'Watch The Throne', the hugely anticipated collaborative album by Kanye West and Jay Z, was officially released on Monday (8th August 2011), becoming one of the first high-profile albums in recent times to avoid "the leak". The duo, collectively known as 'The Throne', successfully managed to keep the record secure despite a number of listening parties.

According to MTV News, an uninvited blogger attended one of the playback events and subsequently leaked five low quality rips of the album onto the web. However, the duo's media team got to work and the clips were eventually removed. A hugely anticipated record that has had five separate release dates, 'Watch the Throne' was expected to surface eventually, but the album officially hit iTunes on Monday. The superstar duo have been credited with altering "the landscape of the record industry" with their staggered release dates and heavily monitored listening sessions. Jay Z has previously spoken of how his efforts to keep the record from premature release were a 'thank you' to the fans who had waited for the album legitimately.

'Watch the Throne's' first single will be 'Lift Off', featuring Beyonce, and the duo head out on a nationwide tour kicking off in Atlanta on 29th October 2011.