It’s that part of the year where all the biggest names are beginning to roll their albums out en masse. Kanye, Boards of Canada, Sigur Rós, and Lonely Island are now being joined by Jay-Z in the hype-cycle and he is lining up to dominate the whole thing. He’s announced, via commercial, that his new album is titled Magna Carta Holy Grail and it comes out on July 4.
Also, at least initially, it’s going to be available via an app on Samsung Galaxy phones. Yes, this album will be brought to Android users first, as part of a multimedia package including a look into the stories behind the album and the inspiration for it. It’s all kind of surreal and eyebrow raising.
For those reading this that need a history refresher, the Magna Carta is a medieval document that has the distinction of being the first set of laws basically forced onto a ruler, in this case a king, in an attempt to legally bind him. So yes, there are some possible political underpinnings there.
The Holy Grail is the mythical cup that caught the blood of Jesus and went on to cinematic fame when it resurrected Indiana Jones’ father after he had been shot by a Nazi. Please note that it is the cup of a carpenter and looks appropriately worn. Don’t make the same mistake Donovan did and end up getting turned into an animatronic, Alison Doody-molesting skeleton. Let’s hope Jay-Z takes this into account and selects his grail wisely.
• Jay Z: http://lifeandtimes.com
• Magna Carta Holy Grail: http://www.magnacartaholygrail.com
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