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Jay-Z Predicted Streaming and the State of the Music Industry Way Back in 2010

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03.05.2026

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Jay-Z Predicted Streaming and the State of the Music Industry Way Back in 2010

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Remember when you would actually buy your albums? Remember when the only way to get a free song was for a single on the radio or on music video countdowns? Otherwise, you were going to your local Walmart or Best Buy to buy the CD or hopping on iTunes to put it on your iPod. In 2026, that feels like a totally different world. Nowadays, we have Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, YouTube, and many other options to stream music instead. Despite all the drastic differences, there was one man who saw all of this coming ahead of time: Jay-Z.

In a 2010 conversation with Interview Magazine, Hov and journalist Elvis Mitchell bonded over the gradual decline of record stores at the time. However, the difference is that the Blueprint........

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