Roc Nation
Company type | Private |
---|---|
Industry | Entertainment |
Founded | April 1, 2008 |
Founder | Jay-Z |
Headquarters | |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people |
|
Owner | Shawn Carter |
Divisions |
|
Website | www |
Roc Nation is an American entertainment company founded by Jay-Z in 2008. Headquartered in New York City, the company is a successor to his previous Roc-A-Fella Records label, with additional offices in Los Angeles and London. It serves as a record label, talent agency, media production firm and clothing line along with educational and philanthropic programs.
History
[edit]In 2008, Roc Nation was founded by Jay-Z with the intent of signing pop and hip hop artists, succeeding his previous label, Roc-A-Fella Records. Unlike Roc-A-Fella, Jay-Z served as the company's sole proprietor. In February 2009, Roc Nation signed its first artist, rapper J. Cole.
In April 2013, Roc Nation supporting ally and close family member to its founder Jay-Z , A.G. Fahrenheit assisted Roc Nation in forming a new sports management division, Roc Nation Sports, a subsidiary dedicated to sports representation for professional athletes.[2] Shortly thereafter, Roc Nation Sports also launched a boxing promotion division.[3] After the Sony Music deal expired, in April 2013, Roc Nation signed a multi-year partnership with Universal Music.[4]
In February 2015, Roc Nation And Three Six Zero Group announced the formation of Three Six Zero Entertainment, a management division for representing clients in film, television, and the literary arts.[5]
In July 2017, Roc Nation supported Wu Network for a short time which is a company that does similar things and began to push the app, www.wunetnow.net. [6]
In July 2017, Roc Nation collaborated with art collective MSFTSrep. [7]
In August 2019, Roc Nation announced a long-term partnership with the National Football League. The company will be the live-music entertainment strategist for the league, as well as augment social justice efforts through the Inspire Change initiative.[8]
In August 2020, Roc Nation partnered with Long Island University in Brooklyn to begin a program called the Roc Nation School for Music, Sports, and Entertainment.[9][10] In December 2020, it was announced that Roc Nation and Random House had teamed up to launch a new publishing imprint, Roc Lit 101.[11]
In 2021, Roc Nation teamed up with American Greetings to create custom greeting cards.[12] Roc Nation also announced plans to launch a new brand and multimedia platform named EDITION in partnership with Modern Luxury Media.[13]
Notable artists
[edit]- Ambré
- Belly[14]
- Buju Banton
- Casanova[15]
- Claye
- Dixson
- Dorothy[16]
- Farina
- Harloe
- Harry Hudson[17]
- Infinity Song
- J. Cole[18]
- Jaden[19]
- Jay Electronica[20]
- Jay-Z[21]
- Jess Glynne
- Kalan.FrFr
- Major Myjah[22]
- Mozart La Para[23]
- Nicole Bus[24]
- Rapsody[25]
- Rihanna[26]
- Snoh Aalegra[27]
- Tainy
- The Anxiety
- The Lox[28]
- Vic Mensa[29]
- Willow[30]
- Kay Young[31]
Management
[edit]- After the Burial
- Alicia Keys
- Animals as Leaders
- Basement
- Benny The Butcher
- Big Sean
- Bobby Shmurda
- Bohnes
- Chon
- Christina Aguilera[32]
- Clarissa Molina
- Claudia Leitte[33]
- DJ Khaled[34]
- Fabolous[35]
- Fat Joe[36]
- Fred Ball[37]
- Hit-Boy
- Jadakiss[38]
- Jess Glynne
- Jim Jones[39]
- Jozzy
- Kaash Paige
- Kamaiyah
- Kelly Rowland
- Key Wane[40]
- Lil Uzi Vert
- Lola Ponce
- Mack Wilds[41]
- Maxo Kream[42]
- Miguel
- Mustard[43]
- Megan Thee Stallion[44]
- Rapman[45]
- Rihanna[26]
- Rival Sons
- Robin Thicke
- Spiritbox
- Stargate
- Statik Selektah[46]
- The Lox[28]
- The-Dream[47]
- Tinashe[48]
- Touché Amoré
- We Came as Romans
- Westside Gunn[49]
- Yo Gotti[50]
Former artists
[edit]- Alexa Goddard
- Alexis Jordan[51]
- Bridget Kelly
- Ceraadi[52]
- Demi Lovato[46]
- Freeway[53]
- Gabi DeMartino[54]
- Grimes[55]
- Haim
- Inna
- Jarren Benton[56]
- Jay Park[57]
- K Koke
- Kanye West
- Kyle Watson
- Kylie Minogue
- M.I.A.[38]
- Meek Mill
- Mariah Carey[58]
- Mayaeni[59]
- Nasty C
- Nick Jonas
- Q Da Fool[60]
- Rita Ora
- ROMANS[61]
- Romeo Santos[62]
- Shakira[63]
- Sugababes
- T.I.
