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Brands & Merch Top Stories
Jay-Z announces new album as much anticipated Samsung partnership kicks off
By Chris Cooke | Published on Monday 17 June 2013
There has been much chatter about an alliance between Jay-Z and Samsung in recent weeks, with speculation that the hip hop star might be set to front a new digital music platform, the consumer electronics giant’s latest attempt to gain a share of the digital music market, and to have a service that boosts the music credentials of its Galaxy-branded devices.
Whether such an involved partnership is in the pipeline remains to be seen, but the tech giant is definitely allied to the rapper for his new album ‘Magna Carta Holy Grail’. The Roc Nation chief announced the new record during a three minute Samsung ad that aired during the NBA Finals in the US last night. The ad also featured footage of Rick Rubin, Pharrell Williams, Timbaland and Swizz Beatz in the studio with Jay.
But Samsung isn’t only providing primetime advertising for the new Jay-Z record. The company has also bought a million copies of the album, and will give them away to the first million Samsung Galaxy phone users to download a special app on 4 Jul, three days before the new long player is released.
The Wall Street Journal cites sources as saying Samsung has paid five dollars a piece for the million albums it has bulk bought, which would account for about a quarter of the rumoured $20 million deal the company is meant to have struck up with the rap man. Which presumably means, even if there is no Jay-Tunes service to come from this, plenty more will be squeezed out of this brand partnership as yet.
