The Carter Family Business

     This past week, Jay-Z's newest album, "Magna Carter Holy Grail", was certified platinum. While it may not seem out of the ordinary considering the hip-hop mogul's status of cultural relevance, the actual date of certification is more than intriguing. "Magna Carter Holy Grail" has a release date of July 9th. Yet, that same day, the Recording Association of America recognized one million copies of the album being sold. This was possible because of a deal with technology conglomerate Saumsung, as the company bought one million copies of the album to make available digitally three days early exclusively to Samsung Galaxy owners. While the deal was poised to be one of the most innovative ideas of modern music, the marketing ploy ultimately failed to meet expectations as the app (where Samsung Galaxy owners could download the album) crashed within the hour of it's release.