Both Beyoncé and Jay-Z got real in their latest albums, with Queen Bey discussing Jay's infidelity on "Lemonade" and him taking responsibility for it on his own "4:44." For the first time in their careers, they collaborated on a full album and in doing so they came together to tell their fans that it was time for them to move forward in their relationship.
Beyonce and Jay-Z Drop Joint Album 'Everything Is Love'
View StoryThat doesn't mean forgetting the past, of course. In fact, much of "Everything Is Love" revels in the past, both how the couple came to meet and fall in love, and even the lives they lived before meeting one another. In total, it's a musical tribute to the love that they share, and the real trials and tribulations that love has endured, and overcome.
There are also some other nods to different things that have come their way like allegations that Jay-Z has a love child, his getting completely snubbed at the Grammys this past year and rumors he'd been offered the Super Bowl.
Below are the 10 most tantalizing morsels we're still digesting from their surprise album drop.
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View StoryFROM THE STREETS TO THE PENTHOUSE
Jay-Z acknowledged what music has done for him in his life on the opening track, "Summer," and how it has improved the lives of his children.
I remember summer nights in the projects
Bullet rounds interrupting my Chi
When the worst thing that could happen
Zipped up his jacket and ran back down the street
In Bel-Air only the nights get cold, I wrapped a yellow jacket around Bey
It's not lost on me, music has my kids sound asleep
TURNING DOWN THE SUPER BOWL
Jay-Z talks about turning down an opportunity to perform at the Super Bowl on the second track "Apes--t," a decision he ultimately made out of solidarity and respect for the peaceful protest of Colin Kaepernick raising awareness of racial injustice.
I said no to the Superbowl
You need me, I don't need you
Every night we in the endzone
Tell the NFL we in stadiums too
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View StorySHUT OUT AT THE GRAMMYS
After Beyoncé cleaned up at the Grammys with "Lemonade," Jay-Z followed it by going into the ceremony with the most nominations for "4:44" only to see his critically-acclaimed response snubbed.
Tell the Grammy's f--k that 0 for 8 s--t
Have you ever seen the crowd goin' apes--t?
DRAKE DISS?
Jay-Z even appeared to be throwing shade at this fellow rapper in a verse on "Boss," at least that's what some on Twitter seem to think. He alludes to Drake turning down a contract with Tidal (Jay-Z's streaming service) to work with Apple, responds to Drake saying he's on Jay's level on his own "Summer Sixteen" track, and finally pokes fun at the invoice Drake sent Pusha T for "promotional assistance and career reviving" that led to the Drake/Pusha T beef most recently addressed in Drake's "Duppy Freestyle" and Pusha's "The Story of Adidon."
N----s rather work for the man than to work with me
Just so they can pretend they on my level, that s--t is irkin' to me
Pride always goeth before the fall, almost certainly
It's disturbing what I gross (what I gross!)
Survey says you not even close (not even close)
Everybody's bosses 'til it's time to pay for the office
To them invoices, separate the men from the boys, over here
We measure success by how many people successful next to you
Here we say you broke if everybody gets broke except for you
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View StoryOWNING FORBES FOR YEARS
Beyoncé has sat atop the female earners list at Forbes several times, including their most recent list, and expects her family to be represented there for some time.
My great-great-grandchildren already rich
That's a lot of brown chi'r'en on your Forbes list
SKIPPING SPOTIFY
While Jay-Z's Tidal doesn't have the industry presence as Spotify or even Apple Music, it's clearly a personal decision by Beyoncé to support her husband's endeavor by skipping the larger platform with her releases, including this latest one, as she makes very clear on "Nice."
If I gave two f--ks - two f--ks about streaming numbers
Would have put Lemonade up on Spotify
F--k you, f--k you, you're cool, f--k you, I'm out (Ah!)
HOW JAY MET BEY
Jay-Z reminisces about how he first met Beyoncé on "713," offering plenty of details on how they first met, and how their first date went. And yes, he totally brought one of his boys on their first date ... like an idiot.
Confidence you exude make the fools stay away
Me, I played my room, let the fools have they say
Fate had me sitting next to you on the plane
And I knew straight away, uh
The next time we would speak was like two years away
You had a man, you shut it down until you two had a break
I bet that dude rued the day
You kept me up on the phone while you were away
You came back, I let you set the date, Nobu on the plate
I brought my dude to play it cool, my first foolish mistake
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View StoryKANYE WEST DISS?
Jay-Z and Beyoncé skipped out on Kanye West's 2014 wedding to Kim Kardashian while dealing with their own marital issues, as everyone knows now. Kanye has recently said he was hurt they didn't come, regardless of their issues at home. Jay calls out Kanye on "Friends" and determines maybe their friendship isn't what he thought it was.
I ain't goin' to nobody nothin' when me and my wife beefin'
I don't care if the house on fire, I'm dyin', n--ga, I ain't leavin'
Ty-Ty take care of my kids, after he done grievin'
If y'all don't understand that, we ain't meant to be friends
DENYING ALLEGED LOVE CHILD
Once again, Jay-Z denies that aspiring rapper Rymir Satterthwaite is his son on "Heard About Us," as the rapper and his mother have claimed for the past two years.
Billie Jean in his prime
For the thousand time, the kid ain't mine
Online they call me Dad, kiddingly
You're not supposed to take this Dad thing literally
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View StoryBEY ON JAY'S CHEATING
After addressing Jay-Z's infamous infidelity that nearly cost them their marriage separately on "Lemonade" and "4:44," the couple finally came together to talk about that incident and how they can move forward on the last track, "LoveHappy."
(for the back-and-forth we've put Jay-Z in italics)
Yeah, you f----d up the first stone, we had to get remarried
Yo, chill man
We keepin' it real with these people, right?
Lucky I ain't kill you when I met that b- (Nah, aight, aight)
Y'all know how I met her, we broke up and got back together
To get her back, I had to sweat her
Y'all could make up with a bag, I had to change the weather
Move the whole family West, but it's whatever
The chorus to the track, sung beautifully by Beyoncé, paints the picture of the storms they've weathered and the brighter future they're working to build now.
You did some things to me
Boy, you do some things to me
But love is deeper than your pain and I believe you can change
Baby, the ups and downs are worth it
Long way to go, but we'll work it
We're flawed but we're still perfect for each other
Sometimes I thought we'd never see the light
Went through hell with heaven on our side
This beach ain't always been no paradise
But nightmares only last one night
(Happy in love)