(AllHipHop News) It hasn’t even been a full week since JAY-Z made his musical comeback with 4:44, and fans continue to offer their insights on the album.
Even celebrities commented about the themes and lyrics presented on the Roc Nation founder’s 13th solo studio LP.
While some rappers like Boosie Badazz and Future apparently chose not to follow the lead of Hov’s takedown of posting “money call” photos on Instagram, Joey Bada$$ believes he may have cracked the true code of 4:44.
“I think I figured it out… 4:44 is the 4th Blueprint,” tweeted Joey.
Of course, the Pro Era frontman is referring to JAY’s three Blueprint albums.
The original The Blueprint came out in 2001 and is regularly considered one of the greatest Hip Hop albums of all time.
The double-disc The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse dropped the following year.
Seven years later saw the arrival of The Blueprint 3 which contained JAY’s first #1 single as a lead artist – “Empire State of Mind” featuring Alicia Keys.
In many ways, each BP album served as JAY’s outline of where he believes Hip Hop culture should head next.
Besides calling out flashy IG posts, 4:44 does include the rapper-turned-businessman promoting listeners to embrace black entrepreneurship, end generational strife, fight for their marriage, and more.
Joey Bada$$ was not the first person to mention the idea of The Blueprint 4, but most of that early speculation was based on the mysterious ads presented before the album was released, not the actual music.
So does Joey’s theory about 4:44 being part 4 in the Blueprint series hold any weight?
JAY-Z has not publicly confirmed whether he intended for the Tidal/Sprint exclusive to be a sequel to his previous BP albums.
However, he did speak about the inspiration for the project’s title track with iHeartRadio.
“‘4:44’ is a song that I wrote, and it’s the crux of the album, just right in the middle of the album. And I woke up, literally, at 4:44 in the morning, 4:44 AM, to write this song,” said the Songwriters Hall Of Fame member. “So it became the title of the album and everything. It’s the title track because it’s such a powerful song, and I just believe one of the best songs I’ve ever written.”
When addressing the 4:44 track “Moonlight” he added, “It’s really a commentary on the culture and where we’re going.”
I think I figured it out… 4:44 is the 4th Blueprint.
— BADMON (@joeyBADASS) July 3, 2017