It’s an eventful week for Jay-Z.
Just days after winning a Primetime Creative Arts Emmy, the hip-hop mogul unleashed a new track called “I Want You Forever” along with R&B icon D’Angelo and filmmaker Jeymes Samuel (The Harder They Fall). The song is part of The Book of Clarence's soundtrack, which boasts contributions by everyone from Doja Cat and Lil Wayne to Kodak Black, Jorja Smith, Kid Cudi, and Shabba Ranks. The album’s Jan. 12 drop coincides with the film’s U.S. theatrical release.
Samuel, who directed and wrote The Book of Clarence, spoke about “I Want You Forever” during a live conversation with Elliot Wilson and Hov. The filmmaker described the soundtrack as “so deep” and revealed Jay’s cut was nearly 10 minutes long.
“We got D’Angelo and Jay-Z on the same track,” he said during the recent conversation. “Like, nine minutes, 33 seconds of absolute soulful, Biblical bliss.”
The Book of Clarence, which will also include the previously released track “Hallelujah Heaven,” stars LaKeith Stanfield as the titular character. The dramedy centers around a struggling man who pretends to be the Messiah in an effort to clear his debts. The film also stars Omar Sy, Teyana Taylor, Anna Diop, and Benedict Cumberbatch.
“The Book of Clarence is a film that I wanted to make for many years. While I was working on The Harder They Fall and all my other projects, the story and the music for The Book of Clarence was always there percolating in my mind,” Samuel said in a previous press release. “There was never a question as to whether I would compose the score and write and perform on the soundtrack, as well as write and direct the movie—it was all one amazing journey where one depended on the other. But I also worked with the most awesome artists on our track ‘Hallelujah Heaven.’ Collaborating with Lil Wayne, Buju Banton, and Shabba Ranks was so dope, I loved getting them all on the same track.”
You can stream the 11-song soundtrack now on all major platforms.
