When rapper Drake announced the April 29 release date of his highly anticipated album, “Views From the 6,” he left out one small detail—it'd be an Apple Music exclusive.
According to Buzzfeed, Drake’s fourth studio album will only be available to listen on Apple Music during the first week of release, and will then become available on all streaming platforms.
The relationship between the Canadian rapper and Apple is no secret. Drake reportedly inked a $19 million dollar deal with the company and his tune, “Jumpman”—featuring Atlanta rapper, Future—is featured in the TAYLORvTREADMILL ad starring a tumbling Taylor Swift.
For streaming platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music, having exclusivity appears to be a common occurrence in today’s technologically driven times. Rihanna released “Anti” first via Tidal and a few days later was available to listen on all platforms. Kanye West vowed to never have “The Life of Pablo” available for purchase or any streaming services other than Tidal.
But then on April 1—almost two months after its February release date—the Chicago rapper decided to sell the album on his website and appear on all streaming platforms. It paid off for West, whose album debuted atop the Billboard 200 charts on April 11. “The Life of Pablo” became the first album to debut number one in the charts with a majority of its sales—70 percent in this case—coming from streaming.
Check out the trailer for the release of “Views From the 6” below.
