Believe it or not, celebrity power couple Jay-Z and Beyoncé are more relatable than most might think. All fans have to do is dive into their albums “4:44” and “Lemonade,” and they will discover through melodic narratives themes of infidelity, heartbreak, and reconciliation – just like any other couple.
The projects gave the public a rare glimpse into their seemingly charmed love lives. However, over the past six or seven years, the two have revisited those types of songs that outlined the bumpy parts of their relationship.
That was until Jigga jumped on D’Angelo’s new song “I Want You Forever,” a track from the new comedic drama “The Book of Clarence.” In the song, he seems to reference a breakup from back in the day.
“Life don’t taste the same without you / Tears in my champagne ’bout you/ Quit playing, girl, you know I’m crazy ’bout you,” he rapped.
The Brooklyn rapper seemed to let it all out, though never mentioning his wife by name, and shared what it was like when his love left him in that season.
“You know that week you ran back to your mama house, ask my friend, they can vouch/ Slept on the couch ’cause the bed ain’t a bed without you.”
With a different flow than his usual brash and signature cadence, Hov coats his verse with a neo-soul earthiness to match D’Angelo’s swagger.
“Love you for my life, and I put that on my dead/ Put that on my daddy’s new porch, cigarettes/ He blew cancer rings, I got toxic traits,” Jay-Z rhymes in the more than 9-minute song. “Look who coaxed the ghost out my body, got me straight/ I don’t want no smoke, baby girl you fire/ Can’t end up like my folks, nah.”
Fans did not seem to care about who Jay was talking about as they noted the switch-up in how he spit his rhyme.
One fan on YouTube wrote, “Jay z keep reinventing himself. And that, to me, is why he’s the [Goat emoji].”
“This is the most laid-back approach Jay-Z has ever made in a rhyme,” another observed.
“It ain’t bad, just different. It’s cool.”
As some even called his new flow “incredible,” not everyone was feeling it.
One person said it should have accompanied André 3000’s flute project released earlier this year, calling it “hot trash.” Another person wasn’t as harsh. He said, “Jay did his thing. But Kendrick would have ate though!”
The Grammy-winning rapper did not clarify whether this shift in style is permanent or just a creative choice for the eclectic soundtrack accompanying Jeymes Samuel’s new film. Regardless, this development, combined with the recent honor of a Book of Hov exhibit in his hometown, has his devout followers pining for new music and asking that it comes sooner rather than later.
