Posted by JAY-Z‘s musical output may have slowed in recent years, but he remains prolific on the playlist front. Since the launch of TIDAL in 2015, Hov has curated countless themed playlists — ranging from summer anthems and weed songs to his favorite Nas records — and is as confident in his playlist-making ability as he is on the mic.
“I’ve found so many songs, my playlist game is A++,” he boasted during a Twitter Spaces conference earlier this year. “I challenge anyone out there … I’m definitely in the top-tier of playlist creators.”
On Wednesday (December 1), JAY-Z shared a new TIDAL-exclusive playlist to coincide with the streaming platform’s parent company, Square, Inc., changing their name. Titled “Block Vibes,” the 13-song playlist reflects the Roc Nation mogul’s love for underground Hip Hop with tracks from the late MF DOOM, The Alchemist and Vince Staples, Mach-Hommy and Madlib.
There’s also a healthy serving of international flavor with songs from Nigerian stars Wizkid, Tems and Ladipoe, Australian band Hiatus Kaiyote and British musical collective Sault. Rounding out the set are selections from Texas trio Khruangbin and rising New York-born, Chicago-bred singer KeiyaA.
Celebrating the introduction of @blocks with a playlist curated by @sc. https://t.co/G0b7PvvgME
— TIDAL (@TIDAL) December 1, 2021
As announced on Wednesday, Square — the financial services company co-founded by now-former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey — is changing its name to Block. Square purchased TIDAL in a $302 million deal in March and cited the acquisition of the streaming platform as a reason for its new name.
“The change to Block acknowledges the company’s growth,” Square said in a press release. “Since its start in 2009, the company has added Cash App, TIDAL and TBD54566975 as businesses, and the name change creates room for further growth. Block is an overarching ecosystem of many businesses united by their purpose of economic empowerment, and serves many people—individuals, artists, fans, developers, and sellers.”
JAY-Z Curates TIDAL Playlist Dedicated To Nas Ahead Of DJ Khaled Collab
Aside from adding to his already billion-dollar net worth, JAY-Z earned himself a spot on Square’s board of directors as part of TIDAL’s sale. “This partnership will be a game-changer for many,” he said at the time. “Jack is one of the greatest minds of our times, and our many discussions about TIDAL’s endless possibilities have made me even more inspired about its future.”
TIDAL recently introduced a change of their own by overhauling their artist payment model to benefit musicians while adding a free tier in the U.S., allowing users to enjoy their 80 million-plus song catalog with limited ads.
Stream JAY-Z’s “Block Vibes” playlist below.