JAY-Z secured his 13th platinum album with the release of 4:44, which is a monumental achievement for the veteran rap mogul. However, some people were scratching their heads when a photo popped up of him accepting his platinum plaque, which reportedly was taken before his album dropped on June 30.

So how did JAY-Z’s 4:44 album go platinum before it even hit Tidal? XXL explained how it went down.

The Brooklyn rhymer adopted the same album release strategy he used for Magna Carta: Holy Grail in 2013. JAY partnered with tech company Samsung who bought one million copies of the album and gave it to their customers before the album’s release. That move alone "instantly" pushed Magna Carta into platinum status. Subsequently, the RIAA changed the rules to allow digital sales to count towards certification.

Since JAY-Z's 4:44 was a Sprint/Tidal exclusive release, it was guaranteed to go platinum within a week just by sheer downloads. And with the project headed to Apple Music and iTunes on Friday (July 7), you can rest assured that it most likely go double platinum in the coming weeks.

4:44's platinum certification is JAY's 13th platinum solo album, and currently, he has the most platinum-selling albums of any other hip-hop artist in RIAA history. In the end, JAY-Z has figured out a way to stay successful in the music game without compromising his artistry. This is a major win for Hov.

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