On his deeply honest 13th album, 4:44, Jay-Z appears to address his infamous 2014 Met Gala elevator fight with Solange for the first time ever. The opening track “Kill Jay-Z” includes the lines, “You egged Solange on / Knowin’ all along, all you had to say you was wrong,” followed by a shot at Eric Benét for cheating on Halle Berry. The 4:44 lyric didn’t spark quite as much excitement as Lemonade‘s “sometimes shit go down when it’s a billion dollars on an elevator” or — thanks to Rachel Roy ostensibly outing herself as the woman who Jay-Z allegedly cheated with — “Becky with the good hair.” But one fan’s conspiracy theory is, um, elevating its significance.
I’m at The Standard where Solange beat Jay-Z’s ass in the elevator. THE ADDRESS IS 444. I AM SHOOK pic.twitter.com/ZKtAVxMQiS
— Stephen (@StephenOssola) July 26, 2017
The 2014 incident took place in an elevator at New York’s Boom Boom room, which according to Google Maps, is located at 848 Washington Street. But a look on the club’s website tells you that the actual entrance is around the corner at 444 13th Street. Coincidence?
Maybe. Jay-Z has claimed the number sequence alludes to the hour he woke up to pen 4:44‘s title track. Fans, meanwhile, have pointed out Jayoncé’s ongoing obsession with the number 4. Beyoncé was born on September 4, Jay-Z was born on December 4, the couple married on April 4, and Blue Ivy is said to be named after the Roman numeral IV, which Beyoncé and Jay-Z both have tattooed on their ring fingers. On the video for 4:44‘s “The Story of O.J.,” Hova samples Nina Simone’s “Four Women.” His favorite-ever rapper also happens to be the 44th president. But just sayin’, two things can be true at once.
Credits
Text Hannah Ongley
Matt Winkelmeyer