5 things you need to know about jay z's surprise new album drop
- jay z stunned fans by releasing a surprise conceptual album at midnight, completely without prior announcement, breaking his five-year musical silence.
- The project, titled 'Blueprint 4: The Decoding', is a 12-track deep dive into his marriage to Beyoncé, his relationship with his mother, and the legacy of his Roc Nation empire.
- Critics are already calling it his most raw and introspective work since '4:44', with a track that samples a never-before-heard voicemail from his late friend, The Notorious B.I.G.
- The album features only two guest appearances: a verse from Kendrick Lamar and a haunting vocal cameo from his daughter, Blue Ivy Carter.
- Within 12 hours of the drop, Roc Nation confirmed the album broke Spotify's single-day streaming record for a hip-hop release, and all proceeds from the first week are being donated to criminal justice reform charities.