Billboard is celebrating the 2010s with essays on the 100 songs that we feel most define the decade that was — the songs that both shaped and reflected the music and culture of the period — with help telling their stories from some of the artists, behind-the-scenes collaborators and industry insiders involved.
In the summer of 2017, Jay-Z dropped his thirteenth studio album 4:44 to near-rapturous fan reception and critical praise. The project was Jay’s most vulnerable and intimate to date, with the title track famously confirming allegations of infidelity mentioned on his wife Beyoncé’s 2016 opus Lemonade. However, LP standout track “The Story Of O.J.” was less personal and more societal, as the Jigga Man addressed racism and stereotypes within the black community with his signature incisiveness.
“The Story Of O.J.” features lyrics referencing infamous figure O.J. Simpson and his alleged belief that his wealth and influence transcended his race. “I’m not black, I’m O.J.” is a line rumored to have been uttered by Simpson in an interview, and it was quoted in the Emmy-winning 2016 television series The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story. However, the overarching theme of the song details how one’s skin color shapes how they are viewed in society, regardless of their financial class or levels of fame attained.
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Legendary recording engineer and producer Jimmy Douglass, a frequent creative colleague of Jay-Z, provided his mixing expertise to the song, while Grammy-winning mastering engineer Dave Kutch was connected to the Brooklyn-bred billionaire through the song’s co-writer and producer No I.D., and mastered the entire album. “Jimmy Douglass did the perfect mix for ‘The Story Of O.J.,’ and I simply sprinkled some fairy dust on top,” Kutch tells Billboard of his work on the song.
Douglass describes his approach to mixing “O.J.” as “minimalist with dimension,” and he praises Jay and No I.D. for having a strong vision for the track, which was mixed with a sample of Nina Simone’s “Four Women,” another song that addressed stereotypes in the black community. “[Jay] was very straightforward about delivering the energy and mood that the sample portrayed,” he explains.
To have a superstar such as Jay-Z candidly spit about knowing the implications of his complexion in the grand scheme of life, regardless of his own transcendent influence, was significant. The song’s video — a black-and-white cartoon that offers a glimpse of the past and present experiences of black people in America — added further depth.
Both displayed that although black people have made strides, there is still much work to be done, as they are still slaves to the financial system. Hov encourages listeners to pay it forward and invest in their communities in order to share the wealth, displaying his growth and knowledge as a musician and businessman, while also staying true to his storytelling roots.
“[JAY] focuses on the big picture and main theme,” Douglass says of his collaborator’s second-to-none approach. “He doesn’t get lost and diverted by small details.”
4:44 was nominated for eight Grammy Awards in 2018, including Album Of The Year, and “O.J.” was up for three of those (record of the year, best rap song, and best music video). The song peaked at No. 10 on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart, and at No. 23 on the Hot 100, becoming the highest-charting track on the album and one of his most powerful tracks to date.
“There was no doubt that ‘The Story of O.J.’ was going to be one of the [songs] most spoken about,” Kutch adds. “Just like he did in Reasonable Doubt 21 years [earlier], JAY tells the story about the world around him. The story has changed, but it is still told in an incredibly honest, poignant, and poetic fashion that only he can do.”
