State Champ Radio Jay-z
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After remaining out of the limelight for quite some time now, Jay-Z and Beyoncé seem ready to rejoin society, as the Hip-Hop power couple made a rare public appearance this past weekend and turned some heads while they were at it.
According to Complex, Jay and Bey had social media buzzing when they randomly appeared at the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Las Vegas on Saturday (Nov. 22). Who knew they were fans? While Beyoncé stunned in a leather racing suit as, only she can, Jay-Z was on his New York swag with an all-black fit along with some crispy yellow construction Timbs. You can take the man out of Brooklyn, but you can’t take Brooklyn out of the man.
While we’re not sure exactly why the Carter’s decided to take in the high-speed festivities in Sin City this weekend, we’re starting to think they may have some new music on the way and want to build some buzz before dropping off any new work. Just an educated guess.
Complex reports:
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The Carters were photographed spending time with world champion Lewis Hamilton, Travis Scott, and Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin, even sharing a moment with F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali during their visit. Beyoncé, who has been on a streak of headline-making public moments, stunned fans with her racing-themed look as she walked through the paddock beside Jay-Z.
Their trip to Las Vegas came less than a day after Beyoncé was spotted in New Jersey showing support for Kelly Rowland at The Boy Is Mine Tour, alongside her sister Solange and legendary singer Patti LaBelle.
From being noticeably absent from the public eye for years to suddenly making themselves social butterflies for no reason? The Carters are up to something; the question is what?
What do y’all think about Jay-Z and Beyoncé showing up to the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Las Vegas this past weekend? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Nicki Minaj has been making it clear who she rocks with and who she doesn’t.
The Beez In The Trap rapper salutes Donald Trump after she popped out at the United Nations. During her time there, she thanked the President and brought up her concerns about the safety of Christians in Nigeria. In her post, she also appeared to take another jab at Jay-Z, expressing gratitude toward Trump while shading Hov in the same message, saying:
“United Nations was a MAGA Flex. Trump on da text. Y’all should be afraid of what I’m gon do next.”
Hip-Hop heads know what she (allegedly) did in that post. That could have been taken as a flip off Jay’s “On To The Next One” verse where he says, “Obama on the text, y’all should be afraid of what I’m gon’ do next.” This would not be the first time the leader of the Barbz may have sneak dissed Hov.
Back in October, Minaj came at the Roc Nation mogul, saying the label has been begging for music and a tour:
“They came BEGGING the QUEEN for a tour & album & I said NOPE!!!!! LMFAO. Wanted to patch it up. They needed help from the QUEEN & the BARBZ. I called the Barbz on the secret BARB phone & it was resounding NOOOOOOOO. Just like the casinoooooooooo”.
She also noted that Hov was in the running for a casino deal but ended up losing the bid.
Rymir Satterthwaite began a quest over a decade ago, claiming that Jay-Z impregnated his mother in the late 1990s, leading to his birth. Jay-Z has fought the case at every turn, and now, a California judge has dismissed the paternity lawsuit from Rymir Satterthwaite.
In a report from Page Six, it was revealed that Rymir Satterthwaite, 30, will not have his paternity case go any further after a judge in California dismissed the matter with prejudice on Wednesday (November 4). From this point forward, Satterthwaite can no longer file a paternity suit against Shawn Carter, professionally known as Jay-Z.
The outlet adds that Wanda Satterthwaite, the mother of Rymir, filed a civil lawsuit against Carter that did not materialize into any legal ramifications before her passing. Ms. Satterthwaite died in 2016, but her son vowed to keep the pressure up.
Rymir Satterthwaite is also a rapper, according to past report,s but it isn’t known how far his music has traveled.
There have not been any statements made by Jay-Z’s legal team.
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Photo: Getty
Bad Bunny attracted the ire of many once it was announced that the Puerto Rican superstar would be the featured performer at next year’s Super Bowl halftime set. Jay-Z, whose Roc Nation has helped put together the highly coveted performance slot, addressed the dustup around Bad Bunny in quick fashion.
TMZ reports that Jay-Z made a brief statement countering all the criticism regarding the decision to have Bad Bunny perform at Super Bowl LX. After the outlet asked Hov his thoughts on the artist born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, the Brooklyn Hip-Hop and business icon initially didn’t want to have a conversation, but gave a quick soundbite.
“They love him, don’t let them fool you,” Jay-Z said regarding the singer and all the backlash Bad Bunny has received.
Jay-Z was clearly on the way to another destination, but graciously signed autographs while remaining tight-lipped about how Roc Nation and the NFL came to their decision.
The pushback against having Bad Bunny perform at Super Bowl LX has been high, with many decrying the fact that he’s a Spanish-speaking artist despite being an American citizen. Turning Point USA, the organization co-founded by the late Charlie Kirk, is reportedly putting together a countering halftime show featuring artists that they feel line up with what the country wants.
