Which JAY-Z Retirement Album Was Better?

In 2003, JAY-Z did the unthinkable. All throughout his career he had called himself the “Mike Jordan of rap”, but most thought the comparison would end because they were both dominant in their respective fields. But, like his idol – JAY retired on top with The Black Album, saying that he was exhausted from touring all the time and the constant pressure to release a new project every year. But then in 2006, he came back (just like Jordan) with a mediocre release in Kingdom Come. His career revitalized afterward, landing the two biggest hits of his career post 2006 (“Empire State of Mind” & “N***as In Paris”), but in 2017 – after getting caught for cheating on his wife, Beyonce, and getting beat up by Solange in an elevator (still one of the funniest things ever), Jigga released his unofficial retirement album: 4:44. 

Even though they are both retirement albums, the themes of them are completely different. On The Black Album, HOV is on top of the rap game, stating it multiple times (“I’m supposed to be number one on everybody’s list” & “I back out [of] it/As the best rapper alive”). But on 4:44, JAY is at his lowest point, knowing that he has to own up to committing one of the biggest sins a man can face – unfaithfulness. So while The Black Album starts off with Jigga’s origin story (“December 4th”), 4:44 opens with a call for his death. Just in these two opening tracks, you know what you’re in for. “December 4th” is, while lyrically masterful, all JAY-Z’s ego. He uses his mom to tell stories that make him look good, not telling everything (especially the part where he shot his brother). “Kill JAY-Z” is the end of that ego, where he unravels all of his misfortunes with hope that once he kills his ego off, things will get better. And, hopefully, he will never go Eric Benet. 

A very key difference between these two albums is the number of so-called “bangers” on each of the records. The Black Album is pretty much all bangers; there is not a single dull moment on the album. Meanwhile, 4:44 is a lot more introspective, sporting only two real bangers to its name (“Family Feud” & “Bam”). But, that’s what makes both albums so good – they’re fit for two different situations. 

The biggest difference between the two HOV records are the outro tracks. Keep in mind: a good outro track should either wrap up the story of the album in a great way (if it is a concept album) or refer back to the central theme/main idea of the record. Jigga does this excellently on both projects (both versions being the ladder way to close an album) with tracks “My 1st Song” & “Legacy”.  “My 1st Song” is one of the most braggadocious tracks I’ve ever heard, with JAY talking about his upbringing and how he got turned down by all these major labels and now he will retire as the king of the rap game. This is not only the common theme of the track but the album as a whole. Then, we have “Legacy” — where he talks to his daughter, Blue Ivy, about the importance of keeping wealth in the family. HOV’s delivery is conversational, almost like he’s not rapping at all, which makes it really sound like he is talking to Blue in the studio. And , I have to mention the beautiful flip of Donny Hathaway’s “Someday We’ll All Be Free” courtesy of No I.D. It is in contention for the greatest sample flip in a JAY song.

In conclusion, both The Black Album and 4:44 are records that show a person’s growth, from feeling on top of the world, to feeling below zero. And, I think the path that JAY went on now is better – as he was able to end his career in a more mature way. But, I would 100% understand if someone told me that he should’ve ended his career after The Black Album.