YOU CAUSE THEY CAN’T BE YOU.” I WON’T EVEN ELABORATE ON THAT ONE. I WILL ALSO LEAVE YOU WITH THESE LYRICS AND NOT ELABORATE FURTHER. “FEAR FOR YOU BRO, WE KNOW THE SYSTEM DON’T WORK. TAKE A YOUNG N*GGA FREEDOM OVER SOME DIRT, YET IT’S LEGAL IN COLORADO YET WE DENY BLACK ENTREPRENEUERS, FREE ENTERPRISE. THAT WHY IT’S A BLACK MARKET, THAT’S WHY ITS CALLED A TRAP, THAT’S WHY IT’S CALLED THE PROJECTS ‘CAUSE IT’S EXACTLY THAT. OH, THESE PEOPLE GONE KILL ME, CAUSE THE MORE I REVEAL ME, THE MORE THEY AFRAID OF THE REAL ME.” AND THEN TO END THE TRACK WITH A POEM FROM HIS MOM??? YEAH Y’ALL ARE TRIPPING IF YOU DON’T LIKE THIS ALBUM.
I WISH I COULD GO TRACK FOR TRACK THROUGH THIS WHOLE ALBUM BUT THEN YOU WOULD BE HERE ALL DAY BOO, AND I KNOW YOU GOT THINGS TO DO.
BUT THEN AGAIN, F*CK IT. READ WHEN YOU CAN.
CAUGHT IN THEIR EYES - TO HAVE FRANK OCEAN ON THE HOOK ALONG WITH THE SAMPLE…BRUH! “IM SURPRISED Y’ALL THINK Y’ALL CAN DISGUISE Y’ALL TRUTH” IN OTHER WORDS I CAN SEE THROUGH ALL THE BULLSHT, Y’ALL VIBES ARE OFF BRO. “I SAT DOWN WITH PRINCE EYE TO EYE, HE TOLD ME HIS WISHES BEFORE HE DIED. NOW, LONDELL MCMILLAN, HE MUST BE COLORED BLIND. THEY ONLY SEE GREEN FROM THEM PURPLE EYES. THEY EYES HIDE THEY EYE HIGH. MY EYES WIDE SHUT TO ALL THE LIES. THESE INDUSTRY NGGAS THEY ALWAYS BEEN FISHY BUT AINT NO BIGGIE NO LAZY EYE HUH. THIS GUY HAD SLAVE ON HIS FACE, YOU THINK HE WANTED A MASTER WITH HIS MASTERS? YOU GREEDY BASTARDS SOLD TICKETS TO WALK THROUGH HIS HOUSE, IM SURPRISED YOU AINT AUCTION OFF THE CASKET.” BRO DO YOU KNOW THEY HAVE PRINCE HOUSE ON AIRBNB??? LIKE THAT MAKES ME SO ANGRY. PRINCE NEVER WANTED PPL IN HIS BUSINESS LIKE THAT SO WHY WOULD ANYONE THINK THAT IT WAS OKAY FOR ANY OF THAT BESIDES BEING MONEY-HUNGRY? SH*T IS RIDCICULOUS FR. WHEN HE SAID “THEY ONLY SEE GREEN FROM THEIR PURPLE EYES,” I THOUGHT ABOUT ALL OF THE MUSIC EXECUTIVES YOU SEE OR ENCOUNTER THAT CONSTANTLY WEAR SUNGLASSES. THOSE LENSES ARE PURPLE AND THEIR HIDING THEY EYES BECAUSE PEOPLE WITH DISCERNMENT CAN SEE RIGHT THROUGH THE WORDS THEY USE. THEY MIGHT TALK A GOOD GAME BUT THE TRUTH IS CAUGHT IN THEIR EYES.
4:44 - IS THE MOST PERSONAL TRACK ON THE ALBUM. “I APOLOGIZE, CAUSE AT YOUR BEST YOU ARE LOVE AND BECAUSE I FALL SHORT OF WHAT I SAY IM ALL ABOUT” LIKE YEAH HOMIE STAY TALKING ABOUT HOW LOYAL HE IS YET HE CHEATING ON HIS WIFE? THATS CRAZY HOV. THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE SONG HE JUST KEEPS APOLOGIZING AND FOR ME STRENGTH IS TAKING ACCOUNTABILITY FOR EVERYTHING. DON’T BEG ME TO STAY, DON’T KEEP THIS HUGE SECRET BECAUSE YOU’RE TOO COWARD, ADMIT WHAT YOU DID TO THE WORLD! AND HE DID. “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” UGH, IDK IT JUST GIVES ADULT AND LIKE HEALTHY FATHERHOOD.
FAMILY FUED - I LOVED THIS TRACK BECAUSE THE OVERALL LESSON WAS THAT “NOBODY WINS WHEN THE FAMILY FUEDS” LIKE ITS REALLY THE TRUTH. YOU CAN’T LET THE FUED WITH YOURSELF AND YOUR DEMONS MESS UP THE DYNAMIC OF THE FAMILY. GET THAT SH*T WORKED OUT BRO, AND GO TO THERAPY. WE GOT HISTORY TO MAKE. HOV SAID “AINT NO SUCH THING AS A UGLY BILLIONAIRE, IM CUTE” AND DID HE LIE?? “IF ANYBODY GETTING HANDSOME CHECKS IT SHOULD BE US” SIDE NOTE: THEY STILL OWE US THAT 50 ACRES AND A MULE AND Y’ALL BE FORGETTING. “WHAT’S BETTER THAN ONE BILLIONARE? TWO. ESPECIALLY IF THEY FROM THE SAME HUE AS YOU” IT’S SO CRAZY TO ME THAT BLACK PEOPLE HATE ON THEM WHEN THEY REALLY REPRESENT BLACK EXCELLENCE. THEY ARE MOTIVATION THAT WE CAN DO THAT SH*T TOO. IF OUR PEOPLE COULD ONLY STAND TOGETHER AND SUPPORT EACH OTHER. “A MAN THAT DONT TAKE CARE OF HIS FAMILY CANT BE RICH, i’LL WATCH GODFATHER I MISSED THAT WHOLE SH*T” HAVE YALL EVER SEEN GODFATHER? I HAVEN’T EITHER. “WE ALL SCREWED BECAUSE WE NEVER HAD THE TOOLS.” HONESTLY, I COULD GO ON AND ON ABOUT THIS WHOLE ALBUM, BUT I REALLY JUST WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT EVERY TRACK IS A LESSON. THESE AREN’T JUST LYRICS, THESE ARE QUOTES. THESE ARE WORDS THAT YOU CAN TAKE WITH YOU TO HELP BUILD YOUR OWN EMPIRE. TO CREATE YOUR OWN GENERATIONAL WEALTH. “WE ALL LOSE WHEN THE FAMILY FEUDS”
BAM - NOW THIS IS WHERE THINGS CHANGE. HOV STARTS THE TRACK OFF WITH “F*CK ALL THIS PRETTY SHAWN CARTER SH*T, N*GGA HOV” basically introducing his ego because remember at the beginning of the album he kills him off. HOV said “yall be talking crazy under them ig pictures, so when you get to hell you tell them Blanco sent ya” People don’t even see half of the comments people post because of so much filtering on each social media, AND they try to seem like they are on top of cyberbullying but death threats are still very much a thing. now imagine going to hell because of an evil unnecessary comment, and god asks you about it and you say what? Mark Zuckerberg sent you? going to hell over an ig comment is crazy but let’s not act like it can’t happen. “my advice is just don’t be too nice to n*ggas, just set the price so n*ggas’ll live your life my n*gga” WRITE THAT DOWN. “SOMETIMES YOU NEED YOUR EGO, GOTTA REMIND THESE FOOLS. WHO THEY EFFIN WITH, AND WE GOT FN’S TOO.”
MOONLIGHT - WAIT WAIT, BEFORE WE START THIS TRACK. DO YOU ALL REMEMBER DURING THE 2017 ACADEMY AWARDS (OSCARS) WHEN THE BEST PICTURE AWARD WAS PRESENTED AND THEY “ACCIDENTALLY” ANNOUNCED ‘LA LA LAND’ AS THE WINNER WHEN IT CLEAR AS DAY SAID ‘MOONLIGHT’? YEAH SO TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT OR MAYBE WATCH THE CLIP ON TIKTOK BEFORE GETTING INTO THIS TRACK. “WE STUCK IN LA LA LAND, EVEN WHEN WE WIN WE GONE LOSE.” HE STARTED IT OFF WITH THAT! THIS WAS THE LYRIC I REFERENCED IN THE STORY OF O.J. SEGMENT. “I DON’T POST NO THREATS ON THE INTERNET, I POSE A THREAT BLAME LENNY S FOR THAT. I DON’T BE ON THE GRAM GOING HAM, GIVING INFORMATION TO THE PORK, THAT’S ALL SPAM. PLEASE DON’T TALK ABOUT GUNS, THAT Y’ALL AIN’T EVER GONE USE. YALL ALWAYS TELL ON YALL SELF, IM JUST SO FCKING CONFUSED” I BE CONFUSED TOO. “YA'LL NGGAS STILL SIGNING DEALS? STILL? AFTER ALL THEY DONE STOLE, FOR REAL? AFTER WHAT THEY DONE TO OUR LAURYN HILL? AND YALL NGGA IS ‘POSED TO BE TRILL?” IF YOU DON’T KNOW, LAURYN HILL WENT TO PRISON IN 2013 FOR FAILING TO FILE TAX RETURNS ON MORE THAN 2.3 MILLION IN INCOME BETWEEN 2005 - 2009. BUT LAURYN SAID SHE STOPPED PAYING TAXES WHEN SHE LEFT THE MUSIC BUSINESS TO PROTECT HERSELF AND HER CHILDREN, SHE TOLD THE JUDGE THAT MOST OF THE MONEY FROM HER MUSIC WENT TO OTHER PEOPLE. NOW YOU SEE WHAT HE MEANS. “F*CK WHAT WE SELLIN, F*CK IS WE MAKIN? CAUSE THEY GRASS IS GREENER, CAUSE THEY ALWAYS RAKIN AND MORE.” MHMMMMMMM. MIND YOU IM ONLY GIVING THE GIST OF THE ALBUM, NOT THE FULL TRUTH.
MARCY ME - MY FAVORITE SONG ON THE ALBUM AND I HATE THAT IT’S SO SHORT. I LOVE THIS SONG BECAUSE IT TALKS ABOUT HOW WE ARE POWERFUL ENOUGH TO CREATE THE LIFE THAT WE WANT TO LIVE DESPITE WHERE WE COME FROM AND DESPITE THE COUNTRY BEING AGAINST US. manifestation. “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 IM THE ONE OR MAYBE IM CRAZY.” I MEAN, NEED I SAY MORE? I THINK PEOPLE CLAIM THEY KNOW WHO THEY ARE BUT THEY DON’T KNOW WHO GOD MADE THEM TO BE, IT’S NOT ALWAYS THAT PEOPLE ARE BLIND TO WHO THEY TRULY ARE, BUT LIVE IN A WORLD WHERE THEY CONDITION YOU TO FORGET. “CAME THROUGH THE BUSHES SMELLING LIKE ROSES, I NEED A TROPHY JUST FOR THAT” YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE A RESULT OF YOUR ENVIRONMENT.
LEGACY - LIKE I SAID AT THE BEGINING, THE ALBUM IS SELLING financial, emotional, mental, and SPIRITUAL FREEDOM. THATS LEGACY. “WE GONE START A SOCIETY, WITHIN SOCIETY. THATS MAJOR, JUST LIKE THE NEGRO LEAGUE.” IF YOU LOOK AROUND HIS CIRCLE, LOOK AT THE PEOPLE WORKING AT ROC NATION, WORKING AT TIDAL, WORKING WITH ACE OF SPADE, WORKING WITH DUSSE, THEY ARE ALL CONNECTED. IN THE SAME CIRCLE. LITERALLY LIKE A SOCIETY WITHIN SOCIETY. “GENERATIONAL WEALTH THAT’S THE KEY, MY PARENTS AIN’T HAVE SH*T SO THAT SHIFT STARTED WITH ME.” LEGACY LEGACY LEGACY. “SEE HOW THE UNIVERSE WORKS? IT TAKES MY HURT AND HELP ME FIND, MORE OF MYSELF. ITS A GIFT AND A CURSE.” LEGACY LEGACY LEGACY, BLACK EXCELLENCE BABY LET EM SEE.
THERE ARE 3 BONUS TRACKS ON TIDAL IF YOU WANT TO LISTEN TO THOSE TOO, A TREAT FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO HEAR BLUE IVY’S FREESTYLE. BUT I COVERED THE TRACKS YOU CAN STREAM ON THE YT PLATFORMS. (I HAVE TIDAL) LET ME KNOW YOUR OPINIONS ON THE ALBUM TOO.
although I was a 16-year-old girl when THIS ALBUM was released, the advice I TOOK made an impact on me. IT CHANGED MY PERSPECTIVE ON A LOT OF THINGS. I WOULD EVEN GO ON TO SAY THIS ALBUM HELPED ME FORGIVE MY DAD IN A LOT OF WAYS AND EMBRACE MY ROOTS RATHER THAN RUNNING FROM THEM. THIS IS MY FAVORITE HOV ALBUM BECAUSE IT CHANGED MY PERSPECTIVE, IT HEALED SOMETHING IN MY BRAIN, AND IT MADE ME THINK. ANY ALBUM THAT MAKE YOU ACTUALLY THINK IS SOMETHING WORTH LISTENING TO. IT’S A WORK OF ART.