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Photo: Getty
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The value placed on sampling hits is an ongoing discussion, particularly when it comes to proper compensation. For reggae legend Sister Nancy, Jay-Z did the right thing when he sampled her iconic track “Bam Bam” for his song “Bam” with Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley on the 4:44 album in 2017. Sister Nancy spoke about the experience in an interview with Billboard.
“Everybody has sampled the song, but he chose to take me with him. Jay-Z is my number one. He did the right thing,” Sister Nancy said. “Everybody else was cheap; they didn’t even think about me.” She also spoke of her gratitude for the rapper flying her to her native Jamaica to take part in the video shoot. “The reality of him taking me with him to shoot the video in Jamaica was amazing. I really appreciated that,” the 63-year-old said. “At the time, I had just left my accounting job at the bank, so it meant a lot.”
The pioneering artist’s song, which appeared on her debut album One, Two was released in 1982. It wasn’t an outright hit at first, but it grew to become arguably the most sampled reggae song in the genre’s history. But Sister Nancy wasn’t receiving any accolades or money from it; by 1996, she relocated to New Jersey, focusing on making a more stable life for her and her daughter. That journey, and her return to music, is the subject of the documentary Bam Bam: The Story of Sister Nancy, which was an official 2024 Tribeca Film Festival selection
In the interview, Sister Nancy also spoke about the first time that she heard “Bam Bam” sampled in an unauthorized fashion, first back in Jamaica on Kriss Kross’ “I’m Real.” Upon her migration to the United States, she stated that “the first place I heard “Bam Bam” was in the 1998 Belly movie.”It wasn’t until 2014 that Sister Nancy decided to go after her due royalties. “Working my nine-to-five at the bank was rough, and my daughter was in high school at the time. I had to depend on my mother so much as well,” she said. “I’m so sorry she’s not here to reap what she sowed—because I didn’t sow it, she did. 2014 is when I decided to fight for what is mine. And nobody complained because they knew I deserved it. They basically just gave me what I was owed.”
Lester Cohen / Memphis Bleek
Outside of Tyran “Ty Ty” Smith, Kareem “Biggs” Burke, and at one time Dame Dash, no one was as close to JAY-Z as his former protege Memphis Bleek, and now he is sharing some of his insight on Hov’s departure from Roc-A-Fella Records.
Speaking with The Breakfast Club, the “My Mind Right” crafter kept it real about his former boss leaving Roc-A-Fella Records and his relationship with him.
Bleek, who was once considered the “heir apparent” to Jay-Z’s Hip-Hop throne, told the Power 105.1 morning radio show that he knew he was a “liability” regarding Jigga’s business ventures, something the mogul would not risk jeopardizing.
Per Complex:
“I knew he had to,” he said at the 28:55 mark. “For Jay to be where he at, he couldn’t be around us everyday. I’m a liability. Me now, being married, being a businessman, of course, things have changed. But the reckless Bleek, you couldn’t be around us.”
“Anything could happen, and then it spills right back to you,” Bleek continued. “So once Jay started to do these billionaire deals, basketball teams, moving teams from here to Brooklyn, you automatically knew the distance was warranted. It’s not that he don’t rock with you, or don’t rock with us.”
Bleek also revealed that he tried to warn his fellow labelmates that the end was near, with Jay-Z checking out.
“Y’all better hope y’all got a retirement plan,” Bleek said during a 2023 appearance on Drink Champs. “Put this shit together. You see him [Jay-Z], he getting out of here. He telling y’all, Black Album, fade to black, it’s over.”
Welp, it’s clear no one listened to Bleek.
You can see the entire interview below.
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Jay-Z’s playoff gamble just took a hit after the Indiana Pacers beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, putting the Pacers up 2-1 in the series.
The Thunder’s loss didn’t just hurt their title hopes; it cost Jay a $1 million bet. Before the Finals started, Jay placed a $1 million wager through Fanatics Sportsbook that the Thunder would take down the Pacers in just five games. That prediction is now impossible, with Indiana already winning two games. As a result, Jay’s bet is officially a loss.
If things had gone his way, the Roc Nation founder would’ve walked away with over $3 million. But while the loss stings, it’s not exactly devastating. Jay is a partner in Fanatics Sportsbook, and he’s close friends with its founder, Michael Rubin. The two have worked together on several business deals, including the REFORM Alliance, a criminal justice reform group they launched with other big names.
Hov is no stranger to high-stakes gambling either. He’s known for throwing invite-only blackjack tournaments, often tied to raising money for REFORM. So while this particular bet didn’t go his way, it’s more of a blip than a major blow. The Finals are still far from over, and while the Thunder have some work to do, don’t expect Jay to stop betting big anytime soon.
In other news, Jay-Z and his wife Beyoncé turned their London concert into a family celebration by giving their twins, Rumi and Sir Carter, a special birthday moment. During night four of the Cowboy Carter tour at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on June 12, which happened to be the twins’ 8th birthday, Beyoncé paused the show to shine the spotlight on her youngest kids. Even in the middle of a massive world tour, Beyoncé made sure her kids felt the love, from her and Jay for one night.
