The mystery surrounding “4:44” has been a source of speculation for the better part of June after posters started popping up around New York City and Los Angeles with the ambiguous number looming like a broken clock. People quickly tied the numbers to a new JAY-Z album considering their apparent connection to his streaming service, TIDAL, and as the weeks went on, confusion continued to swirl. Was it a film? Was it a music video? Is it really a JAY-Z album?

The code was finally cracked last week after it was confirmed that “4:44” was, in fact, Hov’s 13th studio album4:44 — and is scheduled for a Friday (June 30) release. Evidently people want to know why the number “4” is so important to the music mogul and husband to Beyoncé.

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Let’s break it down.

Important Birthdays

JAY-Z’s superstar wife Beyoncé was born on September 4 while Hov’s birthday falls on December 4. Mrs. Carter’s mother, Tina Knowles, also celebrates her birthday on January 4.

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Former President Barack Obama

Barack Obama was the 44th President of the United States. The Carters have enjoyed a close relationship with Mr. and Mrs. Obama throughout the eight years they lived in the White House. JAY referred to “44” as the “greatest rapper of all time” in a recent tweet.

Wedding Anniversary

Beyoncé and JAY-Z tied the knot on April 4, 2008, making their wedding anniversary 4/4 every year. On April 4, 2017, the Mrs. posted a video montage to Instagram of their life together.

? 4.4.17 ?

A post shared by Beyoncé (@beyonce) on

Blue Ivy

The second half of of Bey and JAY’s first daughter’s name, Blue Ivy, can be broken down to ‘I-V,’ which is the roman numeral for “4.”

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Musical Significance

In 2011, Beyonce released her fourth studio album, 4. That’s not necessarily something profound, but it’s … something. July 4, 2017 also marks four years since JAY’s last album, 2013’s Magna Carta Holy Grail.

Screen Shot 2017-06-27 at 12.53.50 PM
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Tattoos

JAY-Z and Beyoncé both have matching “IV” tattoos on their fingers. (See the tattoos in Beyoncé’s anniversary video above.)

A post shared by Beyoncé (@beyonce) on

Look closely. There’s a red “IV” on Beyoncé’s ring finger.
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Whatever “4:44” means to JAY-Z might be something he keeps to himself or it may be revealed when the album drops. Either way, fans and critics alike are having a field day trying to decipher it, some going to ridiculous lengths.

Does it really matter? Probably not, but that never got in the internet’s way before.