Marcy Me

Album: 4:44 (2017)
Charted: 90
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Here, Jay-Z looks back to upbringing in the Marcy Houses public housing project located in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. He explained to iHeart radio:

    "'Marcy Me' is a nostalgic walk through Marcy, and it's about that hopefulness, that feeling of 'Man, can I really do this? Can I really be one of the biggest artists in the world?' You have these dreams, 'Can I be one of the biggest basketball players?' We have these dreams."
  • The piano groove featured on the track is a sample of Portuguese progressive rock band Quarteto 1111's 1970 track "Todo O Mundo E Ninguém."
  • The-Dream croons the outro. Other collaboration between the pair include uncredited vocals by the singer-songwriter on the Watch the Throne track "No Church in The Wild" and a guest verse by Jay on The-Dream's 2013 song "High Art."
  • At the beginning of the track, Jay-Z pays homage to Notorious B.I.G by reciting his opening lines from his Ready to Die cut "Unbelievable":

    Live from Bedford-Stuyvesant, the livest one
    Representing BK to the fullest
    Gats I pull it
    Bastards duckin' when Big be bucking
    Chickenheads be clucking in my bathroom, f---ing


    Bedford-Stuyvesant is a neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. Jay Z and Biggie Smalls were schoolmates in George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School in downtown Brooklyn. They rap battled each other during lunch breaks.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Spooner Oldham

Spooner OldhamSongwriter Interviews

His keyboard work helped define the Muscle Shoals sound and make him an integral part of many Neil Young recordings. Spooner is also an accomplished songwriter, whose hits include "I'm Your Puppet" and "Cry Like A Baby."

Gavin Rossdale of Bush

Gavin Rossdale of BushSongwriter Interviews

On the "schizoid element" of his lyrics, and a famous line from "Everything Zen."

Kerry Livgren of Kansas

Kerry Livgren of KansasSongwriter Interviews

In this talk from the '80s, the Kansas frontman talks turning to God and writing "Dust In The Wind."

He Hit Me (And It Felt Like A Kiss): A History Of Abuse Pop

He Hit Me (And It Felt Like A Kiss): A History Of Abuse PopSong Writing

Songs that seem to glorify violence against women are often misinterpreted - but not always.

Petula Clark

Petula ClarkSongwriter Interviews

Petula talks about her hits "Downtown" and "Don't Sleep In The Subway," and explains her Michael Jackson connection.

Dr. John

Dr. JohnSongwriter Interviews

The good doctor shares some candid insights on recording with Phil Spector and The Black Keys.