Jay Z Is A Seriously Busy Second-Time Dad, Helping People Out Of Prison And Dropping New Music

Yesterday, most celebrity Dads celebrated Father's Day with a BBQ in the garden, a phone call from a loved one far away, or with a big bear hug from their kids and grandchildren.

However, when it comes to Jay Z, the only way to celebrate his big day – and rumoured arrival of his newborn twins – is to bail fathers out of prison so they, too, can have the chance to spend the occasion with their families.

Yup, this might be the most adorable thing the 47-year-old has done, ever.

Of course, Jay Z's selfless act wasn't just about Father's Day, but a way of addressing the injustices of the American prison system, which disproportionately mostly impacts men of colour.

In an op-ed for Time magazine over the weekend, the second-time father wrote a piece titled 'For Father's Day, I'm Taking On the Exploitative Bail Industry', in which he revealed he was inspired to help his fellow fathers following the fundraising initiatives of two organisations - Southerners on New Ground and Colour of Change - which heped bail out over 100 mothers on Mother's Day earlier this year.

He explained his reasons for helping the accused, writing: 'If you're from neighbourhoods like the Brooklyn one I grew up in, if you're unable to afford a private attorney, then you can be disappeared into our jail system simply because you can't afford bail.

'Millions of people are separated from their families for months at a time — not because they are convicted of committing a crime, but because they are accused of committing a crime,' he added.

Praising the work of scholar Ruthie Gilmore and filmmaker Ava Duvernay, who have worked to expose injustices in the US feudal system, the second-time father revealed he felt it was his time to help highlight the 'socioeconomic, constitutional and racially driven practices and polices' which criminal justice reform advocates, such as formerly incarcerated Glenn Martin, have strived to fight against.

'As a father with a growing family, it's the least I can do, but philanthropy is not a long fix, we have to get rid of these inhumane practices altogether. We can't fix our broken criminal justice system until we take on the exploitative bail industry,' he concluded in his powerful essay.

However, in true Jay Z style, the rapper/producer also marked Father's Day by dropping a 30-second teaser of his new track 'Adnis' as a TIDAL and Sprint exclusive on Sunday night, ahead of the release of his latest project/album, 4:44.

In the trailer of the clip, Moonlight's Mahershala Ali plays the role of a boxer with actor Danny Glover holding the punching bag.

The lyrics in the song coincide with the clips release date on Father's day, with the words: 'Letter to my dad that I never wrote / Speeches that I prepare that never spoke / Words on a paper that I never read / Prose is never pen, they stayed in my head.'

Could 4:44 be a visual alum like Beyoncé's Lemonade? We can't wait to find out.

Katie O'Malley

Site Director

Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.