Jay-Z's 13 studio album had a number of double take lines, whether it be shots at Kanye West, powerfully personal admissions, or stray shots at Eric Benet. One of the most talked about however is "Al Sharpton in the mirror takin’ selfies / How is him or Pill Cosby s’posed to help me?," not for its indictment of Cosby, but for its strangely topical reference to a viral photo of Sharpton only a week or so old. Usually, Fabolous is the first to such a punchline, and seeing that 4:44 is such an event album, it seemed surprising that the writing process could have been taking place as recently as this week. According to No I.D., who produced the song along with the rest of the album, it was recorded Monday or Tuesday, and the project wrapped less than 24 hours before release. "Family Feud" however, is much more than that small anecdote. It's the one time where we hear Beyoncé's voice, though she's said to have been present as something of an A&R throughout the process. Jay is both insightful and playfully clever on his verses, pointing out the inconsistencies in cross-generational rap criticisms, but the song really comes together when Bey's soaring vocals come into full focus and the couple's chemistry is put on full display.
Stream the full project (with a Tidal subscription) here.
Quotable Lyrics:
All this old talk left me confused
You'd rather be old rich me or new you?
And old niggas, y'all stop actin' brand new
Like 2Pac ain't have a nose ring too, huh
