Renowned rapper JAY-Z has made a low-key comeback to the online world, signaling not only his return to social media but also the imminent release of new music.
The artist, aged 53, made a discreet reentry to Instagram on Tuesday with the handle @jayz. His inaugural post hints at his intention to kick-start the promotion of his upcoming music. Although specifics remain scant, the official announcement for the forthcoming film “The Book of Clarence” confirms that JAY-Z will be lending his talents to the soundtrack.
In his initial Instagram post, the Grammy-winning artist, whose birth name is Shawn Carter, shared the trailer for Jeymes Samuel’s comedic portrayal of biblical times, starring Lakeith Stanfield. Accompanying the post was the caption, “The Book of Clarence January 2024.” Notably, JAY-Z is also one of the producers of the film, which revolves around a “down-on-his-luck” individual in Jerusalem aiming to capitalize on the growing influence of the Messiah. The movie is slated to hit theaters on January 12, 2024.
Details concerning the extent of JAY-Z’s contributions to the soundtrack, potential collaborations, and release dates are yet to be confirmed.
Previously, the founder of Roc Nation collaborated with writer-director Jeymes Samuel on his 2021 film “The Harder They Fall,” for which he produced and contributed two soundtrack songs. He also played a role in Samuel’s 2017 short film, “Jay-Z: Legacy.”
As of now, the “Part II” artist’s only Instagram follower is his wife, Beyoncé. His profile contains a link to rocnation.com, while his profile picture captures a snapshot from the early stages of his career. The hip-hop icon has recently achieved a significant milestone – in July, he became the first Black recording artist with at least 10 double-platinum solo studio albums.
This achievement followed an update by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), elevating JAY-Z’s 2009 album “The Blueprint 3” to double-platinum status and upgrading his 2003 album “The Black Album” to quadruple-platinum status.
As part of the broader celebration of 50 years of hip-hop, the “Holy Grail” rapper was honored with an exhibit titled “Book of HOV” at the Brooklyn Public Library. Launched in July and accessible to the public for free until the fall, the exhibit offers insights into his career through archives, unreleased footage, images, and masters. The showcase was constructed as a surprise for JAY-Z and as a tribute to his worldwide impact as a musician, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and disruptor.
Support for the rapper’s achievements was displayed by his wife Beyoncé and their eldest daughter, 11-year-old Blue Ivy, at the exhibit’s unveiling in July.
