Jay Z Tweets TIDAL Facts
Jay Z took to Twitter to debunk what he calls a "smear campaign" against his latest venture, TIDAL.
The music streaming service has so far had an exciting launch, equally humbled and promoted by a somewhat awkward press conference, personnel restructuring, rumors of Roc right-hand man Kanye West leaving the fold, and that one time when Jay personally called you to thank you for subscribing.
"Stream of consciousness coming in 5, 4, 3, 2… #TidalFacts," he tweeted Sunday (April 26) afternoon. "Tidal is doing just fine. We have over 770,000 subs. We have been in business less than one month."
The move, apparently, is akin to the #NewRules he set with his Samsung x Magna Carta Holy Grail deal, and yeah, that changed the game. But, still need more people? "The iTunes Store wasn't built in a day," he pointed out. "It took Spotify 9 years to be successful… We are here for the long haul. Please give us a chance to grow & get better. #TidalFacts."
He then goes on to allege that, "There are many big companies that are spending millions on a smear campaign. We are not anti-anyone, we are pro-artist & fan." This stance he has taken since the beginning (or at least since the press conference). "We made Tidal for fans," he reiterated. "We have more than just music. We have video, exclusive concerts, tickets for events early, live sports!"
[There is an exclusive Jack White concert Sunday night via the service.]
"Indie artists who want to work directly w/ us keep 100% of their music," he added. "'If you don't want the CEOs all in the videos' haa #tidalfacts."
Still writing as of press time, Jay goes on to promise a 75% royalty rate to all artists, that his cousin has moved to Nigeria to scout talent, and that he's still approaching business like it's his first song (or his last?). "YouTube $390 billion. Apple $760 billion. Spotify $8 billion. Tidal $60 million," he wrote. "#TidalFacts."
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(Photo: Noel Vasquez/GC Images)