We’re used to streaming music services getting exclusives on new albums a few days or a week before their release, but rapper Talib Kweli’s new project Idle Warship has trumped that. The new Habits of the Heart album is being made available on Spotify in the US a full three weeks before its release, supported by banner and audio ads on the service. “I understand that we may be hurting ourselves a little bit initially, releasing the album on Spotify before it drops,” says Stu Pflaum, VP of label Element 9. “But I think we gain more than we lose, especially with an underground project like Idle Warship where it’s not that well known. Just getting the music in people’s hands is the ultimate goal.” Kweli is behind the move too: “There’s always going to be pirates and there’s always going to be thieves. The way I see it, if people truly love my music, they will support me in some way down the road.” Source: Billboard
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