| "Song Cry" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byJay-Z | ||||
| from the albumThe Blueprint | ||||
| Released | April 16, 2002[1] | |||
| Recorded | April 2001 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 5:03 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriters |
| |||
| Producer | Just Blaze | |||
| Jay-Z singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Song Cry" is a song by American rapperJay-Z and produced byJust Blaze. Released on April 16, 2002, it was the fourth and finalsingle from his sixth studio albumThe Blueprint and also appears on the 2001 live albumJay-Z: Unplugged.
"Song Cry" was nominated for theGrammy Award for Best Male Rap Solo Performance but lost to "Hot in Herre" byNelly. The song samples Bobby Glenn's "Sounds Like a Love Song".[2]
In an interview withBill Maher, Jay-Z stated that this song was actually inspired by three different relationships he had in the past, and he wrote about his different experiences all together in different verses.
The song is a slow and quiet melodic rap ballad in which Jay-Z laments the break-up of an earlier relationship due to his own neglect and infidelity. Admitting that he is too prideful to publicly display his emotions ("I can't see 'em coming down my eyes"), Jay-Z forces the song to "cry" instead.[3] This allows Jay-Z to mourn the break-up free of any damage to hismasculine image as a street hustler. This furthers the notion that emotional vulnerability is a sign of weakness, especially within the Black community, as Black men in particular suppress vulnerability "in order to survive."[4]
The live performance of "Song Cry" from Jay-Z's 2001MTV Unplugged album features female vocalistJaguar Wright singing a sample of "Sounds Like a Love Song" by Bobby Glenn, though Wright is not identified in the liner notes of the album.[5]
During his 2006Water for Life Tour, Jay-Z performed "Song Cry" at theRoyal Albert Hall, the venue's first ever hip hop show. American actressGwyneth Paltrow did the chorus.[6][7][8]
The song was also included on the set-lists of his all-stadium toursOn the Run Tour[9] in 2014 andOTR II in 2018, both with co-headliner and wifeBeyoncé.
The credits for "Song Cry" are adapted from the liner notes ofThe Blueprint.[10]
| Chart (2002) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| USHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[11] | 45 |
| USHot Rap Songs (Billboard)[12] | 25 |
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
