"Boss" is a song recorded by American musical duo The Carters for their debut album Everything Is Love.[1][2] Recognized by Bustle as "honor[ing] the hard work the couple have put in to everything they touch, ... extend[ing] to raising a family", the song was certified Gold in 2021 by the RIAA for sale of over 500,000 units.[3][4]
Background and composition
“Boss” was written by Knowles, Shawn Carter, Tyrone Griffin Jr., and Dernst Emile II, and produced by The Carters, Derek Dixie, D'Mile, Stuart White, MeLo-X, and Mike Dean. Ty Dolla Sign also contributes backing vocals.[5] In his verse, Jay-Z raps about someone who is “not a boss", allegedly referring to Canadian rapper Drake, who reportedly declined a contract with streaming service Tidal to later accept a $19 million contract with Apple.[6] On Beyonce's rapped verse, she discusses the building of intergenerational wealth in Black communities, addressing her method of building a legacy and portfolio for their descendants. In thinking of how children down the line will benefit from her inheritance, she mentions that “My great-great-grandchildren already rich/That's a lot of brown chil’ren on your Forbes list...” [6][3]
The Independent highlighted the "big brass [outro] (recorded in the team locker rooms at U Arena in Paris) that recall[ed] Beyoncé's mind-boggling show at Coachella; paying tribute to the traditional high school marching band." The track closes with their daughter Blue Ivy Carter offering a message to her younger twin siblings: “Shout out to Rumi and Sir, love, Blue.”[7][3]
Reception
In their respective reviews of the parent album, both Pitchfork and The Guardian highlighted Beyonce's line on the song "My great-great-grandchildren already rich/That’s a lot of brown chil’run on your Forbes list”— as "the best of many flexes on the album."[8][9]Bustle celebrated the inclusion of their daughter Blue Ivy Carter, before describing the song as a "masterpiece", as well as "an empowering anthem that honors the fact that the Knowles-Carters — or, for the sake of this album, the Carters — are legit bosses, in every sense of the word."[3]