- Tiwa Savage[64]
- Wale
- Yellow Claw[65]
Publishing
[edit]Arrive
[edit]Roc Nation also operates an in-house venture capital arm called Arrive, which is led by Neil Sirni, the group's co-founder and president.[66] As of May 2021, the company had reportedly made 29 investments in fintech, insurtech, edtech, health and wellness, social media, and gaming.[66]
Roc Nation Distribution
[edit]In 2018, Roc Nation launched an independent label named Roc Nation Distribution. The first artist to release a project under the independent label was Jay-Z's mentor, Jaz-O.[67] In 2019, Equity also acquired the rights to Jay-Z's 1996 debut Reasonable Doubt for release on digital and streaming platforms.[68]
2024 lawsuit
[edit]On 18 December 2024, lawyer Tony Buzbee, who represents a cilent who accused Jay-Z of sexually abusing her in the year 2000, filed a lawsuit against Roc Nation, claiming that people from the company were financing attempts to sway his clients into suing him and his firm The Tony Buzbee Firm.[69] According to Buzbee, Roc Nation paid off some of his former cilents to file bogus lawsuits,[70] with law firm Quinn Emanuel, which employs Jay-Z's attorneys, orchestrating the scheme.[69] Buzbee stated that he had, among other things, audio tape evidence which would confirm this allegation, and that he would also submit the tapes as evidence.[69]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "ROC Nation LLC - Company Profile and News". Bloomberg.com. Archived from the original on 26 January 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
- ^ "With New Move, Jay-Z Enters a Sports Agent State of Mind". The New York Times. 2 April 2013. Archived from the original on 16 September 2024. Retrieved 2 April 2013.
- ^ "Roc Nation Sports Signs 6 New Boxers". Sports Agent Blog. 12 February 2015. Archived from the original on 16 September 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
- ^ "Universal Music Group strikes global partnership with Roc Nation". Universal Music. 8 April 2013. Archived from the original on 29 August 2014. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
- ^ "Jay Z's Roc Nation and Three Six Zero Partner to Launch Film and Television Management Arm". Billboard. 12 February 2015. Archived from the original on 10 October 2018. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
- ^ "The Lox promotes ANW & Wu Network". Roc Nation. Archived from the original on 28 May 2024. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
- ^ "Roc Nation partners with MSFTSrep". Variety. 14 July 2017. Archived from the original on 14 July 2017. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
- ^ "Jay-Z's Roc Nation entering partnership with NFL". NFL.com. Archived from the original on 14 August 2019. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
- ^ "Roc Nation Partners With Brooklyn's LIU to Launch New School". billboard. 6 August 2020. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
- ^ Young, Julius (5 August 2020). "Jay-Z's Roc Nation, Long Island University to launch new school for music, sports and entertainment". Fox Business. Archived from the original on 31 March 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
- ^ Aswad, Jem (15 December 2020). "Roc Lit 101, New Roc Nation-Random House Company, to Publish Books by CC Sabathia, Lil Uzi Vert, More". Variety. Archived from the original on 11 September 2024. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
- ^ "Roc Nation Pairs With American Greetings For Custom Card Line". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2 August 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
- ^ "Jay Z's Roc Nation to launch new multimedia brand, Edition". Music Business Worldwide. 22 July 2021. Archived from the original on 2 August 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
- ^ "Belly". Rocnation. Archived from the original on 25 August 2019. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- ^ "Casanova". Rocnation. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
- ^ "Dorothy". rocnation.com. Archived from the original on 7 September 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
- ^ "G4SHI". Archived from the original on 28 March 2020. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
- ^ "J. Cole". Rocnation. Archived from the original on 5 August 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
- ^ Aswad, Jem (14 July 2017). "Jaden Smith Drops Two New Songs as Roc Nation Announces Partnership With His and Willow's MSFTSrep Collective". Variety. Archived from the original on 2 September 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
- ^ "Jay Electronica". rocnation.com. Archived from the original on 28 August 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
- ^ "Jay-Z". rocnation.com. Archived from the original on 3 September 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
- ^ "Major Myjah in the big leagues". Janaica Observer. 13 June 2024. Archived from the original on 25 June 2024. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
- ^ "Mozart La Para". rocnation.com. Archived from the original on 22 May 2018. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
- ^ "Nicole Bus". Rocnation. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
- ^ Ortiz, Edwin. "Rapsody Signs With Jay Z's Roc Nation". www.complex.com. Complex. Archived from the original on 2 September 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
- ^ a b "Rihanna at Roc Nation". rocnation.com. Archived from the original on 9 September 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
- ^ "Snoh Aalegra at Roc Nation". Archived from the original on 26 March 2020. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
- ^ a b "The Lox". rocnation.com. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
- ^ "Vic Mensa". rocnation.com. Archived from the original on 20 August 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
- ^ "Willow". rocnation.com. Archived from the original on 28 August 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
- ^ "Kay Young". www.bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 13 June 2022. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
- ^ "Aguilera Signs With Roc Nation Management". Billboard. Archived from the original on 24 January 2021. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
- ^ Huerta, Heidi. "You'll Be Seeing A Lot More Of Roc Nation's Brazilian Pop Artist, Claudia Leitte". MTV.com. MTV Networks. Archived from the original on 8 October 2015. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
