This whole super hype about Jay Z being coowner & poster child for the Nets & their soon to be Brooklyn based arena makes me say WTF! For those of us who live in New York City, we all know that our Mayor is punch drunk with power & the pursuit of more of it with his countless deal making which often does not benefit the average New Yorker, but rather only benefits his fellow business cohorts while giving him more global exposure & raises his Bloomberg brand. Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov, Mayor Bloomberg & Real Estate developer/former majority owner of the Nets- Bruce Ratner all have a mutually beneficial relationship in their global business circles, so where exactly does Jay Z  from Marcy Projects fit into this circle?

“Forbes is trying to drum up some public interest in a fairly cynical way: Not only did they put Jay-Z on the cover, but they also include a story on a sit-down chat between he and Buffett, a video, and another separate story on Jay-Z, all on the alleged premise that Jay-Z “will earn a spot on the Forbes 400″ one day—as soon as he doubles his wealth.The real premise: Jay-Z’s face on the cover sells magazines. If there’s one thing the Forbes 400 is not, it’s hip hop. Here’s a breakdown of the actual face of the list...” Read More

I don’t know if Jay Z is a quiet genius who is big pimpin’ the game & the world at large or just a man who has delusions of grandeur getting pimped by those who are really in charge. Jay Z doesn’t want to be the black face of the brat pack like Sammy Davis  Jr. but rather the “Chairman of the Board”, Frank Sinatra. Perhaps this is part of the major moves to claim he throne of the Chairman of Board & the king of New York, but let’s get real!

Jay Z really is a little to nothing stake holder in the Nets, but because he’s from Brooklyn & looks like many of the people in the the Brooklyn neighborhood that developers through their government influences & “shut out the people” deal making have successfully taken from the people thru eminent domain in the glory of capitalism & gentrification, he has become the face of the Brooklyn arena project to make the people of Brooklyn feel & think one of their own has their back & best interests at heart. This is all nothing new in deal making & using commonalty to attain public sympathy & trust, but come on Brooklyn are any of you buying this?

Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov who is so rich that he says he doesn’t even know how much money he has, is the 80% majority owner of the Nets & the arena project, so how much does Jay Z really own when Bruce Ratner is also listed as a coowner & developer of the project? It sounds to me like Jay Z is no more than a paid spokesmodel with the possibility of some company shares as an employee more than a co-owner in its purest sense.

“Last night 60 Minutes profiled Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov—the man coming to save your New Jersey Nets! Bloomberg Markets profiles him in next month’s issue. Is a grand media coming-out party by a Russian billionaire really a good idea? Read More

“Before he bought the team for $300 million, Mr. Ratner admittedly wasn’t a basketball fan. The only reason he made the deal was so he could build an arena and a massive development in downtown Brooklyn across the street from two very profitable shopping centers he began building there a decade ago. He subsequently lost $25 million to $30 million each season, he estimates, as the franchise declined from one of the league’s best to its worst, winning just 12 games last season…” Read More

“NEW YORK — Officials broke ground Thursday on a much-delayed 22-acre development project that will bring the NBA’s New Jersey Nets to Brooklyn…As protesters chanted and staged a mock funeral for the “soul” of Brooklyn, supporters enjoyed a lavish spread catered by developer Bruce Ratner….” Read More

According to an Esquire profile on Jay Z & another WTF moment – “He’s cool and tall and black. He’s witty and very cocky, but the cockiness is the unannoying kind you might admire…” Read More