Jay-Z is treating his sports agency competitors in the same manner he treated hip-hop rivals Nas and Mobb Deep, poking fun at Major League Baseball (MLB) agent Scott Boras in his new album, Magna Carta Holy Grail.
"Scott Boras, you over baby / Robinson Cano, you coming with me," Jay-Z raps on the song Crown.
New York Yankee second baseman Robinson Cano dumped Boras as his agent and was one of Jay-Z's first clients to sign up with Roc Nation Sports. Roc Nation Sports was founded in April and has made huge strides in signing big sports names - including Oklahoma City Thunder Kevin Durant, New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz, New York Jets rookie quarterback Geno Smith, and Tulsa Shock guard Skylar Diggins - in part because of their partnership with Creative Artists Agency (CAA) Sports as well as his fame in the rap game.
"Jay-Z's pop culture status plays a major role in athletes signing with his sports agency," said financial expert and editor-in-chief of MoneyCrashers.com Andrew Schrage to LatinosPost.com in June. "As professional athletes begin to better understand and realize the importance of a personal brand, more are likely to sign with the rap celebrity."
Jay-Z also pokes fun at the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) comparing the NFLPA's investigation that he broke their new "runners rules" - which prohibits agents from having associates who are not NFLPA-certified agents in attendance for recruiting purposes - to the United States Department investigation into his Cuba vacation with his wife Beyonce.
"NFL investigations / Oh don't make me laugh / FBI investigation / We stood up to that," says Jay-Z in the song La Familia.
While Boras does not have the lyrical flow to respond with his own Ether dis track, he did manage to poke fun of getting called out by the Hard Knock Life artist.
"I'm a fan of jazz and my favorite musician is Bernie Williams," Boras told ESPNNewYork.com's Wallace Matthews. "What other musician could play center field for the Yankees and win four world championships?"
Boras also made it clear that he is prepared to take on the rookie sports agent challenge, pitching to his clients the fact that he is dedicated to baseball and baseball only, unlike his upstart sports agency rival.
"What I've learned through my time in the business is that you can't worry about external factors. You just have to focus on being the best you can be," said Boras to ESPN sports business reporter Darren Rovell. "I've been asked to negotiate all kinds of things. And I don't do that because I am singularly committed to the game of baseball. My company doesn't do anything else."
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