Jay-Z 'Magna Carta Holy Grail:' Rapper Announces New Album Release [Video]
Game 5 of the NBA finals was a thriller, as the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Miami heat 114-104, but it was the announcement of the release of Jay-Z's new album, Magna Carta Holy Grail, during a Samsung commercial at halftime that stole the show.
The ad offers a sneak peak into the making of the album. A dream team of hip-hop producers--Rick Rubin, Pharrell Williams, Swizz Beatz and Timbaland--surround Jay-Z, as he ponders the album's musical direction and listens to what he refers to as "lush sounds and live instrumentation" provided by the beatmakers. But the key moment of the commercial is the announcement that Magna Carta Holy Grail will be released on July 4th, 2013.
Samsung is offering the album to a million of its Galaxy smartphone users 72 hours before its release, through a customized app on the device, according to the album's website.
The record will be Jay-Z's 12th studio album and his first since 2009's The Blueprint III. The commercial reveals just enough music from the LP to create mammoth anticipation for its release.
"The album is about this duality of how do you navigate your way through this whole thing, through success and through failures, and remain yourself?" Jay-Z said in a scene from the ad.
"We need to write the new rules," Hov also declares to his all-star cast of producers.
There's even a short preview of a verse that will probably be featured on one of the songs from the album.
"I just want a Picasso, in my casa, build a castle..." Jay raps.
The commercial and partnership between Samsung and Jay-Z sets the bar up a notch or two in the smartphone war between the Galaxy and iPhone. Hov reportedly signed with the multinational electronics conglomerate for a rumored $20 million.
