99 Problems but Sports ain't one
Rap Mogul Jay-Z could make a huge impact with his newly created Roc Nation Sports agency.
It's not going to take long.
We'll find out if Roc Nation Sports is going to become then next big player in the sports agents industry or if founder Jay-Z as overplayed his hand by believing that the Midas touch he has in music will transfer to sports.
To date, Roc Nation Sports, which was launched just a few months ago as a subdivision of the full-service entertainment company Roc Nation, has just a few athletes but two are expected to be involved in some of the more high profile contract negotiations this year.
With New York Jets rookie quarterback Geno Smith joining New York Yankees All-Star second baseman and free-agent-to-be Robinson Cano on the Roc Nation Sports team, Jay-Z's company will be a quick test of whether it is ready to hang with the big boys in sports negotiations.
"I think it's just [Jay-Z's] agency," said Smith, the University of West Virginia quarterback who fired his first agent shortly after he slipped to the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft. "When you talk about New York from a standpoint of they can do it the city, the connections they have, I think it's a good move."
This could change the game.
The last rap mogul to try his hand at NFL negotiations was Master P. His organization, No Limit Sports, signed Heisman Trophy winning running back Ricky Williams, who was selected 5th overall by the New Orleans Saints, and then negotiated a heavily-criticized incentive-laden contract that got Williams just $8 million in guaranteed money, much less than most expected.
But Shawn Carter (aka. Jay-Z) has shown to be a different level of businessman.
Whether you approve of him or not, the "confessed" former crack cocaine dealer has morphed into one the most influential entrepreneurs in the United States.
In 2012, Forbes magazine estimated his value at a "clean" $500 million.
Jay-Z, who is married to Beyonce Knowles, has global name recognition and he knows how to sell his company.
He gave WNBA and Tulsa Shock rookie Skylar Diggins, who is along with fellow rookies Brittany Griner and Elena Delle Donne of the University of Delaware is part of the league's "3 to See" marketing campaign, a Mercedes Benz for joining Roc Nation Sports.
The NFL has a rookie salary cap, but Roc Nation contract agent Kim Maile has a chance to raise her profile if she gets a favorable contract out of the Jets.
Last week Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner said he has already had conversations with Roc Nation Sports to keep the four-time All-Star Cano, 30, from hitting the free agent market.
Cano, 30, fired super-agent Scott Boras to go with "Hova's" agency earlier this year.
Negotiations for Cano are being handled by Brodie Van Wagenen of CAA Sports (Creative Artist Agency) which has partnered with Roc Nation.
With his name recognition and ability to open up other avenues of the entertainment industry to his clients, it might take only one or two good contract negotiations to sway a slew of athletes to Jay-Z.
That could alter the landscape of professional sports negations.
After all, "Jigga" hit with hurricane force in the entertainment and business world, and we know the bottom line of sports is that they are entertainment and businesses.