‘Magna Carta Holy Grail’ Artwork Launch At Real Magna Carta Cathedral

Magna Carta Holy Grail by Jay-Z began offering one million free downloads to Samsung Galaxy S4, SIII, or Note 2 users who have downloaded the Android app from Google Play.

In the run-up to the album’s release, the artwork has been unveiled at Salisbury Cathedral in the United Kingdom, the home of the original 1215 Magna Carta. The famous document is the charter that first limited the rule of the king of England and started the nation on the path toward constitutional law.

The name means “great charter” in Latin. The Magna Carta is cited as one of the influences on the constitution of the United States.

That and $5 will apparently get you a cup of coffee. These days, your big old famous historical document needs to hookup with a hip hop star to get some publicity.

Here’s the Salisbury’s Cathedral description of the document which inspired Jay-Z’s Magna Carta Holy Grail as well as that whole US constitution thingy:

“It is one of the most celebrated documents in English history whose importance cannot be exaggerated. It is often claimed to be the cornerstone of English liberty, law and democracy and its legacy has been its enduring and worldwide influence. The critical importance of the charter is that it imposed for the first time detailed written constraints on royal authority in the fields of taxation, feudal rights and justice, and limited unjust and arbitrary behaviour by the king. Magna Carta has become an icon for freedom and democracy throughout the world.”

Salisbury Cathedral also took the opportunity to publish a Q&A about the collaboration with Jay-Z. Here’s an excerpt:

Why is the album called Magna Carta Holy Grail?

‘To no one will We Sell, to no one will We Deny or delay, right or justice.’ These words and ideals are still relevant today. This album addresses the lack of rules governing all of our modern advances. We have new technologies and new ways of communicating with each other but we have no boundaries protecting our rights in this new world.

Hey, it was 1215. They just sorta capitalized letters at random back then.

The artwork for the new album will be on display side by side with the real Magna Carta at Salisbury Cathedral until the end of July.