AFH PHOTO//AIJANAH SANFORD
That’s right, rapper Jay-Z has outdone himself. His latest album, 4:44, reached platinum status in six days, based purely on streams from its initial exclusive release to Tidal and Sprint subscribers.
In order for an album to become certified platinum, it must sell one million copies. In this case, Jay-Z reached platinum status based on streams.
While posing next to his award, Jay-Z looked at the camera with a “What did you expect?” face, rather than a “This is awesome, I hit platinum” face. Considering this is his 13th solo studio album to go platinum, I think he is used to it by now. According to hip-hop magazine XXL, Jay-Z is the only rapper to have more than 10 platinum albums to his name.
What made this album so special? Was it the fact that it went platinum on his streaming site Tidal before being released to other streams? The long wait before getting new music from him? Or the important messages behind songs like “Story of OJ”?
Ding, ding, ding! The answer is all of the above.
For the first six days after its June 30th release, only pre-existing subscribers to Tidal and Sprint could listen to and purchase the album. This created a huge buzz and anticipation for fans outside these platforms.
There could be many reasons why we had to wait so long for a new album, but it’s likely because Jay-Z was finding a new perspective on life. 4:44 as an album is focused on race issues, the struggles of minorities and family conflicts. Today’s rapper are more focused on talking about their Saturday nights and what car they drive—that is, if you can even understand them.
Every song on 4:44 has a message that connects to the heart of many people in the black community. In the song, “Story of OJ”, Jay-Z talks about the black community advancing itself into the future.
If you haven’t already listened to Jay-Z’s latest gem, make sure to listen to it.