“Water is free,” Jay Z quipped. “Music is $6 but no one wants to pay for music.” He continued, somewhat confusingly, “You should drink free water from the tap—it’s a beautiful thing. And if you want to hear the most beautiful song, then support the artist.”4 Social media, especially Twitter, eviscerated Jay Z and Tidal. Thousands reminded him to check with the people who paid his bills to discover water wasn’t actually free. Overnight, an artist who built his career speaking for the people sounded entitled. The public became nauseated listening to a row of famous, multimillionaire musicians
...more
