Part 2

Part 1

Part 2

Hot 97 Interview

Ok. First of all props to Jay-Z because aside from Kanye, I’m not sure any other hip hop artist would be able to pull this off. In addition to bringing in some of the best producers in hip hop to collaborate on an album, he’s gone platinum approximately 3 weeks before the album release.

In a deal with Samsung, the electronic lifestyle provide purchased 1 million albums at $5 a piece and plans to give it away to its Galaxy phone users via a new app. Galaxy user will be able to get the new album on July 4 while the non Galaxy users can purchase the album on July 7.

In my opinion Samsung got Jay-Z for a pretty cheap price. 5 million dollars to compete in the smartphone wars isn’t alot compared to other marketing efforts Samsung has done in the past.  This also offers people looking to switch or purchase their first smartphone a reason to go with Samsung and opening up the manufacturer to a broader customer base.

Jay-Z on the other hand, has a deal where he can’t lose. First of all by industry standards, Jay-Z has already made a successful album by selling 1 million copies to Samsung. At this point Magna Carta Holy Grail could be Blue Ivy’s baby gibberish and Hov is up 5 million in sales. Second by releasing the album via an app, he opens the door for advertising and now can release exclusive content on his own app without having to use other media outlets to get his message out.  Where Bjork and Funkmaster Flex benefitted by releasing albums via apps (Bjork still wins this hands down check out the album if you haven’t), Jay-Z changed the game by paying for a 3 minute slot during the NBA Finals. So for every hip hop loving sports fan Hov had watching the ad. Millions more got to it today via articles on the Internet.

Now that two Hip Hop albums have been released via smartphone apps, could we see a new trend in hip hop albums being released? Time will only tell but for the young tech kids out there, there is a brand new opportunity to generate income by making music apps.

Hov is going hard to establish himself as a serious sports agent. With Victor Cruz already under the umbrella, Jay-Z now has the Jets QB Geno Smith to add to the roster. When asked how Smith feels about joining the agency, he responded:

“I think it’s just his agency. When you talk about being in New York from a standpoint of what they can do in the city, the connections that they have, I think it’s a good move. My mother and my family is comfortable with it, I’m comfortable with it. I’m just going to move on from there, not let it be a big deal, remain humble and keep focusing on football.”

There will be new opportunities for Smith being with Roc Nation but I wonder who is really running the show? Hov is not a certified agent and their first agent is Kim Miale. Miale before joining Roc Nation had only two NFL clients – both are inactive.

Time has chosen Jay-Z as one of the most influential people in the world. NY Mayor Michael Bloomberg writes the feature on Hov you can read here

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/88013644″ width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/87385010″ params=”secret_token=s-HCyEt” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

UPDATE:

The White House’s Press Secretary had to respond to the song because a reporter, Donovan Slack tried to insinuate that Jay-Z’s “Open Letter” lyrics exposed a White House cover-up. Jay Carney decided to let her off easy:

Thanks to Miss Info for spotting this

Mr. Carter is not playing. Last week he announced the Roc Nation Sports Agency and today he announces his deal with Universal Music Group.

The New York Times Reports:

The deal, described as a multiyear partnership, will bring Roc Nation’s record label under Universal’s umbrella, moving it from Sony Music, where the label last struck a deal four years ago. It also means that Jay-Z’s own records, which recently were released through a deal with Atlantic Records, part of the Warner Music Group, will once again come out on Universal.

Terms of the partnership were not disclosed, but a person briefed on the negotiations, who was not authorized to discuss it publicly, said it was one of the more competitive label auctions in recent years, with interest from all the major record companies. Sony and Universal, the two largest record conglomerates, have been competing intensely to sign deals with top artists and independent labels.

Roc Nation is a joint venture with Live Nation Entertainment that was created as part of Jay-Z’s $150 million deal with that company in 2008. It includes a record label, music publishing division and a growing roster of artists under management, including Rihanna, Shakira, Timbaland, M.I.A. and Kylie Minogue.

As part of the deal, Rihanna will also extend her recording contract with Universal.

Jay-Z’s own albums had long come out through Def Jam — he was president of the label for several years in the mid-2000s — but after starting Roc Nation, his latest solo album, “The Blueprint 3,” was released through a distribution arrangement with Atlantic.

“This agreement presents a unique opportunity for Roc Nation’s artists — being able to continue to operate as an independent label with the strength, power and reach of the best major,” Jay-Z said in a statement. “I look forward to a long and prosperous collaboration with U.M.G. It feels good to be home.”

Can’t knock the hustle.

The New York Daily News is reporting that standout wide receiver Victor Cruz is expected to sign with Jay-Z’s new sports agency Roc Nation Sports.

Cruz, the Giants’ salsa-happy star receiver, is expected to soon become the next high-profile New York athlete to join forces with Jay Z’s new sports agency, according to two NFL sources familiar with Cruz’s plans. He will likely join Yankees slugger Robinson Cano in the new Roc Nation Sports stable, which was founded by Shawn (Jay-Z) Carter and is associated with CAA.

Looks like Mr. Carter is wasting no time signing high profile athletes in their respective sports.  Hopefully this will inspire other to be sports agents. There’s money out here and everyone doesn’t have to be a rapper.

NY Post reports:

 

Jay-Z has launched Roc Nation Sports, a full-service sports management company and has signed Yankees star Robinson Cano as its first client.

Roc Nation Sports will be led by the rapper with Juan Perez serving as president. They have partnered with CAA Sports, a division of Creative Artists Agency to co-represent the All-Star second baseman.

“Because of my love of sports, it was a natural progression to form a company where we can help top athletes in various sports the same way we have been helping artists in the music industry for years,” Jay-Z said.

Cano is a member of the Yankees’ 2009 World Series championship team, a four-time Silver Slugger Award winner, and two-time Gold Glove Award winner.

“At this point in my career, I am ready to take a more active role in my endeavors both on and off the field,” said Cano. “I am confident that the pairing of Roc Nation Sports and CAA Sports will be essential in helping me accomplish my short- and long-term goals. I am making this important decision now so I can keep my focus on helping the Yankees succeed in 2013, while minimizing any distractions for me and my teammates.”

Apart from the other rappers that went into the Sports Agency biz, Jay-Z partnering with CAA sports gives him the legitimacy to sign a player like Cano. It will be interesting to see how involved Jay will be in the day to day activities of the company but you have to applaud the power move.