Stay Connected
Atlanta Black Star/Editor's Picks
Editor's PicksEntertainment

Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Sports Investigated by NFL

Posted byBy ABS Contributor | Published on: | Updated on May 29, 2013 CommentsComments (1)

Jay-Z’s company Roc Nation Sports is reportedly under investigation by the NFL.

Earlier this spring, Jay-Z’s entertainment company, Roc Nation, got into the sports agency business with the creation of Roc Nation Sports. The company, which the rapper set up with with Roc Nation President Juan Perez and the Creative Artists Agency, currently represents New York Yankees’ second baseman Robinson Cano, New York Giants’ wide receiver Victor Cruz, and basketball player Skylar Diggins.

However, according to the Boston Globe, the NFL is investigating whether the rapper and entrepreneur violated league rules involving the recruitment of New York Jets draft pick Geno Smith.

As Jay-Z hasn’t yet been certified as an agent by the NFL Players Association, which involves passing a two-day test, he is prohibited from being involved in the recruitment of prospective clients.

Earlier this week, Smith posted a photo of himself with Jay-Z – leading to speculation that Jay-Z could be acting as a “runner” – which is someone who helps secure clients for an agent, but isn’t a certified negotiator. “Runners” are banned by the NFL and could face a fine, suspension or permanent ban.

Source: nme.com

Democracy needs journalism it can trust.

This election season, the stakes are higher than usual — and so is the pressure on newsrooms to soften their coverage, stay quiet, or just disappear. Independent reporting, the kind that answers to readers instead of advertisers or political pressure, matters more in a moment like this, not less.

For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed independent and reader-funded. We have no corporate owner and no shareholders telling us what to cover or how to cover it. That independence is also our biggest vulnerability: nothing protects it except readers choosing to fund it directly.

Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under in a moment like this, it's rarely the independent, reader-funded ones that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Give once Give monthly Support another way

Related Stories

Back to top