Visiting historical artifacts to prepare for a gig seems quite a bit out of the ordinary for some performers, but then again, when has Jay-Z done anything ordinary. The rapper decided to pay a visit to Salisbury Cathedral and see the document which inspired the title of his latest album – the real Magna Carta. Maybe he wanted to get a little mental boost before his performance at Wireless on Sunday? If that’s the case, it certainly seems to have worked, as by all accounts, Hova put on a stunning show and has now extended his UK performances to a full-blown European tour in response to fan demand.

Jay-Z, Wireless Festival
Perhaps the visit was lucky for Jay.

Maybe it was all due to the Magna Carta? On Sunday Mr Carter arrived unannounced at the cathedral, just after morning service. He took a look at the 1215 Magna Carta, which is one of four surviving originals, and spent an hour with the Dean of Salisbury touring the cathedral. Apparently the rapper wanted to keep a low-profile on his visit and tried to be as quiet and unnoticeable as possible. An unnamed source recalled for The Sun: “Jay-Z kept the visit quiet because he didn’t want it to become a big publicity stunt. He travelled down from London in a small group in his classic Aston Martin.”

Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, Wireless
The rapper put on a killer show that night.

Sounds about as low-profile as you can get. This isn’t Jay-Z’s first brush with the historical document, however. In fact, the real Magna Carta, one of four surviving copies, played a key, if symbolic role in Hova’s album promotion. The rapper had the Magna Carta Holy Grail artwork displayed in the same room as the real deal for months before the album dropped.

Jay-Z, Wireless Festival
Jay-Z is now gearing up for a European tour.