Jay-Z leaving Fred Segal in West Hollywood (5/4)
The Smoking Gun managed to get a hold of Jay-Z's concert rider from his performance last month at the University of Arizona (see
here,
here,
here, and
here). "University" as in "school." As in "I'm sorry sir but I don't think we have a spare Maybach parked somewhere that we can pick you up in." From the site:
When Jay-Z headlined last month at the University of Arizona, the rapper banked a whopping $750,000 for his set. But the chart-topping performer did not get every perk requested in his concert rider, since the school does not provide artists with alcohol, tobacco, or $400,000 luxury vehicles. As seen on the following pages from his 2009 concert rider, Jay-Z (real name: Shawn Carter) demands that promoters provide him with ground transportation while he is in town performing. Specifically, the rap star requires a late-model black Maybach (either the 57 or 62 model) with tinted windows.
Carter's dressing room (72 degrees, please) must be stocked with Sapporo beer, vodka, tequila, and two bottles of $300 Champagne. Oh, and the 39-year-old performer also needs two bottles (at $200 apiece) of 2004 Sassicaia, which his rider helpfully describes as a "Red, Italian Wine from Bolgheri Region." Additionally, Carter requires "Good Quality" peanut butter and jelly, one martini shaker, 12 shot glasses, and a pack of Marlboro Lights.
Rappers aren't supposed to stipulate that their dressing rooms come
stocked with peanut butter and jelly. They're supposed to demand they
come stocked with dumb groupies. Either Beyonce has finally begun to tame
Jay-Z, or reverting to the tastes of a first grader is now considered
cool. Hopefully it's the latter, which means I'll finally be able to
feel comfortable about my
pacifier Dora the
Explorer DVDs bed-wetting.
That's one big rock
Though she still hasn't even confirmed that she and Jay-Z are married, Beyoncé was sporting a pretty nice 18 carat wedding ring Friday night at the Fashion Rocks event in New York. I bet it's fake. From People magazine:
All eyes were on Beyoncé Friday night, when, for the first time, the singer publicly displayed her wedding ring on the red carpet for Fashion Rocks at Radio City Music Hall in N.Y.C. The singer, 27, who secretly married rapper Jay-Z in April, flashed an 18 carat flawless diamond by Lorraine Schwartz, valued at more than $5 million dollars, according to the jeweler. (Source)
Sure her diamond ring is 18 carats, but more importantly: what's its clarity? What's its color? Is it GIA certified? Now I know some of you might be asking yourselves how is it that I happen to know so much about diamonds and the answer to that question may come as a bit of a shock. This fall I plan on making a very special proposal to my girlfriend: "Get your smuggle-hole back to Sierra Leone or I'm calling the INS!"
[WENN]
Celeste Williams, a waitress at Jay-Z's exclusive 40/40 Club in New York City, filed a lawsuit against her rap mogul boss yesterday, claiming he's been violating federal labor laws by neglecting to pay her a minimum wage--forcing her to work for tips only. From the New York Daily News:
The lawsuit accuses Jay-Z and co-owner Juan Perez of "willfully failing and refusing to pay them at the legally required minimum wage for all hours worked and time and a half rates for work in excess of forty hours per workweek.""That certainly is not true," said club spokesman Ron Berkowitz. "Everyone makes the minimum wage at the club, 100%." (Source)
So this chick--who's probably making thousands in tips per week at this club--is risking her job by suing over the $4 or $5 an hour she's not getting? That's called being bad at math. And--according to my sixth grade algebra teacher--when you're bad at math, you fail at life. Unfortunately for him, when your breath constantly reeks of Jack Daniels you also fail at life.
Rapper Jay-Z has agreed to become the latest spokesman for Cherry Coke. Coca-Cola is relaunching the beverage on February 7 at a New York Fashion Week event. Jay-Z's company Rocawear will handle the design of the new can as well as the TV commercials. According to Rocawear's Jameel Spencer, it's a slow day for celebrity news:
"Besides just recording, he's making TV commercials and campaigns for brands... who is better than Coke? They're the biggest. His role is helping brands not get it wrong the way McDonald's did with African-Americans rapping about French fries. There's a reassurance that they won't appear like an out-of-touch uncle trying to act cool."
Can't help but wonder about the decision to use Jay-Z to peddle Cherry Coke. According to Cribs and rap videos, black people don't drink Cherry Coke, they drink Cristal--usually while dancing on speedboats and Bentleys. Additionally, they always laugh when white gossip writers stereotype their entire race. At least that's what The Source Magazine claimed last month in an article about my site. Apparently I also have my "finger on the pulse of Black America." Hey I'll take the accolades wherever I can get 'em.
On his upcoming single "Lost One," rapper Jay-Z leaves fans pondering the status of his relationship with longtime girlfriend Beyoncé Knowles:
On the track he raps, "I don't think it's meant to be, B/For she loves the work more than she does me/And, honestly, at 23, I would probably love my work more than I did she/So we ain't we, it's me and her/That's what she prefers." But the rapper insists he isn't giving up on the relationship, adding, "So I have to give her free time even if it hurts... Maybe we can be we again like we were."
Breaking up with a girl via hit song has to go down as the second most badass way to end a relationship. The first is using one of those fake guns that shoots out a note that says "BANG". But instead of "BANG" it says "WE'RE THROUGH BITCH"
UPDATE: Just found this bit of news regarding the "surprise" 37th birthday party Beyoncé is throwing for Jay-Z next week:
"Beyoncé is throwing Jay a four-day birthday party, but it's really a wedding," said one source. Guests, including family and close friends, were told to have passport applications filed by last Friday so they can attend the bash on a yacht in St. Barts. But insiders said the guests will also be ferried over to Anguilla for the wedding at Cap Juluca, a five-star resort with Moorish villas.
So if any of your friends asks you about Jay-Z and Beyoncé's relationship (like they're ALWAYS asking me), you can tell them with confidence that the two are either breaking up or getting married. If they ask you to clarify, just punch them.
