Fat Joe Instagram
Fat Joe dropped a remix for his song “All The Way Up” with Remy Ma and Jay Z on May 24, and it’s the latter performer who is stealing the thunder for his reference to Beyoncé’s “Lemonade.”
Joe and Remy previewed the track at New York’s Yankee Stadium before releasing it exclusively on Tidal, according to the Martians’ Retreat Twitter page.
Jay’s verse snuck in a few lines about themes in his wife’s visual album, specifically those dealing with infidelity. On the album’s third track, “Don’t Hurt Yourself,” the singer mentions her husband’s cheating, saying, “if you try this s— again you’re gonna lose your wife.” Three songs later, Beyoncé sings about her father who “warned me about men like you. He said, ‘Baby girl, he’s playing you.’ ” Jay’s answer to some of the most controversial lyrics are found in the first few lines of his verse.
You know you made it when the fact
Your marriage made it is worth millions
Lemonade is a popular drink and it still is
Survival of the littest
The rapper asserts that his marriage with Bey has weathered the storm, echoing statements made by his mother-in-law Tina Knowles-Lawson earlier this month. She said the couple “hit a rough patch” but that they were “on a path to renewal.”
The “worth millions” line could refer to the amount of revenue the pair has generated with joint tours and Beyoncé’s current Formation World Tour, which the media has carefully watched for signs showing the spouses are still on good terms. The performers’ 2014 On The Run Tour grossed $96 million in ticket sales, and the Formation Tour grossed $100 million in February before it kicked off in April, according to Billboard.
The most obvious reference is one about the citrusy beverage, which serves as the title of Beyoncé’s hit record. The name was inspired by a speech given by Jay Z’s grandmother toward the end of the HBO short film, where Hattie White states she “was served lemons, but I made lemonade.” Through the ups and downs of their marriage, the successful couple seems to stand tall – hence “survival of the littest.”
Jay’s references weren’t limited to his marriage and “Lemonade.” He also discusses the couple’s daughter Blue Ivy, Tupac and slips in a nod to the late music icon Prince.
Blue looking like Pac in the tub
David LaChapelle levels of not giving a f—-
Prince left his masters where they safe and sound
We never gonna let the elevator take him down
The reference to the 4-year-old compares her to a pose the late rapper struck during a 1996 photo series called “Becoming Clean” with photographer David LaChapelle, according to Complex. Jay mentions Prince’s rumored music vault and the elevator where he was reportedly found dead April 21.
Social media reaction has been strong as many Twitter users gushed over the new Jay Z verse.
new Hov verse I almost crashed the car I was that hyped
— _SummaKushLaude_ (@SummaKushLaude) May 25, 2016
"Survival of the littest"
…………. pic.twitter.com/t5ITc8yIKo
— Dr¥den (@Just_Dryden) May 25, 2016
BUT FUCK ALL THAT JAY Z SAVED HIP HOP WITH ONE VERSE OK
— Jordan (@jordanwiIIiams) May 25, 2016
I MISSED YOU, JAY Z
— Steve Rogers (@CP_145) May 25, 2016
The Tupac remark was not lost on the internet.
"Blue looking like Pac in the tub" Jay a fool for that one pic.twitter.com/onpKaiE7QT
— got warrants out (@BBDGOTWARRANTS) May 25, 2016
And the line about Prince and his master recordings was gif-worthy.
"Prince left his masters where they safe and sound" – Jay Z pic.twitter.com/rchqfqWr4L
— Perseus (@DKuzLA) May 25, 2016
