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Square, Inc. to buy majority of Tidal and put Jay-Z on board
Read full article: Square, Inc. to buy majority of Tidal and put Jay-Z on boardFILE - In this July 23, 2019, file photo, Jay-Z makes an announcement of the launch of Dream Chasers record label in joint venture with Roc Nation, at the Roc Nation headquarters in New York.Financial technology company Square, Inc. says it has reached an agreement to acquire majority ownership of Tidal, the music streaming service partly owned by Jay-Z. (Photo by Greg Allen/Invision/AP, File)SAN FRANCISCO – Financial technology company Square, Inc. said Thursday that it has reached an agreement to acquire majority ownership of Tidal, the music streaming service partly owned by Jay-Z. Under the deal, Square will pay $297 million in cash and stock for Tidal, Jay-Z will be named to Square's board of directors, and he and other artists who currently own shares in Tidal will remain stakeholders. Tidal has presented itself as the artist-friendly alternative to other music streamers, and Square says it will take that phenomenon further for musicians just as it has for businesses with its financial systems. AdJay-Z said in the statement that the “partnership will be a game-changer for many.” I look forward to all this new chapter has to offer!"
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Moet Hennessy buys 50% stake in Jay-Z's Champagne brand
Read full article: Moet Hennessy buys 50% stake in Jay-Z's Champagne brandMoet Hennessy is acquiring a 50% stake in the rapper and entrepreneur's Champagne brand, Armand de Brignac, in an effort to up its cool factor and expand sales. Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, said the partnership will help Armand de Brignac grow and flourish. (Photo by Greg Allen/Invision/AP, File)Moet Hennessy is acquiring a 50% stake in rapper and entrepreneur Jay-Z’s Champagne brand in an effort to up its cool factor and expand distribution. Moet Hennessy President and CEO Philippe Schaus said Armand de Brignac breaks barriers and reflects contemporary ideas of luxury, even as it supports historic Champagne-making traditions. Moet Hennessy is the wine and spirits division of luxury goods company LVMH.
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Jay-Z's Roc Nation forms book publisher with Random House
Read full article: Jay-Z's Roc Nation forms book publisher with Random HouseNEW YORK – A decade after publishing his memoir “Decoded,” Jay-Z is forming a more lasting partnership with the book industry. Roc Nation, the entertainment company founded by the rapper, is starting an imprint with Random House called Roc Lit 101. In a joint announcement Tuesday, Random House and Roc Nation promised “books at the dynamic intersection of entertainment and genre-defying literature." Future releases will include a book by Meek Mill on “criminal justice and survival,” memoirs by rappers Yo Gotti and Fat Joe and fantasy fiction from rapper Lil Uzi Vert, along with everything from cookbooks to children's stories. Roc Lit 101 will be led by Chris Jackson, the publisher and editor-in-chief of the Random House imprint One World and a recent recipient of a lifetime achievement award from the Center for Fiction; and Jana Fleishman, executive vice president of Roc Nation.
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The Weeknd to headline the Pepsi Super Bowl halftime show
Read full article: The Weeknd to headline the Pepsi Super Bowl halftime showThe NFL, Pepsi and Roc Nation announced Thursday, Nov. 12 that the three-time Grammy winner will perform at the 2021 Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show on Feb. 7 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Rob Grabowski/Invision/AP, File)LOS ANGELES – The Weeknd will bring his popular falsetto vocals to the 2021 Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show. “We all grow up watching the world’s biggest acts playing the Super Bowl and one can only dream of being in that position,” the singer said in a statement. This is an extraordinary moment in time and the Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show is going to be an extraordinary experience with an extraordinary performer.”Roc Nation and Emmy-nominated producer Jesse Collins will serve as co-executive producers of the halftime show. “We are thrilled to have The Weeknd join us in Tampa Bay on the Pepsi Halftime Stage,” said Brian Rolapp, the NFL’s chief media and business officer.
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Roc Nation partners with Brooklyns LIU to launch new school
Read full article: Roc Nation partners with Brooklyns LIU to launch new schoolNEW YORK Jay-Zs Roc Nation entertainment company is partnering with Brooklyns Long Island University to launch the Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment. The new school will begin enrolling students for the fall 2021 semester, and 25% of the incoming freshmen class will receive Roc Nation Hope Scholarships. Roc Nation Sports was founded in 2013 and has worked with many athletes as well as the NBA, MLB and NFL, even co-producing this years Emmy-nominated halftime show with Shakira and Jennifer Lopez. The Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment will offer undergraduate degrees in music, music technology, entrepreneurship and production, and sports management. The school will also offer resources to high school students and those younger: Starting in spring 2021, the school will launch summer residential camps for high schoolers and Saturday programs for students ages 10-18 that focus on music and sports management.
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Jay-Z's Made in America festival canceled due to pandemic
Read full article: Jay-Z's Made in America festival canceled due to pandemicNEW YORK Jay-Zs annual festival in Philadelphia, Made in America, wont take place Labor Day weekend due to the coronavirus pandemic. In a statement Wednesday, the rap moguls Roc Nation company said it plans to produce the popular festival in 2021. Therefore, the Made In America festival will be rescheduled for Labor Day Weekend 2021, Roc Nation said in a statement. This years Made In America festival was set to take place Sept. 5-6 at the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Roc Nation said tickets for the 2020 event will be valid in 2021.
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Despite drama, Megan Thee Stallion happy to release music
Read full article: Despite drama, Megan Thee Stallion happy to release musicFILE - In this Aug. 26, 2019, file photo, Megan Thee Stallion performs at the MTV Video Music Awards at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. The singer says she works extremely hard in the studio when it comes to writing music, so when she almost couldnt release her new album due to drama with her record label, she was anxious and uneasy. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File)NEW YORK, N.Y. – Megan Thee Stallion says she works extremely hard in the studio writing music, and so became more than a little worried when she almost couldn’t release her new album because of a dispute with her record label. Stallion accused the label of not sharing data on her music sales with her management. Stallion said she’s happy she decided to sign with Roc Nation to help manage her growing career.

Jay-Z's Roc Nation, NFL join forces for music and social justice
Read full article: Jay-Z's Roc Nation, NFL join forces for music and social justiceRoc Nation, an entertainment company, will advise on NFL performances, such as the Super Bowl. Roc Nation declined to comment on the partnership but is expected to address the media on Wednesday. "Roc Nation has shown that entertainment and enacting change are not mutually exclusive ideas -- instead, we unify them." NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the league and Roc Nation "share a vision of inspiring meaningful social change across our country," according to NFL.com. And that's pretty much how we operate at Roc Nation.

Meek Mill to get new trial and judge
Read full article: Meek Mill to get new trial and judgeFrederick M. Brown/Getty Images(CNN) - A Pennsylvania appeals court overturned Meek Mill's 2008 conviction on gun and drug charges Wednesday, ordering a new trial and judge in the case. The Pennsylvania Superior Court ruled that a trial judge erred in not granting the Philadelphia rapper a new trial "based on after-discovered evidence," in accordance with the state's Post-Conviction Relief Act, it said in its ruling. "I'd like to thank the Pennsylvania Superior Court for overturning my conviction and granting me a new trial. Roc Nation is an entertainment company founded by Jay-Z, with whom Meek has collaborated on numerous ventures of late, both commercial and philanthropic. The two also announced Wednesday that Meek's Dream Chasers Records label will fall under the Roc Nation umbrella.

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