Released: March 13, 2020

Featuring: JAY-Z

Songwriter: Laura Manders Jay Electronica Mark Speer JAY-Z

Producer: Khruangbin

[Intro]
This type beat might be for the shit, though
They doin' all kind of shit, uh
Uh

[Chorus: JAY-Z]
I got numbers in my phone that'll never ring again
'Cause Allah done sent them home, and they'll never— uh
I got— I got numbers on my phone that'll never ring again
'Cause Allah done called them home, so until we sing again
I got texts in my phone that'll never ping again
I screenshot 'em so I got 'em, I don't want this thing to—
I got numbers in my phone that'll never ring again
I got, I got, I got
I got numbers in my phone that'll never ring again
'Cause Allah done called 'em home, so until we sing again
I got texts on my phone that'll never ping again
I screenshot 'em so I got 'em, I don't want this thing to end
I got numbers on my phone that'll never ring again
'Cause Allah done called them home, so we never sing again
I got texts on my phone that'll never ping again
I screenshot 'em so I got 'em, I don't want this thing to—

[Post-Chorus: Jay-Z]
Sleep well, sleep well
Lately I haven't been sleeping well, sleeping well
Sleep well, sleep well
Lately I haven't been sleeping well, sleeping well
Sleep well, sleep well
Lately I haven't been sleeping well, I been— uh

[Interlude: Emory Jones]
I'm just vibing out right now, you know what I'm sayin', like, you feel me?
Yo, 'cause it's— it's so good, right?
'Cause it's like, man, it's needed, you know what I mean?
Gotta finish them scriptures, mane
It's needed, mane, it's needed

[Verse: Jay Electronica]
Eyes fiery, cry tears to my diary
Sometimes a Xanny bar can't help you fight back the anxiety
I go to my Lord quietly, teardrops on our faces
Teardrops on my face, it's like teardrops become waterfalls by the time they reach my laces
My eyelids is like levees but my tear ducts is like glaciers
As I contemplate creation, the salt that heals my wounds pour out my eyes just like libations
I can't stop my mind from racing, I got numbers on my phone
Pictures on my phone
The day my mama died, I scrolled her texts all day long
The physical returns but the connection still stay strong
Now I understand why you used to cry sometimes we ride down Claybourne
You just missed your— You just missed your mama
Now I just miss my mamas
The clothes we wear to bed at night to sleep is just pajamas
The flesh we roam this earth in is a blessing, not a promise
I bow with those who bow to the creator and pay homage

[Bridge: Jay Electronica & Jay-Z]
Sleep well
Lately, I haven't been sleepin' well
I even hit the beach to soak my feet and skip some seashells
Sleep well
The lump inside my throat sometimes just towers like the Eiffel
Sometimes I wonder do the trees get sad when they see leaves fell
Sleep well
The last time that I kissed you, you felt cold but you looked peaceful
I read our message thread when I get low and need a refill
Sleep well
Sleep well, sleep well
Lately, I haven't been sleeping well, sleeping well

[Chorus: Jay-Z]
I got numbers in my phone that'll never ring again
'Cause Allah done called them home, so until we sing again
I got texts on my phone that'll never ping again
I screenshot 'em so I got 'em, I don't want this thing to end
I got numbers on my phone that'll never ring again
'Cause Allah done called them home, so we never sing again
I got texts on my phone that'll never ping again
I screenshot 'em so I got 'em, I don't want this thing to—

Jay Electronica

Timothy Elpadaro Thedford (born September 19, 1976), better known by his stage name Jay Electronica, is an American rapper and record producer. He is from New Orleans, Louisiana and currently based in London, United Kingdom.

Electronica first gained significant attention after the release of the musical composition Act Eternal Sunshine (The Pledge), which was made available on a MySpace page in 2007 and has been called a “timeless classic” by Vice Magazine. It is fifteen continuous minutes of music, without drums, built from Jon Brion’s soundtrack to the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. In late 2009 he released two singles, both produced by Just Blaze, “Exhibit A” and “Exhibit C”, the latter of which won a Sucker Free Summit Award for Instant Classic. In November 2010, it was announced Jay Electronica had signed to hip hop mogul Jay Z’s Roc Nation record label.

More than a decade after his last project, What the Fuck is a Jay Electronica, and almost exactly eight years to the DAY after he reportedly finished and turned in his album, Jay Electronica finally released his debut studio album A Written Testimony on March 13, 2020. The album features Jay-Z on eight of its ten tracks, leading some to label it a collab album between the two Jays. The-Dream also makes three appearances, and even Travis Scott makes a surprising appearance on “The Blinding.”