Jay-Z

Read Cult of Mac’s latest posts on Jay-Z:

Jay-Z backs Devialet’s pricey new AirPods Pro rival

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Deviale
Following the, err, Blueprint for successful earbuds.
Photo: Deviale

Devialet, an audio firm backed by superstar rapper Jay-Z, debuted its Gemini wireless earbuds, a rival to Apple’s mega-successful AirPods Pro, on Friday.

The premium $299 earbuds (making them $50 more than the $249 AirPods Pro) aim to appeal to the same high end of the market wowed by Devialet’s speakers, which can cost up to $3,000.

Jay-Z’s Blueprint trilogy is finally available on Apple Music

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Almost all of Jay-Z's back catalog is now available on Apple Music.
Photo: Mikamote/Wikipedia CC

Thanks to his rival Tidal streaming service, Jay-Z was somewhat M.I.A. from Apple Music for a while.

Somewhere along the line, the tide started to turn. Jay’s 4:44 album landed on Apple Music. As did Everything is Love, his collaboration with wife Beyonce. Now the Blueprint trilogy — home to what is probably Jay-Z’s greatest album — has arrived on Apple’s streaming service.

So much for Tidal! Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s joint album already on Apple Music

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Jay-Z and Beyoncé
This is the power couple's first joint album.
Photo: Jay-Z and Beyoncé

Jay-Z may be the founder of Tidal, but it seems that he still cares more about streaming numbers than he does about long-term exclusives for this streaming company. At least, that’s the big takeaway from the fact that his joint album with wife Beyoncé is already available on Apple Music.

The album, titled Everything is Love, debuted on Tidal as a very short-lived exclusive over the weekend. Along with Apple Music, the new album is also available on iTunes, Spotify’s premium tier, Google Play, Amazon Music, and more.

Lack of cash could kill Jay-Z’s Tidal music service next year

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Jay Z
Jay Z's got 99 problems, and Apple Music is one.
Photo: Flickr/NRK P3

One of Apple’s biggest competitors in the music streaming business is about to bite the dust.

Tidal, the music streaming service owned by Jay-Z, is allegedly facing some serious money problems. According to a new report, user growth has stalled too making the company’s cash problems even worse.

Jay Z’s new album goes platinum without Apple Music’s help

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Jay Z 4:44
No Apple Music, no problem. Apparently.
Photo: Jay Z

It’s only been out since last week, but Jay Z’s 4:44 album has already gone platinum, according to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

The feat is all the more miraculous considering that Jay’s album has thus far been available only in a select few places. As we’ve noted, it was nearly impossible to stream through legal methods, with the only two ways to access it either being a Tidal subscription or listening on the 160 iHeartRadio stations across the country.

Kanye West waves Tidal goodbye

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Kanye West
Kanye is said to have walked over a money dispute.
Photo: Rodrigo Ferrari/Flickr (CC)

Since being acquired by Jay-Z, Tidal has been heavily reliant on superstar names to attract new subscribers — but it just lost a big one.

According to one report, Kanye West has walked away from the service over a dispute regarding payments for The Life of Pablo and exclusive music videos.

Jay Z takes shots at Jimmy Iovine and Apple Music on latest album

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Jay Z
Jay Z's got 99 problems, and Apple Music is one.
Photo: Flickr/NRK P3

The new album from Jay Z is nearly impossible to stream through legal methods this week, but if you are one of the lucky few that gets to listen to it, you’ll hear the Jigga Man taking shots at one of his biggest rivals: Apple Music.

On one of the tracks for his album 4:44, Jay Z — owner of the struggling music streaming service Tidal — calls out Apple Music boss Jimmy Iovine and talks about his beef with Apple saying he wants more than what Apple offers artists.

Tidal loses third CEO in two years

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Jay Z
Jay Z can't find a reliable CEO.
Photo: Flickr/NRK P3

Jay Z’s struggling Tidal music streaming service is saying goodbye to its third CEO in two years.

The company reportedly parted way with top executive Jeff Toig, though no replacement has been named. Tidal has had a revolving door of CEOs during its troubled history. Toig took over the reigns of Tidal just 18 months ago.

Apple denies it has plans to acquire Tidal

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apple music app
Apple's got 99 problems, but a Tidal acquisition ain't one.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Jay Z and Apple aren’t going to be joining forces anytime soon, according to Apple Music head honcho Jimmy Iovine.

In a new interview, Iovine poured cold water on Tidal takeover rumors, saying: “We’re really running our own race” and “we’re not looking to acquire any streaming services.”

