Business, Man: JAY-Z’s Most Creative Business Moves

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It was previously reported that JAY-Z will be serving as President of Puma’s Basketball division, but ESPN’s Darren Rovell has clarified that Jay will be creative director, not president.

Jigga is joined by new brand ambassadors and future NBA rookies DeAndre Ayton from Arizona University, Marvin Bagley III from Duke University, and Zhaire Smith from Texas Tech

Adam Petrick, Puma’s global director of brand and marketing said of the deal: “We’ve been working with Roc Nation for quite some time. They’ve been great partners to us for several years. We’ve done many different deals with many different ambassadors.”

When Jay was approached, it “was something he wanted to be a part of,” according to Petrick.

We’re used to Hov being both a player and president in most of his moves (“I’m like Michael Jordan, I play for the team I own”), so the mix-up is understandable.

Since he entered the game, he’s worked hard to align his brand with big business. Back in 2015, the NBA passed what was called “The JAY-Z rule,” preventing dozens of minority-stake investors from claiming ownership of a franchise, which happened when Jay helped move the team from New Jersey to Brooklyn.

Keep clicking for a recap of Jay’s other creative-slash-executive moves over the years.

”Nobody gave us shit, we made us.” “I Did It My Way”

After years of being rejected by record labels, Jay, Damon Dash and Kareem “Biggs” Burke partnered to form Roc-A-Fella Records, securing distribution with Priority Records and entering the game with a unique level of corporate reach and creative independence.

The deal, which was made out of necessity, would define Jay’s career as both an artist and business man.

“A CEO’s mind, that marketing plan was me.” “What More Can I Say?”

Jay, Dame and Biggs took their deal with Priority to the next level by connecting with Def Jam in a deal that gave major label promotion without the traditionally exploitative revenue splits.

When Jay’s 1998 smash “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)” topped the charts, it paid better than what his peers were getting, giving the Roc a huge creative and business advantage heading into the new millennium.

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Until you’re on your own you can’t be free.” “I Got The Keys”

In 2000, Jay’s fifth album, The Dynasty: Roc-La-Familia announced his intentions to create a music empire, similar to Motown.

Producers Just Blaze, Bink! and Kanye West were early draft picks, helping lay the groundwork for a long line of Roc-A-Fella seeds including vets Memphis Bleek and Beanie Sigel, plus Freeway, Young Gunz, Peedi Crak and many more down the Roc bloodline, from Rihanna to J. Cole.

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“Feds all fed up, DEA can tell the dirty money from a Roc-A-Wear sweater, And I’m never, ever going back.” “Ain’t I”

In 2006, Jay sold his portion of Roc-A-Wear for $204 million. At the time, the clothing line did $700 million in yearly revenue.

Dame and Biggs were more involved in the development and growth of the clothing brand during Jay’s peak as a commercial artist in the early 2000’s, but that didn’t stop the MC from cashing out on his first of many extracurricular business moves.

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“I’m getting courted by the bosses/The Edgars And Doug Morris-es, Jimmy I’s and Lyors-es/it’s

Gotta be more than the choruses/They respecting my mind now/Just a matter of time now/Operation: Takeover Corporate/Makeover offices-es-es then takeover all of it.” “Corporate Takeover”

After ruling as Def Jam President for a year and change, Jay released Kingdom Come in 2006 and began rapping about even loftier corporate goals than he ones he and his original partners aspired to.

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“You not a boss, you got a boss/Niggas getting jerked, that shit hurts, I take it personally/Niggas rather work for the man than to work with me.” “BOSS”

Jay continues to throw jabs at artists who choose to work with established industry giants instead of his TIDAL and Roc Nation start-ups.

As he said on “Family Fued,” “I’ll be damned if I drink some Belvedere while Puff got CÎROC.”

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“Own boss, own your masters, slaves, the mentality I carry with me to this very day, fuck rich, let’s get wealthy, who else gon’ feed we?” “No Hook”

Jay has owned the rights to his masters since breaking up with Dash and Burke in 2004 and joining Def Jam as president. In 2014, the agreement gave Jay full rights to his catalog.

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In 2003, JAY-Z and Reebok partnered for the first artist-sneaker endorsement since Run DMC and Michael Jackson’s respective deals without adidas and LA Gear.

Since Jay’s move, Kanye West, Drake, Big Sean, Pusha T, Macklemore, Lil’ Wayne, Tyler the Creator and Wiz Khalifa have all followed suit.