4:44 cover art

  Studio Album · No. 13

4:44 Songwriting Credits by Jay-Z

2017 Roc Nation 13 tracks 50 min

Produced by No I.D., Jay-Z, James Blake  ·  Engineered by Gimel "Young Guru" Keaton, Jimmy Douglass, Dave Kutch

Roc Nation Hip-HopConscious Hip-HopEast Coast Hip-Hop
100%
Authorship
Complete Artist

Holds writing credit on 13 of 13 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 13 / 13 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 13 tracks with documented writers, by whether Jay-Z carries a lyricist or composer credit.

100%
13 trackswritten by Jay-Z 0 tracksoutside writers
Jay-Z's roles on this album

Share of the 13 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist100%
Composer0%
Producer46%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

13
Tracks
5
Lyricists
3
Producers
2 million
US Copies Sold
2017
Released
Data Insight

4:44 is the purest single-producer version of Jay-Z's model: he wrote every word, No I.D. produced essentially the whole album, and the composer column is a soul-sampling roll call of Nina Simone, Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway, and the Fugees. The confessional lyrics are entirely his; the music is one producer's curated archive of Black soul, making the lyricist-versus-composer split as clean as anywhere in his catalog.

4:44 is the thirteenth studio album by Jay-Z, released in June 2017 and produced almost entirely by No I.D. It is his most confessional record, widely read as a response to Beyoncé's Lemonade, with Jay-Z addressing infidelity, marriage, fatherhood, Black wealth, and his own failings in unusually direct terms. He wrote every verse, and No I.D. built the album from a deep bed of soul samples, which fills the composer column with Nina Simone, Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway, and the Fugees. Guests are spare and personal, including Frank Ocean on 'Caught Their Eyes,' Beyoncé on 'Family Feud,' and his mother Gloria Carter and daughter Blue Ivy. The album was certified two-times platinum and earned Album, Record, and Song of the Year Grammy nominations.

Track Listing & Credits 13 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
Kill Jay Z
Jay-Z Dion WilsonAlan ParsonsEric Woolfson No I.D. Jay-Z (Lead Vocals)
2
The Story of O.J.
Jay-Z Dion WilsonNina SimoneGene ReddJimmy Crosby No I.D.Jay-Z Jay-Z (Lead Vocals)
3
Smile
Jay-Z Dion WilsonStevie Wonder No I.D.Jay-Z Jay-Z (Lead Vocals)Gloria Carter (Spoken Word)
4
Caught Their Eyes
Jay-ZFrank Ocean Dion WilsonRandy NewmanNina SimoneJoseph N. Welch No I.D.Jay-Z Jay-Z (Lead Vocals)Frank Ocean (Featured Vocals)
5
4:44
Jay-Z Dion WilsonKanan Keeney No I.D. Jay-Z (Lead Vocals)
6
Family Feud
Jay-ZBeyoncé Dion WilsonElbernita Clark No I.D. Jay-Z (Lead Vocals)Beyoncé (Featured Vocals)
7
Bam
Jay-ZDamian Marley Dion WilsonWinston RileyOphlin RussellJacob MillerRoger Lewis No I.D. Jay-Z (Lead Vocals)Damian Marley (Featured Vocals)
8
Moonlight
Jay-Z Dion WilsonLauryn HillWyclef JeanPras MichelSalaam GibbsMary BrockertAllen McGrier No I.D.Jay-Z Jay-Z (Lead Vocals)
9
Marcy Me
Jay-ZThe-Dream Dion WilsonJosé CidTozé Brito No I.D. Jay-Z (Lead Vocals)The-Dream (Featured Vocals)
10
Legacy
Jay-Z Dion WilsonEdward HowardDonny Hathaway No I.D.Jay-Z Jay-Z (Lead Vocals)
11
Adnis
Jay-Z James BlakeDion Wilson James BlakeNo I.D. Jay-Z (Lead Vocals)
12
Blue's Freestyle / We Family
Jay-Z Dion WilsonSonia BazantaRon Gilmore Jr. No I.D.Jay-Z Jay-Z (Lead Vocals)Blue Ivy Carter (Featured Vocals)
13
ManyFacedGod
Jay-Z Dion WilsonJames BlakeDominic MakerSylvia RobinsonMichael BurtonDwight T. RossJerry PetersAnita PoreeBeyoncé Knowles-CarterJustin TimberlakeTerius NashTimothy MosleyMike DeanJerome Harmon No I.D. Jay-Z (Lead Vocals)James Blake (Featured Vocals)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 48 contributors

More from Jay-Z

Frequently Asked Questions 4:44

Who produced 4:44?
No I.D. produced essentially the entire album, a rare single-producer project for Jay-Z, who wrote all of his own verses.
Is 4:44 a response to Lemonade?
It is widely understood as Jay-Z's confessional answer to Beyoncé's Lemonade, addressing his infidelity and their marriage directly.
Is Frank Ocean on 4:44?
Yes. Frank Ocean is featured on 'Caught Their Eyes.'
What samples are on 4:44?
No I.D. built the album from soul samples including Nina Simone, Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway, and the Fugees, all of whom appear in the writing credits.
Who guests on 4:44 besides Frank Ocean?
Beyoncé appears on 'Family Feud,' his mother Gloria Carter on 'Smile,' Damian Marley on 'Bam,' and daughter Blue Ivy on a bonus track.
Did 4:44 win any Grammys?
No. It earned Album of the Year, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year nominations at the 2018 Grammys but did not win.

Sources