MUSIC: BEYONCÉ AND JAY-Z PURCHASED A $200M USD HOME IN CALIFORNIA

Beyoncé is already spending her well-earned money as the diva and husband Jay-Z just purchased a $200 million USD mansion in Malibu, California.

The empire building-couple now call the 30,000ft² home, holing the title of the most expensive home to be purchased in the Golden State. While $200M USD is more than any of us will see in our lifetimes, the Knowles-Carters reportedly got a bargain on the estate as TMZ states that the property was initially listed for $295 million USD.

Keeping in line with the power couple’s superior taste in all things art and culture, the mansion was designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando, who crafted a minimalist home, boasting a deeply geometric layout. From a bird’s eye view, the property is comprised of a white stone with sweeping hallways. Fittingly, the previous owner, art collector William Bell, built the home.

We love to see the Black generational wealth.

BEYONCÉ AND JAY-Z CELEBRATE MODERN LOVE IN TIFFANY & CO.'S HISTORIC CAMPAIGN & MORE

Earlier this month, Tiffany & Co. appointed Beyoncé and Jay-Z as its new brand ambassadors. Now, the jewelry company has unveiled its newest campaign starring none other than the Carters.

“Beyoncé and Jay-Z are the epitome of the modern love story. As a brand that has always stood for love, strength and self-expression, we could not think of a more iconic couple that better represents Tiffany’s values,” Tiffany & Co.’s Executive Vice President of Product and Communications Alexandre Arnault shared in a statement. “We are honored to have the Carters as a part of the Tiffany family.”

Dubbed “ABOUT LOVE,” the campaign explores connection and vulnerability. Situated in front of Jean-Michel Basquiat’s never-before-seen Equals Pi (1982) painting, Queen B wears the brand’s famous 128-carat Tiffany Diamond. Following Mary Whitehouse, Audrey Hepburn and Lady Gaga, Beyoncé is the fourth woman and first Black woman to have the honor of wearing the rare gemstone.

Meanwhile, Jay-Z is seen in Jean Schlumberger’s legendary Bird on a Rock brooch, which has been reworked as a pair of cuff links. In addition to the campaign, the jeweler will pledge $2 million USD towards scholarship and internship programs for Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

“ABOUT LOVE” will release worldwide in print on September 2, while an accompanying Emmanuel Adjei-directed film will launch on Tiffany’s website on September 15.

In a recent interview with Harper’s BAZAAR, Beyoncé announced her and Jay-Z‘s decision to work with Tiffany & Co. as brand ambassadors. Tiffany and Co. has recently been acquired by LVMH (PARIS:MC.PA -1.93%) , and with new executives taking the helm, the company has shifted its marketing strategy, placing a heavier emphasis on social media and influential brand partners.

For Harper’s BAZAAR’s September cover, Beyoncé wears her own label IVY PARKalongside Tiffany & Co. earrings and pendant. Beyonce turns 40 this September, and in the cover interview, she looks back at the last four decades, shedding light on her unparalleled journey, meticulously built legacy, sources of inspiration, and future ambitions.

Hova has been making big business moves this year with the launch of the Monogram cannabis line and multimedia platform Edition, and sizeable investments in Fanatics, Bitski, Certified Collectibles Group (CCG), and more. It is also rumored that Watch the Throne 2 could release at the end of 2021.

In addition to the iconic couple, other Tiffany and Co. recruits include actress Anya Taylor-Joy, pro skier and model Eileen Gu, and Rosé from BLACKPINK.

A historical multi-million dollar mansion in New Orleans, reportedly owned by music’s greatest power couple, Beyoncé and JAY-Z, was seen caught on fire earlier this week.

The New Orleans residence was a three-story building located in the Garden District which went up in flames for approximately two hours before firefighters were able to extinguish the fire. According to the New York Post, the fire is now under investigation as arson. A spokesperson for the fire department told the publication, “If they didn’t get there when they did, it could have been much worse. It’s a historic home.”

At the time of the fire, New Orleans police “received a report of a suspicious person in the area,” enough to give the authorities to open an investigation for arson. NOLApreviously reported that the property was owned by JAY-Z however. Reports indicated that in 2015, Sugarcane Park LLC acquired the home. LLC is managed by Beyoncé’s mother, Celestine Lawson. The home was previously reported to be worth over $2.4 million USD. However, according to city records it was only bought for $2.5 million USD.

The home is a six-bedroom and features six-and-a-half baths. The building which spanns across 15,200 square feet, is labelled historic as it was built in 1927 as the Westminster Presbyterian church.

JAY-Z

Mobile payment company Square, Inc. is acquiring a majority ownership stake in JAY-Z’s music streaming service TIDAL. Twitter co-founder and CEO Jack Dorsey, who also founded Square, announced the deal in a tweet on Thursday.

