An intimate playlist that pairs the tracks from JAY-Z’s critically acclaimed 2017 album 4:44 with the original songs that producer No I.D. sampled to build its soulful, introspective sound. The source material is as rich and thoughtful as the album itself, drawing from Nina Simone’s piercing jazz, Stevie Wonder’s classic R&B, Donny Hathaway’s soul, the gospel power of The Clark Sisters, and the reggae rhythms of Sister Nancy and Jacob Miller. Listening to the samples alongside JAY-Z’s confessional lyricism reveals just how deliberately 4:44 was crafted — a mid-life meditation on legacy, accountability, and Black identity, built on decades of music that carries those same themes at its core.
