Jay - Z and Kanye <i>look the throne</i> Countdown begins!

The wait is almost over. On 8 August, Jay-Z and kanye West (now collectively known as the throne) will drop their long-awaited album, album watching the throne on iTunes as a digital exclusive, with physical to follow August 12 retailers.

It was August 2010 when Kanye first sent to the rap world buzzing when he tweeted, "Me and jay end to abandon an album 5 song called"Look at the throne."" "In October, five song EP had turned into an LP album." West confirmed with MTV News' Sway that he and reserved for high occupancy vehicles were going all in.

Discover exclusive photos of Jay - Z and Kanye West in the studio.

"Released us a whole album now," ' Ye said. "We had five [songs] so far, but then some sort of were there and include them in my album." Sorry, Jay, "he says with a chuckle." "" But we have a few others, and we are going to the South of the France at the end of the month to save only the new ideas. "But we will probably be done with the album in one day."

Things did not work quite as expected, or perhaps exaggerated Kanye of things, but the registration takes way more than 24 hours. However, during a promo run in promotion of his book, Jay - Z said Sway that he has enjoyed working with Kanye and marvelled at its growth beatmaker and lyricist.

"This is another level of this record," said reserved for high occupancy vehicles. "Because Kanye, I saw him - it really is like a brother me - I have given him from the beginning to where it is now." And seen as a producer and see how it develops as a producer and an artist, for me, another level, it is pleasant. I am watching the guys that I pretty much the mentor becoming his own guy, with his own opinion. It's fantastic. »

Fanatics would not get their first taste of Watch throne until January 2011, when the duo released "H.A.," produced by the Lex Luger energy ball that is ' Ye and Jay trading verses braggadocios. Ultimately, however, "H.A." was not the success that fans and experts expected. However, for the album remained high. "It y songs out there, what makes you love," Swizz Beatz told MTV News of the project without revealing too much. "This album is amazing, but I have to let these guys talk about, because it is their expression." All I can say is it past the bar. »

First impressions of read MTV News of the album after an exclusive listening session.

Advance has led to several rumors on the LP release date. First of all, it was reported that the throne would lessen July 4. Instead, during the weekend of July Fourth, the LP was made available for pre-order.

Shortly after, an official list was revealed on the blog of life and times Jay. The track list confirmed that Beyoncé could make an appearance on a song entitled "Lift Off", and that the future Frank Ocean odd would have features on "no church in the Wild" and "Made in America.".

On 20 July, the Group hosted New York City DJ Funkmaster Flex first their single "otis" on his Hot 97 radio show. Using a sample of Otis Redding in 1966 rendition of "Try a little tenderness", the aptly titled "Otis" features the throne rap back and forth in eight-bar intervals, without refrain or a catchy hook to anchor the runway.

Five days later, on 8 August the release date was confirmed in a press release that announced a tour tolook at the throne, with even added dates.

Now, the world awaits. With the release of watching the throne only one week, fans are eagerly anticipating Jay - Z and Kanye joint the project. The album can live to the great expectations that have been set for it? Time will tell.

Watch the throne Beginning of the week! Check in with MTV News every day until Wednesday, 10 August, for exclusive content surrounding the release of Jay - Z and Kanye West eagerly anticipated LP.

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Jay - Z shares Sneak Peek of <i>watching the throne</i>

NEW YORK - album forthcoming Jay - Z and Kanye West can be called to look at the throne, but soon enough fans will be listening, steps only to research, and he has been waiting. Thursday night, MTV News was among the list of points of sale invited to get an early listen collaborative project of the duo of the power of the media.

Listening session is held at the Mercer hotel, where it had been previously reported in the new york Post that some parts of the album were recorded. Even if it was originally set to begin at 8 a.m., Jay - Z entered the lobby of the hotel near 9 (Word, it was a Yankees game hoping to see Derek Jeter to get his 3000 hit). The Group of journalists followed the rapper to a suite which had been turned into a recording studio. Sitting at the back of the room, wearing a hat of snap-back of Yankees and crisp, white shell-toe Adidas, Hova balanced a MacBook Pro on his knees. After asking the participants to run, it gets played selections from the album, loudly.

Standout tracks included a pair of songs that feature future odd crooner Frank Ocean. Jay - Z relayed that he made to the ocean, after having heard his mixtape of nostalgia, Ultra and wanted him to contribute to his next solo album. After their initial work went well - ocean appears on one of the two songs, Jay - Z revealed he has recorded for the solo LP - Hova invited crooner to descend on the throne of watching too. The only other guest on the album is Beyoncé, that appears on the resounding "Lift Off," which looks like it was cut on measure to be carried out in the major stages.

On another particularly interesting song, Jay - Z and Kanye engaged verses made their son to be born hypothetical. (Note: representative of the press to Jay - Z requested that lyrics is not cited.) The Brooklyn MC recalled that Yeezy first recited his verses in the New York Museum of Modern Art. "I told him I was not going to get on it," Jay - Z told MTV News of the song, adding that he believed verse from Kanye, descendant of its countless errors of the past, is one of his best ever. "The honesty of it, it is really cool."

Throughout the album, Yeezy has its own when rap alongside Jay - Z, a lyricist of the highest caliber. Other standout tracks which showcase the trading rap duo bars include a song which beat contains a vocal sample haché Otis Redding much requested to be played again. Another song entitled 'Living' so Italian also received a favourable response of the room.

Jay - Z has played more than a dozen songs and said that he hoped to finalize the list of tracks at the end of week. He also admitted that the album really is in its third iteration. Initially, he and Kanye were seeking a grandiose project with elaborate songs, but they felt that doing so would take away from its enjoyment, so they chose of barrier calculate downwards.

"It is so large and well, you do want sh - shouting in your House," Jay - Z, has said, referring to their debut single, "H.A." "if we do not make records that we love and represent the culture, we would be more".

The room has begun the thinning until close to midnight, and that the session winded down, Jay - Z began to play additional pieces, including a song whose lyrics seems an indication that it was produced by no ID nods as well as for the grooves of falling, he plays a song featuring Swizz Beatz that he said probably do final assembly.

In January, MTV News sitting Sway with West, who tease project looking at the throne , saying, "goes us South of the France later this month just to register new ideas". And the end of last year, when we took with Jigga, he explained the long history between him and ' Ye. "Kanye, it really is like a brother me, I've seen him from the beginning to where it is now and to see as a producer and how he cultivated as a producer and and artist, you know, for me, another level, it's nice.".

While revenue preorder of shows the throne indicate that it will be shipped the "2011-08-02," Jay - Z and its representatives have not provided a date of solid output for the highly anticipated album beyond saying fans it would "soon" hear. " Continue to monitor.

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