Bon Iver frontman slams ‘horrid’ Apple Music

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AppleMusic
Bon Iver is no fan of Apple Music.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

From Taylor Swift to Drake, Apple’s pretty adamant on coming across as artist-friendly when it comes to Apple Music. But one artist who’s apparently less than impressed with Apple’s streaming music service is Bon Iver singer-songwriter Justin Vernon.

In a pair of tweets sent today, Vernon referred to Apple Music as “literally a horrid platform” and slammed Apple for its “commercialization.” Check out his comments below.

Apple might buy struggling competitor Tidal

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apple music app
A Tidal acquisition would give Apple Music even more artist exclusives.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Jay Z and Apple might be joining forces.

Apple has dominated the jigga man’s streaming service, Tidal, ever since the launch of Apple Music one year ago, but a new report claims that the iPhone-maker is in exploratory talks to acquire the music streaming service.

Kanye West and Tidal in hot water for putting Life of Pablo on Apple Music

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Kanye
The self-proclaimed 'Next Steve Jobs' is in trouble for loving Apple.
Photo: Justjared

Kanye West tricked fans into subscribing to Tidal, claims a new class-action lawsuit against the rapper for backtracking on his commitment to make ‘The Life of Pablo’ a Tidal exclusive.

Yeezus originally proclaimed that his highly anticipated new album would be available exclusively on Tidal and would never go on sale. In a Twitter rant a few days after the album’s release, West told fans the album would “never ever be on Apple,” only to turn around a month later and put it on Apple Music and Spotify.

It looks like it’s about to all fall down on Kanye, Jay Z and Tidal, now that some gold diggers are claiming it was all just a ploy to boost Tidal’s subscribers.

Jay Z has pulled his Blueprint albums from Apple Music

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Jay Z
Jay's trying a takeover (the break's over.)
Photo: Flickr/NRK P3

Rapper and Tidal entrepreneur Apple Jay Z has taken the step of removing his Blueprint albums from the majority of non-Tidal music services, including Apple Music and iTunes.

The disappearance also covers other services including Google Play, Rhapsody, Amazon, and Spotify. A notable exception is Pandora, where the albums are still available.

Almost half of Tidal’s founders could have to pull their own music

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Even Jay Z's wife may find her music vanishing from Tidal.

7 of the 15 artists with an ownership stake in Jay Z’s troubled Tidal streaming music service may have their music pulled from it as a result of Jay Z failing to reach a music licencing agreement with Sony, which owns many of the streaming rights to the musicians in question.

Alicia Keys, Daft Punk, Jack White, Calvin Harris, J Cole, Usher have all released albums under one of Sony’s labels, while even Jay’s own wife Beyonce could see her music vanish from her husband’s attempt at a challenger to digital music giants like Spotify and Apple.

Rapper explains why Jay Z is smearing Apple with the race card

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Jay Z
Not everyone agrees with Jay Z's assessment of Apple's business practices.
Photo: Flickr/NRK P3

Rapper and entrepreneur Jay Z made waves when he claimed that there is a racially-motivated component to why Apple and others are “hating on” his new Tidal streaming music service.

But if you thought the whole hip hop community would stand behind Jay Z on the topic, you’d be wrong. In particular, “Pump It Up” hit maker, Slaughterhouse member (and Apple fan?) Joe Budden hit back with comments in a recent interview.

His take on the situation? That people don’t buy products based on their love of a particular company. They do it because that company makes the best products. And right now, Apple does and Tidal doesn’t.

Oh, snap!

Jay Z’s got 99 problems, and Apple might be one

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Jay Z
Tidal could end up having a bit of a 'Hard Knock Life'. Photo: NRK P3/Flickr CC
Photo: Flickr/NRK P3

Jay Z has long described himself as the boss of the Big Apple, but right now it seems the Tidal CEO is butting heads with Apple and other music companies over an alleged multimillion-dollar “smear campaign.”

In a string of tweets over the weekend, Jay Z took issue with tech giants trying to make him out to be the bad guy — acknowledging that, “We may not be perfect – but we are determined” and that “We are here for the long haul.”

Although perhaps not if Apple has anything to say about it!

Jay Z challenges Apple with artist-owned streaming music service

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Jay Z
Jay Z's got 99 problems, and Tim Cook may be one. Photo: NRK P3/Flickr CC
Photo: Flickr/NRK P3

On his Kingdom Come album, Jay Z talked about being a big star “befo’ Steve Jobs made the iPod.”

Now, close to a decade later, the hip-hop mogul is keen to show that he is still ahead of Apple by introducing his new streaming music rival to Spotify and Pandora, prior to Apple’s own rumored Beats Music rebrand.