Jay Z is getting ready to bat.
With guest verses on the unofficial summer ’16 New York Anthem “All The Way Up” as well as DJ Khaled’s “I Got The Keys” featuring Future, Blue’s father has been lyrically warming up. Yet, with the recent shooting deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, Hov’s usual boisterous lyrical wordplay has pivoted.
Thursday night (July 7) Jay Z delivered “Spiritual.” Recorded a little more than a year ago, it was TDE’s Punch who advised Jay to release it in the wake of Mike Brown’s death. Unfortunately, Jay new Brown’s killing at the hands of Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson wouldn’t be the only death of a young black man, so he waited.
It’s unclear if Sterling and Castile’s death prompted Jay to finish what he started, but none the less, fans will find Jay in a deeper space as he grapples with the violent world around him.
Listen to “Spiritual” below.