Following this month's news of Brooklyn's Jay-Z's albums returning to Apple Music, as well as Roc Nation firing numerous senior-level executives, the latest news sees the rapper and business mogul hosting a listening party for the upcoming posthumous Prince LP, Originals, during a June 6th Tidal event held in Los Angeles. The streaming service will also offer its members the chance to attend celebrations elsewhere in the U.S., including with Spain, Poland, Brazil, and other countries.
The 15-track Originals, which Jay-Z hand-selected alongside Troy Carter on behalf of the Prince Estate, features 14 previously unreleased recordings from the late musician’s “vault.” The record includes original versions of songs Prince wrote for other artists, including hits like Sheila E.’s “The Glamorous Life,” the Bangles’ “Manic Monday,” as well as classics like Kenny Rogers’ “You’re My Life.” The album also includes the Prince version of “Nothing Compares 2 U,” which his estate issued as a single, back in 2018, and will be out exclusively to stream via Tidal on June 7th, following with a wide release scheduled by Warner Bros. on June 21st.
“Prince led the way, for artistic freedom, for ownership,” Jay-Z said in a statement regarding the news. “He’s one of the bravest people I can think of in the industry. He trusted us, not just me, but TIDAL, to continue his fight. Trying to help further that legacy through his music is both an honor we couldn’t pass up as an organization dedicated to empowering artists. This gives his true fans that peak behind the curtain.”
via Karrah Kobus/NPG Records/Getty Images
Prince had teamed with Tidal in the past, for a run of exclusive releases, including the 2015 albums Hit n Run Phase One and Hit n Run Phase Two., as well as his personally curated vault selections. After signing the Tidal deal in 2015, Prince said in a statement, “After one meeting, it was obvious that Jay Z and the team he has assembled at TIDAL recognize and applaud the effort that real musicians put into their craft to achieve the very best they can at this pivotal time in the music industry. Secondly, TIDAL have honored Us with a non-restrictive arrangement that once again allows us to continue making art in the fashion We’ve grown accustomed to, and We’re extremely grateful for their generous support.”