What We Learned: Five Takeaways From ‘Magna Carta Holy Grail’ In The New York Times

Jay-Z’s Magna Carta Holy Grail has arrived. Two days after its exclusive July 4 release to Samsung users, the album has been consumed thoroughly in a number of publications who have already written critical reviews. While The New York Times has claimed Grail is filled with "ups and downs," they have also discussed his bold marketing campaign in detail. For those who want a recap on his strategy thus far, we have gathered five key points from their recent piece. From the thought process behind the app’s permissions to failures on release day, here’s something to keep you up to speed. You can also read the full article here.

Previously: How Would You Rate Jay-Z’s ‘Magna Carta Holy Grail’?

Samsung bought a million copies for $5 each to give away on July 4, which was five days before the official release, through a mobile app.

“We would like fans to share the content through social networking sites,” says a Jay-Z spokesperson about the amount of permissions on the app via e-mail.

In the days before the release date, users were able to unlock lyrics. But, it required a post on Facebook or Twitter that spammed an automated message: “I just unlocked a new lyric ‘BBC’ in the JAY Z Magna Carta app. See them first. http://smsng.us/MCHG2 #MagnaCarta.”

The writer references surveying personal information and the right of privacy to Edward Snowden's disclosure on government surveillance. "If Jay-Z wants to know about my phone calls and e-mail accounts, why doesn’t he join the National Security Agency?"

Samsung users were promised Magna Carta at midnight on July 4, but the app didn't deliver the album until more than an hour later due to troubleshooting issues.