A lot of speculation surrounds the finished product of JAY-Z's 4:44 release.
Among the topics uncovered in the 10-track project were the details surrounding the veteran emcee's marriage to songstress Beyonce.
The couple's marital issues were first revealed in Beyonce's Lemonade release in April of last year, and Jay's 4:44 has been received as a response to Bey's creation in many ways.
However, producer No I.D., who handled the album's backdrop, recently confirmed that this was not the project's intent.
"We never directly spoke about [Lemonade],” he told the New York Times. “Mainly because if he talks about himself, it’s going to bleed into that regardless. But there’s a difference in talking about it for the sake of response and for the sake of honesty and the truth. The truth needs to explain why you are the way you are, why you did what you did. We know what happened. We got it. But what were the circumstances that led to this and how do you feel about it?”
What he did reveal was when he created the beat for the track "4:44," it ultimately led JAY-Z to crafting a response around the topic.
“We just wanted him to respond and then let it be and still touch on other things,” he said. “I created that beat to box him into telling that story. I put the sample from the singer Hannah Williams — it starts off with, ‘I find it so hard/When I know in my heart/I’m letting you down everyday.’ I remember him hearing it and looking at me like, ‘O.K., fine.'”
4:44 is currently exclusively available to stream on Tidal.
