Jay Z’s successes both as an artist and businessman are bound to his ability to read audiences and interpret what they want. It’s how he’s transitioned from kicking staccato rhymes in his early twenties to "the immaculate conception of rappers slash hustlers" in his mid-forties. Two decades into his ever-diversifying career he’s more concerned than ever with his business endeavors than maintaining his status as "best rapper alive", and appears to often put the latter in service of the former. Tidal, his oft-maligned music streaming service, is but the latest example. He recently announced plans to promote it through an exclusive concert where he’ll perform nothing but b-sides from his vast catalog.

Nostalgia is a method of hypnosis, and it’s clear that Jay believes once again donning the hyphen like Bruce Wayne dusting off the Batman suit in The Dark Knight Rises will help him—or, rather, Tidal—in a colossal resurrection of his star power. It’s hard to imagine that he’d be plugging back in, so to speak, if it were not in service of some enterprise. Although the concert proffers the chance to see Jay perform "You’re Only a Customer" live, an air of skepticism looms, and no one wants to look that gift horse in mouth. It begs the question of how all of this reflects on his credibility and status, which is not as bulletproof as it once was.

-=-=-=-In his prime, he was every ounce the Untouchable J character he portrayed in the revered Roc-A-Fella B movie, State Property. En route to becoming everything "The Wire"’s Stringer Bell wanted to be, he’s amassed a legion of devoted followers who champion his every move, but they’re offset by a growing faction who interpret him boasting about being the dictionary definition of a hustler as a negative. In the eyes of the latter, selling water to a well was Jay’s raison d'être 14 years ago; now he’s simply peddling one-percenter values. This cynicism derives from the belief that the only thing that’s motivated Jay Z since his "comeback" is money.

It’s been nine years since Jay ended his version of retirement, which consisted of running Def Jam while offering guest verses and the occasional random gem fastened to a Memphis Bleek album. During this span, the lone time he’s sounded inspired was on American Gangster, where he admitted that an advanced screening of Ridley Scott’s examination of Harlem drug kingpin Frank Lucas’ rise and demise roused something that had been dormant within him. "It was like I was watching the film and putting it on pause and giving a back story to the story," he told the New York Times in 2007. "Watching that film, it brought back all these memories. It took me back to those emotions." For the most part, those emotions remained with that album.

American Gangster’s follow up, The Blueprint 3, was an end-of-the century victory jog. While there are strong showings like "So Ambitious", "Already Home", and "A Star Is Born", big records like "Run This Town" and "Empire State of Mind" define the album. Watch the Throne is superior, but Kanye West being in the driver’s seat of that mutilated Maybach in the "Otis" video is metaphoric for his influence on the album. The announcement of 2013’s Magna Carta Holy Grail arrived via a Samsung commercial strategically placed during a pivotal NBA Finals game and featuring producers Rick Rubin, Swizz Beatz, Timbaland, and Pharrell.

Jay also revealed that the album would be available for digital download to Samsung users, a feature far more interesting than the album itself. Despite featuring popular singles such as "FuckWithMeYouKnowIGotIt" and "Tom Ford", Magna Carta Holy Grail was as safe as a hip-hop album comes. The album’s most original aspect was its rollout. In addition, its proximity to Jay Z’s diplomatic response to criticism of his Barneys collaboration amid allegations of racial discrimination by the chain only underscored that criticism. Between rapping about his art collection, Jay Z has been searching for a way to extend his wealth and regain some of the trust from detractors. This is where Tidal factors in.