Earlier this week it was reported that Jay Z's new album 4:44 had gone platinum within days of release [click here if you missed that].
Now we know how...
From Hits Daily Double
It appears the key was the Sprint campaign, which enabled new subscribers (and, we’re told, anyone else with an email address and promo code) to get a free download.
Per RIAA rules, a sale counts toward certification even if purchased by a business and offered to fans who must take steps to acquire it. Thus if Sprint purchased a million copies of 4:44—in a deal quite similar to the Samsung agreement that catapulted Jay’s Magna Carta Holy Grail to stratospheric numbers in 2013—that’s instant platinum, bubbeleh.
All of which explains why the RIAA’s Cary Sherman was all ready with that handsome plaque to do a photo op with Jay on 4th of July weekend.
