Jay-Z wins case against David Ortiz

By Mr. Hollywood
JR Staff Writer

Recently, Jay-Z was able to celebrate another victory in the business arena. However, this time around, he did not land another multi-million dollar deal. Instead, he ended a trademark dispute involving his famous club, 40/40.

In 2003, Jay-Z became the first rapper to launch an upscale nightclub, which he named the 40/40 Club. The sports bar was located in Manhattan. Immediately, the club built a large following with celebrity guests.

Because of Jay-Z's NBA connections, many of the top stars in the league, such as LeBron James, often visit the club. Sports stars from other leagues also frequent the club. David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox has been among the baseball stars spotted at the 40/40.

Despite being well aware of Jay-Z's 40/40 Club, David Ortiz launched his own club, of the same name, in his native country, Dominican Republic. Ever since late 2009, Jay-Z and Ortiz have been in court battling over the name. Ortiz has frequently stated he had no idea Jay-Z's club was also named 40/40. The near two-year beef was settled when Jay-Z's lawyer contacted Ortiz and said a deal was made, in principle.

Initially, the two titans were to face off in court.

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Jay-Z attempting to Bring the 40/40 Club to Atlanta

By Mr. Hollywood
JR Staff Writer

Jay-Z has been making many moves with the year barely one month old. Last year, Jay-Z pulled off a power move with the signing of Willow Smith. Partnering with Will Smith, Jay-Z has gone a step farther with a film venture.

While he is not making music as frequently as he used to, Jay-Z is still dominating the charts. His Roc Nation company is not only a record label, but also a management company. Their top client is Rihanna.

From the start, Jay-Z planned to expand outside of his home base in New York. He has branched out to several places, but he has yet to put roots in Atlanta. Jay-Z is currently speaking with Atlanta mayor, Kasim Reed, to change all of this.

Jay-Z has been speaking with Mayor Reed about opening a 40/40 Club in Atlanta. Recently, Jay-Z landed a partnership with Delaware North Companies to place the 40/40 Club in major airports throughout the United States. But, Jay-Z still wants regular clubs set up in major cities and Atlanta, along with Chicago, Dallas, Tokyo, and Macau are some of the places he is targeting.

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Jay-Z goes international with The 40/40 Club

By Mr. Hollywood
JR Staff Writer

The rise of Jay-Z is an incredible story that continues to build as time goes on. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Jay-Z was born in the middle of poverty. In order to build a better life for himself and his family, Jay-Z began selling drugs. He boasts he was so good that he was a millionaire by 1988.

Instead of falling deeper into the game, Jay-Z decided to leave and pursue a career in rap. He tried, but in the end, he was rejected by multiple record labels. Upset, Jay-Z returned to what made him rich, until he decided to give rap another try. With his second effort, Jay-Z started his own record label, Roc-A-Fella Records.

In a matter of months, the label landed a deal with Priority Records and the first Jay-Z album, Reasonable Doubt, was released. The album sold moderately well and was hailed as a classic. One year later, Jay-Z signed a lucrative with Def Jam and he took over the rap world. At one time, he was the head of Def Jam. But, he eventually left and created his Roc Nation company and is hoping to become a billionaire soon.

Jay-Z launched the 40/40 Club in 2003 in New York City. The club is an upscale sports bar and he has opened a few locations across the United States. Last year, he landed a deal with major airports across the country to have his club included inside the airports. Recently, he landed a bigger deal for the club, which has taken things international. Jay-Z has landed deals to open new spots for the 40/40 Club in Japan and China before the end of this year.

Outside of the international expansion, Jay-Z also plans to open more new clubs here in the States.

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Jay-Z lands Major Deal for 40/40 Club

By Mr. Hollywood
JR Staff Writer

Over the past seven years, Jay-Z has deeply expanded his business ventures. In 2003, the Brooklyn rapper opened up a sports bar/club, the 40/40 Club. Ever since the opening of this club, Jay-Z has separated himself from other rappers who claim to be businessmen.

The 40/40 Club has not been a simple hip hop club. Instead, the club is upscale and frequently visited by mainstream stars. The club has expanded from the flagship Manhattan location to spots all around the world. From the start, Jay-Z planned on an expansion similar to this.

Now, after expanding into Las Vegas and Tokyo, among other places, Jay-Z has landed the biggest deal yet. Wealthy people love to travel, but one downside has always been the airports and the waiting. Over the years, airports have been doing more and more to keep the people content. Some airports have added shopping malls and other forms of entertainment.

Recently, Jay-Z landed one of the biggest deals of his career. This new deal also helps with the goal major aiports plan to reach with having something to keep passengers occupied while they wait on their next flight. The Roc Nation CEO has landed a deal to put the 40/40 Club in major airports across the United States, which puts the club into multiple major cities. Now, people are less likely to leave the airport while they wait on flights and Jay-Z will have more cash in his pockets.

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Jay-Z settles lawsuit with Red Sox' David Ortiz

Earlier this year, David Ortiz made news outside of ESPN. In his native Dominican Republic, Ortiz opened a club named the Forty Forty. Jay-Z runs a string of nightclubs named the 40/40. Because of the name infringement, Jay-Z filed a suit against the baseball star. Despite being a frequent visitor of the 40/40, Ortiz claimed to not know he had taken the name.

Regardless of what he knew, Jay-Z knew the 40/40 named belonged to him and it did not matter how it was spelled. Their issue has been in the news for some time. But, the issue did not make headlines until earlier this year. David Ortiz was willing to go to court with Jay-Z, until he realized he was going to lose the case. A settlement was soon reached outside of court.

Jay-Z was awarded $5 million in the suit and Ortiz has agreed to change the name and cease operations. Additionally, he also decided to pull the website for his club from the internet. Jay-Z named the club after a record set by the New York Yankees. Ortiz is the star for their primary rival, Boston Red Sox.

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