Jay-Z and Kanye West’s announcement that Watch The Throne would be to be distributed digitally first then physical copies sold exclusively by Best Buy was met by an overwhelmingly negative response, and for good reason. The mom-and-pop record stores are struggling as it is and missing out on a rare guaranteed-to-sell album such as this one will definitely leave a dent in the cash register.

And when asked to justify this decision, last week Jay’s manager John Meneilly claimed that it was to prevent the album from sprouting a premature leak and other assorted forms of piracy, another statement that was immediately laughed at and deemed impossible. But nothing’s impossible, right?

A record leaking two to three weeks before its scheduled release has become the norm in 2011. Even the biggest ones. Eminem’s Recovery leaked two weeks before schedule and 50 Cent’s Before I Self-Destruct appeared a whopping month early. In many cases, by the time the official date rolls around, the record is old news already and fans are on to the next one.

It has long been assumed that copies are stolen during pressing, but Watch The Throne has obviously been pressed for some time now and there wasn’t even so much as a whimper of an unauthorized graphic, much less the album. So, maybe the duo was onto something after all?

Perhaps the source of the leaks has been the family-owned shops all along or maybe these two just got really, really lucky. But whatever they did worked and it’s bound to turn some heads because the labels are always watching. Fair or not, a trend could possibly be set, one which sees more and more artists cutting out the small business in favor of the conglomerate.

And how can they go wrong? Stores like Best Buy and Target are practically everywhere, so accessibility is definitely not an issue. These stores also have the most marketing power and we assume most of the units are already sold from these outlets. Most of all though, the album didn’t leak early, so sticking with the majors may have more security.

It may be a hard pill to swallow but music is not free. Music is entertainment, and entertainment costs money. Just like movies and sports, the owners must be compensated. It’s not fair to the rappers who oftentimes invest much of their own dough into their music to wind up getting no return on it. The cash isn’t flowing and that’s why most stores have scaled down their CD aisles and why 360 deals came about. And when Watch The Throne moves the units it’s expected to, don’t be surprised when more labels decide to cut the mom-and-pops out of the loop.

Anyways, another promo trailer for WTT before the midnight release on iTunes.

Update: Feast on the album’s 30-second snippets until main course at midnight.

Update #2: The Def Jam press release for the album, which includes specific release info, along with the album art, inserts and a look at the CD (click to enlarge).

“The Deluxe CD-version of Kanye West and Jay-Z’s Watch The Throne will be available exclusively at Best Buy locations nationwide from August 12th – August 22nd. The Deluxe album includes four bonus songs from the duo. The most anticipated release of the year from Jay-Z and Kanye West – also known as The Throne – has already been deemed a “masterpiece,” garnering critical acclaim from press and tastemakers alike.

“It’s been an exciting year so far for the music industry with some major releases, and we’re particularly excited about partnering with leading artists Jay-Z and Kanye on the launch of their highly anticipated album,” said Nate Jarpe, merchant director of music at Best Buy.

The Deluxe packaging for Watch The Throne is high-end art created by acclaimed designer Riccardo Tisci of Givenchy. The softpack, when opened up, turns into a cross-like shape printed on gold mylar with Tisci’s patterns embossed throughout. The package also includes an 18-panel poster that features Tisci’s artwork as well as lyrics to the entire album. The CD is a special edition black colored disc which is not standard with normal packaging. In tune with his codes for Givenchy, Riccardo Tiscicreated an artwork that channels most of his aesthetics: symmetry, lightness, darkness, sharpness and 3D.

Watch The Throne Deluxe edition CD will be available at additional retailers beginning August 23rd.”