Rap mogul Jay-Z is branching out beyond music into sports management, and in the process has landed one of the highest profile figures in professional baseball.
Roc Nation, the entertainment company created by Jay-Z, announced on Tuesday it was launching a sports management arm and signing New York Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano.
In order to strike the agreement, the Dominican-born All Star released super agent Scott Boras, who, at one time, represented Cano's fellow Yankee, Alex Rodriguez.
The move represents a major coup for Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter. He embarks on a new sports management venture with one of the biggest names in Major League Baseball, while enhancing his musical footprint. Jay-Z, who enjoys personal relationships with numerous professional athletes, paired with management firm Creative Artists Agency to launch Roc Nation Sports.
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"Because of my love of sports, it was a natural progression to form a company where we can help top athletes in various sports the same way we have been helping artists in the music industry for years," Jay-Z said in a statement.