“Why would a music streaming company and a financial services company join forces?!” Dorsey wrote. “It comes down to a simple idea: finding new ways for artists to support their work. Making the economy work for artists is similar to what Square has done for sellers.”

JAY-Z tweeted for the first time since 2018, calling the collaboration a “game-changer for many.”

“I said from the beginning that TIDAL was about more than just streaming music, and six years later, it has remained a platform that supports artists at every point in their careers,” he continued. “Artists deserve better tools to assist them in their creative journey. Jack is one of the greatest minds of our times, and our many discussions about TIDAL’s endless possibilities have made me even more inspired about its future.”

Square says it expects to pay a mix of cash and stock of $297 million USD for the majority ownership stake in the streaming service, which will operate independently alongside other Square services like Cash App and Seller. The company says it aims to extend economic empowerment to musicians. Furthermore, JAY-Z will join Square’s board of directors.

JAY-Z bought TIDAL in 2015 for $56 million USD, which boasts certain content from top-tier artists exclusive to the site. The global music service offers a catalog of over 70 million songs and 250,000 videos and is co-owned by several artists including Alicia Keys, Beyonce, Daft Punk, Kanye West and Rihanna.

The rap mogul has also been busy making deals with other industry leaders. In February, LVMH acquired 50 percent of JAY-Z’s Armand de Brignac champagne brand in a deal valued at roughly $630 million USD by Forbes.JAY-Z is closing out this tiring year with his specially-curated playlist, aptly entitled 2020 Vision COVID-19.

The 40-track offering arrives with a cover art that features tennis superstar Naomi Osaka sporting a face mask with the name of the late George Floyd. The 2020 Vision COVID-19 playlist itself includes cuts from Jay Electronica, Hov’s wife Beyoncé, Megan Thee Stallion, Drake, the Griselda crew and Freddie Gibbs to name a few.

Earlier this 2020, JAY-Z also curated the playlists Couple Songs From 2020 (So Far)and and Songs for Survival 2. The latter’s 2016 predecessor paid tribute to Alton Sterling and Philando Castile — two Black men who also died at the hands of police — and its 2020 edition was released shortly after Floyd was killed by Derek Chauvin.

Stream JAY-Z’s 2020 Vision COVID-19 playlist exclusively on TIDAL.

In case you missed it, JAY-Z officially tied Quincy Jones’ record for most Grammy nominations at 80 apiece.

JAY-Z & NFL Reveal Plans for New Clothing Line & Music Premiere Initiative

Earlier this month, the NFL hired JAY-Z as the outfit’s new “live music entertainment strategist” role, stirring up a mixed bag of reactions. Now, in what appears to be JAY-Z’s first round of publicized moves as the NFL’s “live music entertainment strategist,” the NYC legend’s Roc Nation company and the NFL are revealing plans for a series of programs to push and promote the latter entity’s Inspire Change nonprofit outlet, which works to provide resources for other organizations that foster and promote “education and economic empowerment,” healthier relations between law enforcement and the communities they service and criminal justice reform.

Specifically, the NFL, JAY-Z and Roc Nation will be releasing a new clothing collection to benefit and bring more attention to Inspire Change. Although the merch line’s specific wares have yet to be unveiled, expect to learn more about the Inspire Change apparel — and see official images of the specific pieces — in the coming months.

For another, music-related endeavor, JAY-Z and NFL are introducing Songs of the Season, an initiative that aims to aid recording artists by debuting their new records during NFL’s television programs. Meek Mill, Rapsody and Meghan Trainor have been selected to be that program’s first stars, and are booked to hit the stage at Chicago’s NFL Kickoff Experience event on September 5. All proceeds from Songs of the Season will go to Inspire Change.

This week’s announcement concerning the NFL’s newfound association with JAY-Z and Roc Nation holds true to the original news regarding the partnership’s specifics, which include the recruitment of “high-profile entertainers” for events. During a conversation for The New York Times‘ piece on his new role with the NFL, JAY-Z said that the organization had a “great big platform” and noted that the NFL’s higher-ups were open and willing to making changes to move their league’s entertainment and social initiatives forward.

We will continue to keep you informed as JAY-Z’s tenure as a live music entertainment strategist for the NFL develops.

Although this latest news does reveal that JAY-Z now carries some pull within the NFL, recent rumors concerning his “partial ownership” of a team are false.