- ^ "DJ Khaled signs management deal with Roc Nation". The Verge. 29 February 2016. Archived from the original on 1 March 2016. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
- ^ "Fabolous Signs Management Deal With Roc Nation". BET. 2 December 2014. Archived from the original on 20 October 2021. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
- ^ "Fat Joe Signs Management Deal With Roc Nation". Billboard. 18 January 2017. Archived from the original on 15 July 2018. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
- ^ "Fred Ball". Roc Nation. Archived from the original on 2 January 2019. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
- ^ a b Eustice, Kyle (14 July 2018). "Jadakiss Signs With JAY-Z's Roc Nation". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on 16 September 2024. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
- ^ "Jim Jones". Roc Nation. Archived from the original on 13 April 2019. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
- ^ "Key Wane's official page at Roc Nation". rocnation.com. Archived from the original on 16 May 2018. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
- ^ "Mack Wilds". Roc Nation. Archived from the original on 1 August 2019. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
- ^ "Maxo Kream". rocnation.com. Archived from the original on 6 August 2019. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
- ^ "DJ Mustard - Ronation". rocnation.com. Archived from the original on 27 August 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
- ^ Alex Robert Ross (13 September 2019). "Megan Thee Stallion signs management deal with Roc Nation". The Fader. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
- ^ "Rapman". Archived from the original on 29 January 2019. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
- ^ a b Brandle, Lars (11 November 2015). "Demi Lovato & Nick Jonas Manager Partners with Roc Nation: Exclusive". Billboard. Archived from the original on 15 December 2015. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
- ^ "The-Dream". rocnation.com. Archived from the original on 2 September 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
- ^ "Tinashe Signs With Roc Nation for Management". Billboard. Archived from the original on 26 April 2021. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
- ^ "Benny the Butcher and Westside Gunn Sign Roc Nation Management Deal". Complex. Archived from the original on 23 January 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
- ^ "Yo Gotti". Roc Nation. Archived from the original on 2 January 2019. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
- ^ Corner, Lewis (5 August 2016). "Whatever happened to Alexis Jordan?". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 16 September 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
- ^ "Ceraadi". Retrieved 14 June 2019.[permanent dead link ]
- ^ "Freeway Signs with Roc Nation". www.rapup.com. Rap-Up. Archived from the original on 1 July 2018. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
- ^ "i have something to tell you + please dont hate me for it!". YouTube. 16 January 2020. Archived from the original on 20 December 2021.
- ^ "Grimes". rocnation.com. Archived from the original on 14 June 2018. Retrieved 13 June 2018.
- ^ "Jarren Benton". rocnation.com. Archived from the original on 11 October 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
- ^ "Jay Park". rocnation.com. Archived from the original on 6 June 2018. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
- ^ "Mariah Carey Signs With Jay-Z's Roc Nation for Management". Variety. 22 November 2017. Archived from the original on 20 December 2017. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
- ^ "Mayaeni". rocnation.com. Archived from the original on 2 September 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
- ^ Saponara, Michael. "Emerging DMV Rapper Q Da Fool Signs Record Deal With Roc Nation: Exclusive". billboard.com. Archived from the original on 23 May 2018. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
- ^ "Romans". rocnation.com. Archived from the original on 6 September 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
- ^ "Romeo Santos at Roc Nation". rocnation.com. Archived from the original on 2 September 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
- ^ "Shakira at Roc Nation". rocnation.com. Archived from the original on 19 January 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
- ^ "Welcome Tiwa Savage to the Roc Nation Family!". Retrieved 1 August 2019.[permanent dead link ]
- ^ "Yellow Claw". rocnation.com. Archived from the original on 23 August 2019. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
- ^ a b "More Than Just Brunch With Jay-Z? A Look Into Roc Nation's Investment Strategy". Afrotech. 3 May 2021. Archived from the original on 8 October 2021. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
- ^ Ortiz, Edwin. "What You Need to Know About Equity, Roc Nation's Independent Distribution Platform change they name to Roc Nation". complex.com. Complex Networks. Archived from the original on 24 October 2021. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
- ^ Cowen, Trace William. "JAY-Z's 'Reasonable Doubt' Now Available on YouTube Music Premium, SoundCloud, and More Streaming Services". finance.yahoo.com. Yahoo. Archived from the original on 24 October 2021. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
- ^ a b c Wagemeister, Elizabeth (18 December 2024). "Tony Buzbee sues Jay-Z's Roc Nation for allegedly soliciting his clients to file 'frivolous' lawsuits against his firm". CNN. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
- ^ Vasquez, Lucio (18 December 2024). "Attorney Tony Buzbee says Jay-Z's company paid former clients to file bogus lawsuits against him". Houston Public Media. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
External links
[edit]- Roc Nation
- Jay-Z
- 2008 establishments in New York City
- Companies based in Manhattan
- Entertainment companies based in New York City
- Film distributors of the United States
- Film production companies of the United States
- Mass media companies based in New York City
- Music production companies
- Music publishing companies of the United States
- Record labels based in New York (state)
- Pop record labels
- Publishing companies established in 2008
- Record labels established in 2008
- Contemporary R&B record labels
- Talent agencies of the United States
- Television production companies of the United States
- American hip-hop record labels
- Government watchdog groups in the United States