Jay-Z & Beyonce: Top 5 Collabs

Jay-Z and Beyonce are hip-hop's definitive power couple. Hell, they're probably the biggest power couple in entertainment, period. And while we've all be collectively rooting for The Carters, they've no doubt had their share of ups and downs. Back when Lemonade dropped, Beyonce low key put Jay on blast for some alleged infidelity, and left the internet in shambles. Fast-forward to the release of 4:44, in which Jay-Z addresses and even confirms the allegations, putting himself under the microscope in a display of unfiltered emotional vulnerability.

With two natural twins on the way, the Carter family looks to be expanding. And while the couple errs on the side of privacy, their respective music, allows us a deeper understanding into their dynamic. And while they don't always collaborate, they've linked up for their fair share of anthems, many of which revel in their real-life chemistry.

In honor of 4:44, here are the top 5 Jay-Z & Beyonce collaborations.  

Cover by Al Bello.

Ah, Drunk In Love. The ultimate anthem for long-term relationships. Everyone knows the stereotype that passion wanes the longer a relationship lasts, but Beyonce and Jay seem intent on deconstructing that thesis statement."Drunk In Love" at once lavish, sexy, and intimate, perfectly capturing the feeling of rediscovered lust. The beauty of it is, such a track could only be made by a real life couple, and the obvious chemistry between Jay & Bey gives this joint an undeniable sense of gravitas.

"All I need in this life of sin, is me and my girlfriend." 

If "Drunk In Love' is the song of experience, "03 Bonnie & Clyde" is the song of innocence. With an airy, guitar driven beat, Jay's Pac sampling Blueprint 2 single finds Jay & Beyonce during the early years of their relationship, branding themselves a couple on record and thus immortalizing their legacy. Despite the criminal conceit imbued within the lyrics, there's a certain deliberate naivety skirting beneath the surface; while Bonnie & Clyde may have gone down in a blaze of gunfire, Jay & Beyonce seem more content to cruise beneath the sunset in each others arms. Surely Bonnie and Clyde never marathoned "Sex and the City"...or did they?

Years after Blueprint 2, Jay & Beyonce link up for the direct sequel to the aforementioned "Bonnie & Clyde" joint. Under the light of all the unearthed allegations, Bey's opening lyrics take on some added significance. "Who wants that perfect love story anyway, anyway? Cliché, cliché," sings Beyonce, perhaps subliminally addressing the nature of her own relationship. It's definitely some realness from the singer, and while the track goes on to continue the "down to ride" motif, there's a certain weight to the proceedings this time around. Sometimes it's easy to forget that such a publicized relationship is made up of two human beings, and "Part II" captures the melancholic nature of a potentially doomed love.

This song was absolutely destroying the game back when I was in high-school, sound tracking first dances across the Nation. Unsurprisingly, "Crazy In Love" still goes hard today, with a catchy old school vibe and some of that early-two-thousands era Jigga flow. A spiritual precursor to "Drunk In Love," Crazy In Love foregoes those grown-n-sexy vibes in exchange for a more raw, beginning-of-relationship narrative. Anyone who has ever experienced a new lover can vouch that the first month often comes with an unrestrained and exciting wave of passion. Well, that's "Crazy In Love" in a nutshell. 

You know DJ Khaled had to come through with this one, because like some sort of exuberant, loud-ass leprechaun, the man is attracted to gold. And what's more golden than Jay-Z & Beyonce, hip-hop's first billionaire couple and two of music's most respected acts? With this triple threat attached, it's no wonder that "Shining" sounds straight up lavish - that's because it is. Over a triumphant beat, both Beyonce and Jay-Z make parenthood sound like the most ballin' accomplishment of all time. Jay seems perfectly content with some vicarious living, hilariously waxing poetic about of sending his future son to school decked out in all his jewels.