HIP HOP NEWS: ASAP / JAY-Z

UPDATE (Aug 14, 2019): Following his return to the US last week, American rapper A$AP Rocky has been found guilty of assault. He was previously held in Sweden for over two weeks, and participated in a two-day long trial earlier this month, and has now been given a suspended sentence and has also been ordered to pay a fine to the victim

The Stockholm District Court rejected the artist’s claim that the brawl was a result of self-defence, “Based on statements from two witnesses, the court finds that the defendants were not subject to a current or imminent criminal attack. Therefore, they were not in a situation where they were entitled to use violence in self-defence. Nor could they have perceived themselves to be in such a situation,” states the ruling.

The two other members of Rocky’s entourage, Bladimir Corniel and David Rispers were also found guilty of the same charge. “The assault has not been of such a serious nature that a prison sentence must be chosen. The defendants are therefore sentenced to conditional sentences,” read the court statement.

A$AP Rocky has returned to the U.S. and will be paying the fine to the victim. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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UPDATE (July 25, 2019): Despite his efforts of making a phone call to the Prime Minister of Sweden, U.S. President Donald Trump was unable to sway Swedsh prosecutors in charging A$AP Rocky with assault. The POTUS tweeted today that, “We do so much for Sweden but it doesn’t seem to work the other way around.” He added, “Sweden should focus on its real crime problem!”

Take a look below to see the full tweet.

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UPDATE: Following the dropped charges against the men involved in A$AP Rocky‘s assault case in Stockholm, Sweden, the rapper has officially been charged with assault in connection to the incident which took place on June 30.

Public prosecutor Daniel Suneson confirmed that they will be pressing charges against A$AP Rocky and the other two men involved, stating the following: “I have today commenced criminal proceedings against the three individuals suspected of assault causing actual bodily harm, having come to the conclusion that the events in question constitute a crime and despite claims of self-defense and provocation,” adding that “In reaching this conclusion, I have studied the videos made available to the inquiry. It is worth noting that I have had access to a greater amount of material than that which has previously been available on the internet. In addition to video material, the injured party’s statements have been supported by witness statements.”

Since his arrest on July 2, Rocky has been detained in Stockholm. Stay tuned as more information surrounding the case is revealed.

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Following the altercation between A$AP Rocky and two Swedish men a few weeks ago in Stockholm, the rapper has been arrested and held in a Stockholm prison awaiting trial. Now, according to lawyer Magnus Stromberg, all charges have been dropped for the men involved in the case.

The man in question had been accused of molestation and assault, but the Swedish prosecution service has now confirmed that the investigation has been discontinued. Stromberg’s statement read that “[his client] has been the subject of an assault, but he has not committed a crime.”

The arrest of A$AP Rocky has caused conversation across the internet, with the hashtag #FREEROCKY trending on social media as well as gaining recognition from celebrities, as well as U.S. president Donald Trump. Trump tweeted “Just spoke to @KanyeWest about his friend A$AP Rocky’s incarceration. I will be calling the very talented Prime Minister of Sweden to see what we can do about helping A$AP Rocky. So many people would like to see this quickly resolved!” and later added that the Swedish Prime Minister explained that “In Sweden, everyone is equal before the law, and this includes visitors from other countries.”

Since Trump’s tweet, Justin Bieber also spoke out on social media replying to the president’s posts saying, “I want my friend out.. I appreciate you trying to help him. But while you’re at it @realDonaldTrump can you also let those kids out of cages?” with yet no response from Trump.

It remains to see what will happen moving forward, but A$AP Rocky is currently awaiting trial in the Swedish capital. Stay tuned as the story develops.

JAY-Z and his Roc Nation outfit are teaming up with the National Football League to help the sports entity with its social justice, entertainment and activism endeavors. As The New York Times reports, the NFL is hiring JAY-Z as a “live music entertainment strategist” — a consulting role that will allow the hip-hop legend to advise the NFL on various entertainment matters.

“The N.F.L. has a great big platform, and it has to be all-inclusive,” Jay-Z told The New York Times during a sit-down interview at Roc Nation’s Manhattan base. “They were willing to do some things, to make some changes, that we can do some good.”

The NFL is aiming to use their newfound alliance with JAY-Z and Roc Nation to help them recruit more “high-profile entertainers” for events. With his new position, JAY-Z will be given a deciding voice when it comes to choosing the musical performers for the NFL’s upcoming shows.

“We don’t want people to come in and necessarily agree with us; we want people to come in and tell us what we can do better,” NFL Commissioner Rogel Goodell explained to The New York Times earlier this week. “I think that’s a core element of our relationship between the two organizations, and with Jay and I personally.”

We’ll keep you updated as JAY-Z’s new gig with the NFL progresses.

Earlier this month, ABC revealed plans to enlist JAY-Z and Will Smith to executive produce the television network’s new, civil rights-inspired Women of the Movement series.