Jay-Z’s ‘4:44’: A Master Class On The Value Of Apology

Jay-Z and Beyonce: In the wake of 4:44, things are looking up. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

In his new album, 4:44, Jay-Z outs his mother as a lesbian, talks of shooting his own brother and seemingly fantasizes about killing his own ego. But the most shocking aspect of the record is this: at its core, 4:44 is an apology album. It’s also a master class on the value–financial and emotional–of apology.

Jay-Z’s 13th studio album debuted as the calendar turned from June 29 to June 30, availabl...