Jay-Z’s Roc Nation has today expanded its ever-growing empire into, and this is not a typo, the world of country music, putting down roots in Nashville through a publishing partnership with Warner/Chappell Music, the music publishing arm of Warner Music Group (WMG). The two companies have created Rhythm House, a music writing and publishing venture with veteran Nashville writer and producer Jesse Frasure.
The move is a “natural extension of the relationship we started so many years ago,” Jay Brown, Roc Nation President said, with WMG and Roc Nation first inking a deal back in 2013. He continued, “There is nothing like working with the right individuals, at the right time, forming the right partnership.”
While this collaboration combines my two favourite genres from a business perspective, I understand that it doesn’t necessarily mean rap/country collaborations. I think for both country and hip-hop fans’ sake that the genres will remain their own separate entities. Country music already has enough problems with ‘hick-hop,’ which is regarded mostly as just an unfortunate hiccup and we’re unlikely to see too many established rappers collaborate with country musicians any time soon.
Probably because of this. Burn this.
It’s more than likely that Roc Nation will instead continue to grow and build subdivisions in almost every area of entertainment. Rhythm House and the Nashville division is Roc Nation’s second major expansion this month. Earlier this month Roc Nation put forth Roc Nation Latino, naming singer, songwriter and actor Romeo Santos as its CEO.
Roc Nation not only specialises in music, it also has a sports management division under the name Roc Nation Sports, with one of the NBA’s top three stars in Kevin Durant presently employing their services along with several other high-profile athletes and also has a partnership with Three Six Zero Entertainment, which represent clients in television and literary arts.
Roc Nation continues to grow and conquer all aspects of entertainment and arts and the label seems yet to flop on any of their recent ventures, although I can tell you already country fans are going to hate Tidal.
Image: Roc Nation