Jay-Z teams with Samsung to release new album
Jay-Z is teaming up with Samsung to release his new album, unveiling a three-minute commercial during the NBA Finals on Sunday and announcing a deal that will give the music to 1 million users of Galaxy mobile phones.
The new album, called "Magna Carta Holy Grail," will be free for the first 1 million android phone owners who download an app for the album. Those who do so will get "Magna" on July 4, three days before its official release, according to a Sunday statement.
In the commercial, Jay-Z is seen in a studio, working on the new material, alongside producers Rick Rubin, Pharrell Williams, Swizz Beatz and Timbaland. "Pretty much what the album is about is this duality, how do you navigate your way through this whole thing, through success, through failures, through all this, and remain yourself," Jay-Z said.
Samsung is a leader in the mobile phone market and has been steadily chipping away at Apple's share of the market with its Galaxy phones. The deal with Jay-Z is yet another example of how mobile companies are using music to lure new consumers.
Jay-Z's wife, Beyonce, also has a new album coming out this summer. A release date has not been announced yet, but she's been previewing some of the new songs in concert.