S. Samuel
Rap mogul Jay-Z may no longer hold a minority ownership position with the Brooklyn Nets, however, the overnight sports agent is reportedly interested in helping build a fresh New York City arena.
According to reports, Young Hov would once again play a minor role in a bigger than life project.
Jay-Z is part of a group trying to renovate Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum outside New York City. The rapper and music mogul attended a meeting Thursday on Long Island, where the media was briefed on four proposals to renovate the arena and surrounding property. Nassau County officials have been trying to come up with a plan to redevelop the 40-year-old arena for many years. The New York Islanders are its primary tenant, and they are moving to Brooklyn in 2015. Jay-Z’s Roc Nation is part of a group that built the new Barclays Center in Brooklyn and is bidding for the Long Island project. He took photos with Nassau County officials but did not speak during the 30-minute presentation. County officials are expected to decide on a plan this summer. (Huffington Post)
Back in December, Jay celebrated the creation of Brooklyn’s Barclays Center with a show-all documentary.
While his name isn’t on the lease, Jay-Z has spent much of his recent time flaunting Brooklyn’s Barclays Center like he owns the only set of keys. He gave the venue’s opening performances after braving the subway, and he’ll ring in the New Year with Coldplay there. Now, HOV is celebrating its prominence in his gold-plated heart with a 25-minute behind-the-scenes documentary. Where I’m From: JAY Z Barclays Center Documentary focuses on HOV’s eight back-to-back shows at the Center, detailing the massive preparation that went into the stage show, that infamous subway ride, and snippets of performance footage from each night. Along the way, Mr. Carter and his collaborators share their thoughts on the Center and what it represents for BK. (Consequence of Sound)
Last fall, Jay officially opened the arena’s doors with an inaugural concert series.
“Tonight is a celebration, a celebration of where I’m from,” Hov told the crowd before launching into the hard-hitting “Where I’m From” from his 1997 album, In My Lifetime, Vol. 1. The homage didn’t stop there; next was the Santigold-sampling “Brooklyn We Go Hard” followed by a heartfelt cover of the Notorious B.I.G.’s “Kick in the Door” and then a crowd sing-a-long of Biggie’s first hit “Juicy.” After stripping off his bubble vest revealing a black Nets jersey with the number four on his chest (to commemorate his own December 4 birthday), the God MC tore through tracks like “99 Problems,” “Run This Town” and “Empire State of Mind” one by one. He even threw in a brand-new a cappella freestyle to the crowd’s delight. “Shooters on my team,no really I got shooters on my team,” he spit, making reference to his part ownership of the Nets and the street ties he still claims to carry. (RapFix)
The Barclays Center will also play host to MTV’s upcoming Video Music Awards ceremony.
In a pretty major first, the Barclays Center has snagged the MTV Video Music Awards — MTV’s signature awards show and along with the Movie Awards, the network’s single biggest draw of any year. Per MTV: Airing LIVE from Barclays Center on Sunday, Aug. 25, this year’s “Video Music Awards” will mark the 30th anniversary of the show and become the first major annual awards show to take place in the borough of Brooklyn. The first VMAs held back in 1984 — when, yes, there were videos on MTV — were held at Radio City Music Hall, though the Nokia or Staples in L.A. have been master of ceremonies in recent years. Radio City last had ’em in ’09. (Newsday)
