Jay-Z Just Announced His New Album In The Middle Of A Samsung Commercial In The Middle Of The NBA Finals

Damn, Jay-Z really is a hustler. Perhaps in an attempt to steal the baby-making, album-dropping thunder from his lil’ bro Kanye, Jay-Z surprised everybody earlier today when he interrupted some vintage Manu Ginobili skills, stole a whole commercial break, and dropped an unexpected TV spot announcing that his new album will be released on July 4.

The album, titled Magna Carta Holy Grail (you know, because The Blueprint 4 isn’t Yeezus-y enough), was announced in the middle of a Samsung Galaxy commercial in the middle of Game 5 of the NBA Finals. The video shows Jay-Z entertaining folks in his studio — folks that include producers Timbaland, Rick Rubin, Swizz Beatz, and even Pharrell, who drops by in a dapper polka dot-and-camouflage ensemble — and engaging in a whole bunch of menacing air piano, freestyle raps (surely someone’s used “a Picasso in my casa” before?), and listening to Timbaland say weird things that sound like “That’s that thing, coo-kaka-boom-boom-boom-boom”.

“The thing is to finish the album and drop it, giving it to the world at one time and then letting them share it,” Jigga reveals at the end of the video to Rubin’s approval, which is great… if you own a Samsung Galaxy. According to the album’s official website, it will be released for free to the first one million Samsung Galaxy users to download a “customized mobile app” on June 24th. Then, at 12:01am on July 4, the app “officially unlocks” the album 72 hours before its on sale release.

This seems like an incredible coup for Samsung, tying the next most anticipated album of the year to their own brand. I mean, a Jay-Z album as a smartphone app? This was unexpected. I guess this applies? In any case:  iPhone, your move.