Is Jay-Z Chunking The Deuce?

News like this is nothing new - it seems like every 6 months or so, another article or rumor is out, saying that Jay-Z is going to be leaving Def Jam. I am only posting this because XXL is reputable, even if this bit comes from a New York Daily News piece:

With Jay-Z presidential contract with Def Jam expiring at the end of December, it looks like the rapper’s future at the label is uncertain, according to one report. An article in the New York Daily News’ Rush & Molloy gossip column today claims that contract renewal negotiations between Jay-Z and the Universal Music Group have hit a wall. “He wanted big, big money that was way out of sync with the realities of today’s record business,” an anonymous source told the paper, also claiming that L.A. Reid and UMG big boss Doug Morris are said to have found Jay’s demands “excessive” in light of the time he’s been spending on tour.

“People have lost count of how many times he’s come out of retirement,” the source went on. “Everybody knows he’s not around the office much. Everybody at Universal loves him, but they can’t justify paying him the money he wants when so many people have been laid off.”

Still, a “friend” of Jay’s told the paper that “the talks will continue when he returns
to New York. They still have a ways to go before a decision.”

What do you guys think? Do you think Jay is silly enough to ask for some wild amount of money, even if he's hardly in the office? I mean, he might not be in the office, but didn't Ne-Yo, Rhianna, Kanye West and others have a good year? I mean he might not be batting a thousand, but he does knock a good amount out of the park. More on this as it develops... or fizzles out into rumor smoke.
Share:

No comments: