Jay-Z Releases '4:44' New Video And The Bey Hive Hates It
When Jay-Z released his new visual album 4:44 last month, and appeared to respond to accusations of his infidelity on Beyoncé's album Lemonade, fans of the couple were taken aback by openness and honesty when it came to apologising to the leading lady in his life.
However, reactions to the rapper's new music took a turn for the worse on Friday, when the 47-year-old released the video for the title track '4:44'.
In the eight-minute montage, released exclusively on Tidal (annoying if you don't have a subscription, but you can watch a snippet here), footage can be seen of a young boy singing Nina Simone's song 'Feeling Good', before it segues into a clip of singer/activist Eartha Kitt from her 1983 documentary All by Myself: The Eartha Kitt Story in which she discusses love and compromise.
According to Billboard, the video then includes concert footage of Jay-Z and Queen B performing 'Drunk in Love', with the couple's daughter Blue Ivy (who even raps in the song) in a clip at the end.
And while Bustle has described the video as 'a tapestry of black culture, black love, black struggle, black pride, and black excellence', with references of Kitt, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Nina Simone following suggestions 4:44 is the perfect accompaniment/response to Beyonce's Lemonade (in which she appears to discuss her husband's infidelity by highlighting the wider power and strength of black women), her fans aren't impressed with the personal nature of Jay-Z new video.
So whoever said 4:44 was like Lemonade but Jay Z's version didn't need to insult Beyoncé like that.
- Marlee Reid (@_MarleeReid19_) July 8, 2017
No lie, I'ma need the footnotes on that 4:44 video...
- Mall-E (@TheRealMallE) July 8, 2017
the two people dancing I don't get. Is it supposed to be him and Bey dancing through life? Or is that too deep? 😕 #4:44
- Me. (@shezsoambitious) July 7, 2017
Me skipping through that 4:44 video to see Bey and Blue pic.twitter.com/Alksg3MfQr
- Andacia Kay (@AndaciaKay) July 8, 2017
I was expecting Jay to show the twins in this 4:44 video but I know Bey ain't having it
- Be N Me (@Bianca_15_15) July 8, 2017
Listening to 4:44 trying to figure out how Beyonce didn't break up with Jay Z on her 21st birthday pic.twitter.com/Kl1MLGPe3o
- Masha Akopova (@makopova) July 8, 2017
If I didn't love Beyoncé so much I could probably listen to 4:44 without being so annoyed
- 💁🏿✨ (@simonedionne_) July 8, 2017
Initial reaction to Jay Z's 4:44 video: is this a WORLDSTAR vine comp?
- Malaika Nicholas (@Asa_Lama_Laika) July 7, 2017
This "4:44" video is a mess.
- THE BEYHIVÉ (@TheBeyHiveTeam) July 7, 2017
Yeah. We won't be plugging 4:44 anymore on this page. Almost had me fooled. Next!
- THE BEYHIVÉ (@TheBeyHiveTeam) July 7, 2017
Beyoncé's fans argue that while Beyoncé removed herself from the context of her music and videos from Lemonade, Jay-Z rides on his wife's coat-tails and disrespects her privacy by including footage of their family in the video.
However, last week Jay-Z's 4:44 producer No I.D revealed Beyoncé had a far more important role in the creation of the album than was previously thought and served as, what he calls, a 'de facto A&R' (artist and repertoire) for the project, so we have a feeling Jay-Z wouldn't have made the visuals for 4:44 without consulting and getting approval from Beyoncé first.
Which leaves us with one word of advice for Jay-Z: don't rumble the Bey Hive - they'll sting you hard.
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