Jay Z and Kanye West debuted their upcoming joint album Watch The Throne at a celebrity-packed party under the stars at New York's Hayden Planetarium on Monday (01Aug11).
The rap superstars hosted the special industry listening event at the unique venue inside the American Museum of Natural History, a week before the digital release of their collaborative project.
The pals laughed and joked with guests such as actress Jada Pinkett Smith, Def Jam Records co-founder Russell Simmons, rapper Busta Rhymes, singer Kelly Rowland and producer Q-Tip, while Jay Z's wife Beyonce and her sister Solange Knowles were also in attendance.
And hip-hop mogul Simmons has already given the album his seal of approval.
In a post on Twitter.com, he writes, "congrats to Kanye and Jay. amaaaaaaazing..."
The relaxed party took place just hours after Jay Z laughed off rumours of a rift with West, amid claims the longtime friends and colleagues had fallen out over set costs for their upcoming Watch The Throne tour, which has been postponed from its original start date in September to October (11).
Jay Z told New York radio station Hot 97, "Kanye's my brother... We have a healthy respect for one another... It's always about the art, it's never about him and me; it's always about the art."