Jay-Z's musical tribute to Beyonce on Kendrick Lamar's new track isn't exactly a Shakespearean sonnet, but that doesn't mean it isn't romantic. In spite of its name, "Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe," the remixed song finds the 43-year-old rapper waxing poetic about his superstar wife of four years, with whom he has a 14-month-old daughter, Blue Ivy.
"Up in the clouds, me and my spouse / Rumors on the ground gettin' too loud," the Brooklyn hip hop mogul rhymes. "Please turn them s–ts down, can't hear myself think / Turbulence, s–t, almost spilled my drink."
The verse also honors another VIP: President Barack Obama, a close, personal pal to both the rapper and his wife. "Presidential pardon, name one n—a out there harder than him / I'll wait, I've been in my weight like 20 years straight / I've been on my vibe like 20 years straight," Jay-Z (born Shawn Carter) raps of the Commander-in-Chief.
The track — a remixed version of Lamar's hit of the same name from his sophomore album, Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City — premiered at SXSW earlier this month. In addition to the verse from Jay-Z, it features two new verses from Lamar.
Beyonce, for her part, debuted some music of her own on Sunday, March 17. "Bow Down/I Been On" is the singer's first new material in nearly two years and features some of her fiercest, grittiest lyrics.
"I know when you were little girls / You dreamt of being in my world / Don't forget it / Respect that / Bow down bitches / Don't get it twisted this is my s–t," she sings.
The track drew praise from many fans on Twitter, but not everyone loves the star's new direction. Fellow R&B singer Keyshia Cole criticized the song, tweeting: "First 'Women need to Stick together' now b-tches better Bow. Smh. But it's all G! Chicks stay shooting the sh-t…"
