Jay-Z and Beyoncé carried the image of a picture-perfect relationship throughout their lives but in 2016, the world found out about the turmoil between the power couple. The moment Bey released Lemonade, she provided a rare glimpse into her otherwise private life. She alleged infidelity during their marriage and the struggles she faced to keep her family together as Jay and Becky with the good hair frolicked around together, allegedly. Then, Jay dropped 4:44, which served as a companion piece that showcased the rapper in his most vulnerable form.
Though Jay-Z and Beyoncé have explored the backstory of their respective projects, Kim Burrell recently shone a light on an interesting conversation she had with Hov. Burrell explained that she received a call from Jay-Z at one point, who told her that Beyoncé listened to nothing else but her music to uplift her spirits. However, Hov identified Beyoncé’s habitual listening patterns as a sign that she was “going through it.”
Jay-Z Calls Kim Burrell
Around the time Jay-Z was working on 4:44, he rang up Burrell to inform her of the impact she had on Beyoncé during a trying time in her life. “At the time, I didn’t know it was going to be the name of the record but he called me and said, ‘Hey, my wife is going through it. I always know because I hear you playing in the background,’” she recalled. “He’s like, ‘My wife locked up in there for 11 hours and I heard nothing but Kim Burrell for 11 hours.’”
Burrell explained that Jay-Z called her to inform her of the impact that her music had on his wife. “He’s like, ‘Here’s why I’m calling you. When she came out, she was better.’ He said she was so much better. He says, ‘I’m calling you because I need to have a meeting with the person that made my wife better.’” Following the conversation, Kim Burrell said that she flew out to him and met him at the studio where he recorded 4:44. Though her intention wasn’t to appear on the album, she wound up featuring on the titular track which served as a public apology to Beyoncé. Check the clip out above and sound off with your thoughts in the comments.