Billboard to exclude Samsung downloads of Jay-Z's album; artiste vents on Twitter

For Jay-Z, it’s 99 problems and Billboard is one. Billboard said yesterday that it will not include the 1 million downloads Jay-Z is giving to Samsung Galaxy smartphone users through a deal with the company . Jay-Z announced the partnership this week and his new album “Magna Carta Holy Grail” will be released July 7. But the first million Samsung Galaxy smartphone owners will be able to get their hands on it on July 4.

In a letter posted on Billboard’s website, editorial director Bill Werde says it won’t count the downloads, because Samsung ultimately isn’t selling the album on its phones. He adds that it wasn’t easy turning down the artiste’s request to include the downloads on the Billboard chart. Werde writes: “The passionate and articulate argument by Jay’s team that something was for sale and Samsung bought it … doesn’t mesh with precedent.” He added that “nothing was actually for sale — Samsung users will download a Jay-branded app for free and get the album for free a few days later after engaging with some Jay-Z content.”

Laughing at Billboard?

Jay-Z took to Twitter to suggest that the album downloads should be counted as sales because Samsung paid him for them. “If 1 Million records gets SOLD and billboard doesnt report it, did it happen? Ha. #newrules #magnacartaholygrail Platinum!!! VII IV XIII,” Jay-Z said through this @S_C_ Twitter account .

Samsung has already purchased a million copies of the album in advance and will be making it available to its customers on a first-come-first-serve basis. The downloads are enabled through a dedicated app for the album. The app for  Magna Carta Holy Grail will hit Google Play store on June 24 and the album will be available from July 4 onwards for the first million. The app promises an “unprecedented inside look into the album, personal stories and inspiration”.

_With inputs from sources
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