Family Feud (song)

"Family Feud"
Single by Jay-Z featuring Beyoncé
from the album 4:44
ReleasedJanuary 26, 2018
Recorded2017
GenreHip hop, conscious hip hop, R&B
Length4:11
LabelRoc Nation
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)No I.D.
Jay-Z singles chronology
"Bam"
(2017) 		"Family Feud"
(2018) 		"Top Off"
(2018)
Beyoncé singles chronology
"Perfect Duet"
(2017) 		"Family Feud"
(2018) 		"Top Off"
(2018)
Music video
"Family Feud" ft. Beyoncé on YouTube

"Family Feud" is a song by American rapper Jay-Z featuring American singer Beyoncé. It is taken from Jay-Z's thirteenth studio album 4:44 (2017) and was produced by No I.D. The song was released to British contemporary hit radio on January 26, 2018, as the album's third single.[1]

The song was nominated at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Rap/Sung Performance. The accompanying music video is directed by Ava DuVernay, who won the BET Award for Video Director of the Year for her work.[2]

Background and composition

A sample of "Ha Ya" by the Clark Sisters is used in the song and also interpolated by Beyoncé.[3] Lyrically, Jay-Z criticizes old and new school rappers unfairly insulting each others' styles and feuding, while also noting how his previous affair became a liability to him ("Yeah, I'll fuck up a good thing if you let me / Let me alone, Becky").[3][4][5]

Shortly after the song was released, American rapper Young Thug thanked Jay-Z on Instagram for encouraging old school rappers to respect the newer ones.[6]

Music video

The official music video was released on December 29, 2017. It was directed by Ava DuVernay. It begins in the year 2444, when a fight over sovereignty results in a murder.[7][8] After that, the video shifts back in time through different eras. The story of a family's rise to power in the video is revealed to have begun in 2050 with a constitutional convention of the Founding Mothers led by a grown-up Blue Ivy.[9][10] The video flashes back to 2018 at a church, and the song begins. In the present year, young Blue Ivy watches her parents Jay-Z and Beyoncé perform in confessional booths pulpits.[7][8][11]

The following actors appear in the video: Michael B. Jordan, Thandiwe Newton, Trevante Rhodes, Irene Bedard, Omari Hardwick, Jessica Chastain, David Oyelowo, Emayatzy Corinealdi, America Ferrera, Aisha Hinds, Storm Reid, Henry G. Sanders, Susan Kelechi Watson (who plays an adult Blue Ivy), Brie Larson, Constance Wu, Niecy Nash, Rosario Dawson, Janet Mock, Mindy Kaling and Rashida Jones.[12][13]

Charts

Chart (2017) Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100[14] 51
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[15] 22

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[16] Gold 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ "BBC – Radio 1 – Playlist". BBC Radio 1. Archived from the original on January 29, 2018.
  2. ^ "Here Are All the Winners from the 2018 BET Awards". Billboard. June 25, 2018.
  3. ^ a b Leight, Elias; Reeves, Mosi; Shipley, Al (June 30, 2017). "Jay-Z's '4:44': A Track-by-Track Guide". Rolling Stone.
  4. ^ Svokos, Alexandra (June 30, 2017). "JAY-Z Just Brought Back "Becky" Drama With New Song Off '4:44' Album And You'll Scream". Elite Daily.
  5. ^ Wicks, Amanda (June 30, 2017). "Listen to JAY-Z and Beyoncé's New Song "Family Feud"". Pitchfork.
  6. ^ Neubeck, Kyle (July 1, 2017). "Young Thug Thanks Jay Z for "Family Feud" Lyric Celebrating Individuality". Complex.
  7. ^ a b Burks, Tosten (December 29, 2017). "Video: Jay-Z – "Family Feud" (Directed By Ava DuVernay)". Spin.
  8. ^ a b Kreps, Daniel (December 29, 2017). "Watch Jay-Z Confess Sins to Beyonce in 'Family Feud' Video". Rolling Stone.
  9. ^ Izadi, Elahe (January 1, 2018). "Analysis | Breaking down Jay-Z's 'Family Feud,' the star-studded music video featuring Beyoncé". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  10. ^ Jenkins, Aric (December 27, 2017). "Jay-Z Confesses to Beyoncé in Star-Studded 'Family Feud' Video". Time. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  11. ^ Stutz, Colin (December 29, 2017). "JAY-Z Shares Futuristic Star-Studded, Ava DuVernay-Directed 'Family Feud' Video". Billboard.
  12. ^ "See all the celebrity cameos in JAY-Z's 'Family Feud' music video". Entertainment Weekly. December 29, 2017.
  13. ^ Wicks, Amanda (December 28, 2017). "JAY-Z and Beyoncé Tease New "Family Feud" Video: Watch". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  14. ^ "Jay-Z Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
  15. ^ "Jay-Z Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
  16. ^ "American single certifications – Jay-Z – Family Feud". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 4, 2023.