Jay Z announces new album “4:44”

Hip-hop icon Jay Z has shared details on a new album, “4:44”, but fans won't be able to buy it or stream it just anywhere. The album will drop June 30 for subscribers of Sprint or Jay Z's Tidal platform through what's pitched as a first-of-its-kind partnership between both companies.

Chatter on a new LP heated up in recent weeks, and the entrepreneur and music man threw fuel on that fire last week with a mysterious campaign which saw the numbers “4:44” and the date “6.30.17” dished up on posters and online. The plot thickened in the hours before midnight when a teaser video appeared on Tidal. Then the big reveal happened as the clock struck twelve.

News on the surprise album release caps an eventful week during which Jay Z and his wife Beyonce welcomed twins and the artiste was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, becoming the first rapper to achieve that honour. The new LP is the follow-up to 2013's “Magna Carta... Holy Grail”, which peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.