Throne Hits Market

THE THRONE WATCH: Jay-Z and Kanye West’s Roc-a-Fella/Def Jam/Roc Nation release Watch the Throne hit iTunes last night for a four-day exclusive, and predictably, the deluxe edition of the album and the regular are running 1-2 on the site. The physical version hits retail on Friday, with Best Buy the exclusive physical outlet for the deluxe edition, which includes four extra bonus tracks. In addition, it was the first major hip-hop release in memory to hit the market without a leak, perhaps due to its digital-only release up front. Early returns suggest that the album's first-week total on next Tuesday's chart will be right in line with the initial estimate of 400-450k. The N.Y. Post’s Dan Aquilante has already weighed in with his opinion, calling it “stellar work from two stars,” touting the opening song, “No Church in the Wild,” “Lift Off’ (which features Beyonce) and “New Day,” in which the two ponder how they’ll raise their sons. Kanye even addresses his infamous Hurricane Katrina remark with the lyric about making his kid “a Republican, so they know he likes white people,” while Jay adds, “My dad left me, and I promised never to repeat him.” (8/8a)