Jay-Z announced his next business venture Sunday evening on national television.
In a three-minute commercial during halftime of the NBA Finals game 5, Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter revealed he's releasing his latest solo album, "Magna Carta Holy Grail," on the fourth of July.
The commercial showed the hip-hop mogul in a recording studio accompanied by a team of producers including Pharrell Williams, Rick Rubin, Timbaland and Swizz Beatz. Supposedly also involved in the album's production is Kanye West.
At about the 1:40-mark of the commercial, Jay-Z can be heard saying "Hey, Ye, you want to tweak that?" However, Jay-Z directed the question to a figure off-camera and West, also known as "Ye," is not seen or heard in the commercial at all.
During the video, Rubin asks Jay-Z when the album is going to be released. He replied, "We'll put the album out July fourth."
Jay-Z has been up to a lot of business ventures of late, like starting Roc Nation Sports, a sports representation agency branch of his company. Robinson Cano, Victor Cruz, Skylar Diggans, Kevin Durant and Geno Smith have already signed up. Jay-Z is also undergoing the necessary steps to become a certified sports agent, first of all, by selling his stock in the Brooklyn Nets.
Jay-Z held a small stake in the basketball franchise, but he played a key role in moving the Nets from New Jersey to Brooklyn. His most recent musical ventures were collaborations with West and Justin Timberlake. "Magna Carta Holy Grail" will be his first solo album since 2009's "Blueprint 3" and the 12th in his career.
"We don't have any rules, everyone is trying to figure it out. That's why the Internet is like the new Wild West, the Wild Wild West," Jay-Z said in the commercial. "We need to write the new rules."
Jay-Z is the current record holder for the most number one albums by a solo artist on the Billboard 200 chart with 12. The Beatles hold the record for any act, solo or group, with 19 number one albums in the U.S.
