JAY-Z opens his latest album, 4:44, by slaying his own ego.

For an MC who’s spent his entire career constructing such a formidable facade, it’s a tall task. But “Kill Jay Z” sets the stage for what becomes his most personal, vulnerable album yet — and arguably one of his best.

Why the title 4:44? Because he woke up at 4:44 a.m. one morning and wrote the album’s title track, he tells iHeartRadio. “I just believe it’s one of the best songs I’ve ever written,” he says — which is good, because it’s also the song people have been waiting a whole year for him to write.

He and wifey Beyoncé share a lot of connections with the number four — birth dates, their anniversary date, even their favorite president was No. 44. In “4:44,” he apologizes for putting it all on the line with the alleged infidelity that made Beyoncé’s Lemonade so bittersweet: “I suck at love, I think I need a do-over / I would be emotionally available if I invited you over.” But Hov goes even further, apologizing to all the women he may have hurt in the past. “It took for my child to be born,” he raps, “to see through a woman’s eyes.”

He doesn’t stop there. In “The Story of O.J.,” he shuts down the assumption that success is a salve for racism. And in “Smile,” he reveals his mother’s closeted sexual identity (“Mama had four kids, but she’s a lesbian / Had to pretend so long that she’s a thespian”).

It’s a soul-baring narrative from a rapper and entrepreneur who continues to push himself to the forefront of the genre, despite being past what many consider to be his prime. At the same time, he’s pioneering new terrain for a youthful genre that has struggled to mature in subject matter since reaching its midlife crisis. In “Family Feud,” he addresses rap’s generation gap head on, imploring younger artists to protect their wealth — black wealth, which has been so historically undervalued and pillaged by an unforgiving industry. As he approaches 50, post-retirement JAY-Z sounds as vital as he ever, while paving the way for the next generation of MCs to age gracefully on the mic.

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