Jay-Z and Kanye Broker Deal To Sell Cd Through Best Buy Exclusively First Ten Days Of Release

Independent record stores are taking Kanye West and Jay-Z to task for signing a deal with Best Buy that gives the chain exclusive rights to sell the deluxe version of the Watch The Throne CD for the first 10 days of its release, as well as giving iTunes an exclusive window for the digital release.

The organizers of Record Store Day have called on independent retailers throughout the United States to sign an open letter to the rappers, which says that exclusive deals with stores such as Best Buy are a "short-sighted strategy, and that your decisions will be doing great damage to over 1,700 independent record stores -- stores that have supported you and your music for years." At press time, dozens of independent record store owners had signed the letter, which can be read here.