Music / NewsJay-Z releases powerful new 4:44 film about his late fatherMoonlight's Mahershala Ali stars in Jay-Z's latest music video for AdnisShareLink copied ✔️July 30, 2017MusicNewsText Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff Jay-Z's father, Adnis Reeves, has often cropped up in his music since the rapper was abandoned by him at the age of 11. In the dramatic new video released for his 4:44 track "Adnis", his father seems to make a physical return. Starring Moonlight's Mahershala Ali as a tortured boxer and veteran actor Danny Glover, the monochrome film shows Ali taking his demons into the ring. Glover stands behind the punching bag, an ominous, testing presence that Ali cannot hit, harm, or even touch. The pair are never shown in the same frame, separated from each other as Jay-Z was from his father in real life. It's a vulnerable video, touching on the themes of black masculinity that often run through his work. It encapsulates his regrets over his relaionship with his father who died in 2003, just months after the pair reconciled. As he raps: “Letter to my dad that I never wrote/Speeches I prepared that I never spoke/Words on a paper that I never read/Proses never penned/They stayed in my head.” At present it's only been released on Tidal, so if you don't have a subscription you'll have to hold out for it to be uploaded to YouTube like previous 4:44 videos, "The Story of OJ" and "Kill Jay-Z". In the meanttime here's a preview: Escape the algorithm! Get The DropEmail address SIGN UP Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday. Privacy policy Thank you. You have been subscribed Privacy policy Expand your creative community and connect with 15,000 creatives from around the world.TrendingNude awakening: Meet the young people embracing naturismAt a time of toxic beauty standards and widespread body image issues, could taking your clothes off around strangers (in a non-sexual way) be the answer?BeautyFilm & TVWhat do sex workers actually think of Euphoria?Oakley FashionGoing ‘field mode’ with Roger ScottLife & CultureThe case for wiping your Instagram gridLife & Culture‘Chat was my backbone’: People are now using AI for awkward conversationsLife & Culture‘She was secretly the landlord’: Readers on their housemate horror storiesFashionTechno-fascist fashion: Why Silicon Valley is moving into menswearMusicN0rth4evr: Every track on North West’s new EP, rankedFashionMet Gala 2026: Dazed editors pick who they want to see on the red carpetEscape the algorithm! Get The DropEmail address SIGN UP Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday. Privacy policy Thank you. You have been subscribed Privacy policy