Samsung Downloads Won't Count Towards Jay-Z Album Sales
It's a no-go for Jay-Z's attempt to have those Samsung-donated Magna Carta Holy Grail albums count towards the charts. Brooklyn's Finest won't be automatically granted a platinum-selling debut because the project will go to Samsung Galaxy users free of charge.
If Hov wants the top spot, he's going to have to drop his "#newrules" and earn it the old-fashioned way.
Billboard laid out their guidelines in a Letter from the Editor posted online. "Our role as the chart of record is to set the rules, and hopefully even raise the level of play. It is in this spirit that I say it wasn't as simple as you might think to turn down Jay-Z when he requested that we count the million albums that Samsung 'bought' as part of a much larger brand partnership."
But, continued Bill Werde, "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."
Despite this #newrules setback, Jay is still expected to take first place. Label sources put first-week sales at 400,000 to 450,000, enough units to earn the 43-year-old his 13th No. 1 album.
The Magna Carta Holy Grail app will be available for download June 24, while the album officially goes on sale July 4. To follow up the epic 3-minute commercial played during the NBA Finals, the mobile phone giant recently unveiled its newest Magna Carter commercial, "4 More," a 30-second spot with Jay and Timbaland.
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(Photo: Barry Brecheisen/Invision/AP)