On April 9, 2024, Facebook account America's Last Line of Defense published a post claiming American rapper and producer Jay-Z paid more than $20 million to country music stations to play his wife, Beyoncé's, new album, "Cowboy Carter." The post (archived here) received more than 53,000 reactions and 21,000 shares, as of this writing.
The creator commented on the post:
According to ALLOD Musical Analyst Joe Barron, "Operation Push Cowboy Carter" has been going on for months, with Jay Z reaching out to stations across the country with offers of cash and other glam gifts.
"Hank Snaffleton from KADH in Upstate Washington got a Rolex," said Barron, "which wasn't even the most expensive gift thrown around."
We estimate that Jay Z spent at least $20 million to make the album a success, whether it is or not.
Other social media users picked up the claim, amassing more than 300,000 views combined.
As early as February 2024, YouTube channel Arrow Link made the same claim.
This item was not a factual recounting of real-life events. Both the YouTube channel Arrow Link and Facebook account America's Last Line of Defense have disclaimers describing their output as being humorous or satirical in nature, as follows:
Arrow Link: Disclaimer: All TOPICS are for ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY! None of the information presented in this video or by ARROW LINK should be taken as FACT and everything is ALLEGED.
America's Last Line of Defense: Everything on this website is fiction. It is not a lie and it is not fake news because it is not real. If you believe that it is real, you should have your head examined. Any similarities between this site's pure fantasy and actual people, places and events are purely coincidental and all images should be considered altered and satirical.
Snopes has covered other rumors involving Beyoncé, including that she was banned from the Grand Ole Opry and that Taylor Swift sang backing vocals on a song on "Cowboy Carter."
For background, here is why we sometimes write about satire/humor.