In Jay-Z’s hit Run This Town, the rapper turned mogul proclaims, “This is Roc Nation, pledge your allegiance.” Now plenty of pro athletes will be doing just that. The entertainment company Roc Nation announced today that they will launch Roc Nation Sports, a full-service sports management company led by Jay-Z (aka Shawn Carter) and partnering with Creative Artists Agency. The group also announced the signing of Roc Nation Sports’ first client, New York Yankees All-Star second baseman Robinson Cano.
“Because of my love of sports, it was a natural progression to form a company where we can help top athletes in various sports the same way we have been helping artists in the music industry for years,” Jay-Z said in a statement.
The formation of the agency creates an array of branding opportunities for Roc Nation athletes, who could take advantage of the global cachet in the entertainment world that association with Jay-Z would bring. While the former agent/client partnership between a major rapper and athlete (Master P and Ricky Williams) didn’t work out, adding CAA to the fold gives Roc Nation an instant credibility that No Limit Sports never had. Roc Nation’s next move could be a jump into the NFL with New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz.