Jay-Z continues to bring his album 4:44 to life in visual form, with the latest addition to the collection, "MaNyfaCedGod." While the track was not actually part of the initial release, it eventually was added to the album's tracklist. For the geeks out there, the track is referencing HBO's Game Of Thrones, in which the Many Faced God is essentially the God of Death. With such an on the nose reference, it's pretty clear that Jay has been binge watching the hit series.
And while the song may have initially been left off the track list, the visual treatment brought out one of the acting world's biggest guns. Academy Award winning actress Lupita Nyong'o lent her considerable talents to the cause. She's most definitely front and center in this one, and the intimate nature of the video gives her plenty of room to showcase her emotional range. Not unlike previous 4:44 videos, "MaNyfaCedGod" flirts with concepts both abstract and surreal, allowing viewers to draw their own interpretations.
It's cool to watch the different artistic directions each single has taken. I mean, the last video for "Moonlight" went from a brilliant spoof of "Friends" to a morose, melancholic scene. While viewed as an artistic project, it's hard not to respect the scope of Jay's vision on this one. Check it now, provided you have a Tidal account. If not, well, you may have to wait a while.