Say what you will about Jay-Z’s foray into professional sports, but he’s not afraid to take it to the giants of the business.
The do-it-all music mogul, sports fan, businessman and sports agent locked up New York Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano as a client, and apparently he still has superagent Scott Boras in his crosshairs.
As noted by Sean Highkin of USA Today, Jay-Z takes a shot at Boras in the song “Crown” from his highly anticipated album Magna Carta Holy Grail, rapping, “Scott Boras, you over, baby. Robinson Cano, you coming with me.”
Those aren’t exactly fighting words, but there’s something to be said for Jay-Z’s boldness. After all, he didn’t make it this far in either business by holding back.
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But like Jay-Z, Boras didn’t get to the top of his profession by sweating the small stuff. As quoted by ESPN New York’s Wallace Matthews, baseball’s most powerful agent responded to the jab with very little substance:
“I'm a fan of jazz. And my favorite musician is Bernie Williams. What other musician could play center field for the Yankees and win four world championships?”
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It’s pretty obvious Boras wasn’t in the mood to trade barbs, especially over his livelihood. The 43-year-old Jay-Z probably didn’t need to push the envelope, though. The mastermind behind Roc Nation Sports currently represents NBA superstar Kevin Durant and New York Jets rookie quarterback Geno Smith.
Jay-Z also represents recent WNBA first-round pick Skylar Diggins, though his most notable client now, at least, is Cano. Durant may be a bigger name, but Jay-Z isn’t letting anyone forget about the player he swiped from the best in the business.