Jay-Z and Kanyé West have officially teamed up as The Throne, recorded an album Watch the Throne (release date: August 8th), announced a stadium tour (dates below), and have obviously had a good time doing it.

The lead single “Otis” rides in on a familiar-but-stunning Otis Redding sample (specifically the classic “Try A Little Tenderness”), chopped down to “Gotta, gotta! Na-na-na…!” over Al Jackson’s in-the-pocket drums.

This must’ve cost them serious loot in licensing! But like everything Jay-Z does, this is a calculated investment that pays off big time. The song is a thumping, soulful blast of good-natured boasting. Guaranteed hit.
Stream it over at Life+Times.

The Throne Tour Dates:
09-22 Detroit, MI – Palace of Auburn Hills
09-24 Toronto, Ontario – Air Canada Centre
09-25 Montreal, Quebec – Bell Centre
09-27-28 East Rutherford, NJ – Izod Center
09-29 Washington, DC – Verizon Center
10-04 Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
10-06-07 Chicago, IL – United Center
10-08 Minneapolis, MN – Target Center
10-10 Denver, CO – Pepsi Center
10-13 Tacoma, WA – Tacoma Dome
10-14 Vancouver, British Columbia – Rogers Arena
10-16 San Jose, CA – HP Pavilion
10-17 Sacramento, CA – Power Balance Pavilion
10-19-20 Los Angeles, CA – Staples Center
10-21 Las Vegas, NV – MGM Grand Garden Arena
10-25 Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
10-26 Houston, TX – Toyota Center
10-29 Atlanta, GA – Philips Arena
10-30 Greensboro, NC – Greensboro Coliseum
11-01 Baltimore, MD – 1st Mariner Arena
11-03 Boston, MA – TD Garden