Jay Z's thirteenth solo album 4:44 is finally here and it's undeniably refreshing to hear the legendary Brooklyn rapper wax poetic over soulful, crisp production from No I.D.
A look through the liner notes reveals No I.D. did some powerful crate digging, with samples from the likes of the Fugees, Nina Simone, Donny Hathaway, and Stevie Wonder. And how he flipped them over the course of 10 tracks? Truly a work of art.
Below are the songs that were used to craft 4:44.
"Kill Jay Z"
Contains sample from the Alan Parsons Project's "Don’t Let It Show"
"The Story of "O.J."
Contains elements and excerpts from Nina Simone's "Four Women"
Contains excerpts from Kool & the Gang's "Kool's Back Again"
"Smile"
Contains elements and excerpts from Stevie Wonder's "Love's in Need of Love Today"
"Caught Their Eyes"
Contains sample from Nina Simone's "Baltimore"
"4:44"
Contains sample from Hannah Williams and the Affirmations' "Late Nights and Heart Breaks"
"Family Feud"
Embodies portions of the Clark Sisters' "Ha Ya"
"Bam"
Contains elements from Sister Nancy's "Bam Bam"
Contains elements from Jacob Miller's "Tenement Yard"
"Moonlight"
Contains sample from the Fugees' "Fu-Gee-La"
"Marcy Me"
Contains elements from Quarteto 1111's "odo O Mundo E Ninguém"
"Legacy"
Contains samples and excerpts from Donny Hathaway's "Someday We'll All Be Free"
Embodies portions of Raekwon's "Glaciers of Ice" featuring Ghostface Killah and Masta Killa