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Nicki Minaj hops on the remix of Lil Wayne’s track “Banned From NO,” a fan favorite from his “Tha Carter VI” album.
While the queen wasn’t on the original version, she’s now back with some hard-hitting bars, and a few surprising shots at some well-known names.
One line that’s getting a lot of attention is aimed at sports commentator Shannon Sharpe. Nicki raps, “’Bout to cop you slides, all you do is flip-flop, if I send a pic of Shannon, you ain’t that Sharpe.” Many fans were confused at first, wondering why she would call him out. But Nicki later explained that years ago, Sharpe tweeted “Nicki who?” in a shady way. She clearly didn’t forget, and now she’s firing back in a verse. She even joked that she almost threw a shot at Chad Ochocinco too, since he’s often on shows with Sharpe, but decided not to.
Nicki also took a subtle jab at Jay-Z and the NFL. This year’s Super Bowl was held in New Orleans, Lil Wayne’s hometown, and many fans were upset that he wasn’t picked to perform at halftime. Instead, the NFL chose Kendrick Lamar. Nicki called it out in her lyrics, saying, *“NFL, fire some n*ggas and then call us,” hinting that the league only works with Black artists when it benefits them. She didn’t mention Jay-Z by name, but since he helps run the NFL’s entertainment deals, many believe the line was allegedly directed at him.
Whether she’s defending Lil Wayne or settling old scores, Nicki proves once again that she’s not afraid to speak her mind, and still knows how to grab everyone’s attention.
Take a look at some of the funniest reactions from the Barbz to Nicki Minaj sounding off on Shannon Sharpe and Jay-Z below.
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On Monday (June 2), Jay-Z visited New York’s State Capitol Building in Albany. The purpose of the surprise appearance by the rapper and entrepreneur was to meet with State Senate Minority Leader Andrea Cousins, in order to discuss a bid by his Roc Nation company to secure a gaming license to open what would be New York’s first Black-owned casino.
Jay-Z’s hope is to open a Caesar’s Palace casino in Times Square, with Caesars Entertainment and SL Green Realty. He explained his plans for the project in an open letter back in 2023. “We are New Yorkers. Supporting and providing opportunities for our neighborhoods and community isn’t just a part of Roc Nation’s ethos . . . It’s our collective responsibility,” the rapper said in the statement. “Any proposal that wins a gaming license will undoubtedly profit. Our vision is to give back to New York and ensure that the Broadway community, Hell’s Kitchen, and the surrounding businesses and areas all benefit. And not just for a minute, but for the long-term.”Last fall, Roc Nation proposed a reported $450 million in grants for the communities in Hell’s Kitchen and surrounding areas if they were successfully granted approval on their bid. According to The Robb Report, the first $15 million would go to the community, with regular grants based on 0.5% of the casino’s performance to be doled out. A local trust would be responsible for administering the funds to those in need and for infrastructure improvements in Hell’s Kitchen and the Times Square area.If successful, Jay-Z would become the second Black owner of a casino in the United States – the first was Don Barden, who in 2002 acquired three Fitzgeralds casinos in the Las Vegas area for $149 million. Currently, the Genting Group owns and operates the Resorts World Casino at the Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York. New York State is set to award three gaming licenses this year, and Senate Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris has already backed an $8 billion casino proposal for the Metropolitan Park complex proposed by New York Mets owner Steve Cohen.
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The 40/40 Club is set for another comeback. JAY-Z’s former hot spot will be returning to Fanatics Fest.
As per The New York Post the famed nightclub will be recreated once again for the annual Fanatics Fest. For this edition the lounge will host V.I.P.’s personally invited by JAY-Z and Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin. In 2024 the pop-up experience hosted an array of high profile celebrities, athletes, musicians and more. In the house were the likes of Quavo, Lil Wayne, DJ Khaled, Carmelo Anthony, Dez Bryant, Jalen Rose and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. According to the periodical JAY-Z is slated to attend the 2025 Fanatics Fest.
Originally launched in 2003, The 40/40 Club was a chain of upscale sports bars and lounges. Its name was a nod to the very exclusive group of Major League Baseball players who attained 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in one single season. The venue decor featured memorabilia from some of the greatest moments in sports. The brand would eventually open other locations in Las Vegas, Atlantic City and at The Barclays Center in Brooklyn. All of the locations have since been closed.
Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin detailed his enthusiasm for the event in a formal statement. “Seeing the pure joy, excitement and enthusiasm from all the fans who attended our first event last summer was absolutely incredible and I could not be more excited to bring Fanatics Fest back to New York City this June” he said. “We’re going bigger and better next year, adding hundreds of athletes and celebrities to the roster, blowing out the event space to add many more interactive experiences from the top leagues and teams, creating more opportunities for fans and collectors to meet their favorite athletes, more exclusive product drops and overall taking the entire event to a new level. June can’t come fast enough.”
Fanatics Fest will take place June 20-22 in New York City. You can find out more information about the event here.
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