Jay-Z Patronises Arsenal, Ever So Slightly

By: Daryl | January 26th, 2010

563416_jayz_200x200 Apparently American rapper/businessman Jay-Z is a bit of an Arsenal fan. This is a good thing, because the more US celebrities we get endorsing soccer, the better. However, I can’t help thinking that Jay-Z’s support for The Gunners is verging on the patronising.

He’s apparently offered the Arsenal players an all-expenses paid trip to New York City, and tickets to see him live. All well and good, except that Jay-Z appears to be offering this as a sort of motivation/reward for the Arsenal players to perform.

“The next time I’m playing in England I would like the Arsenal players to come and watch my gig and then come backstage afterwards,” said Jay-Z. I know how hard professional sportsmen work so I want to offer an incentive for the guys.”

I’ms sure he means well. But could it be that Jay-Z doesn’t quite realize just how rich and famous some of the Arsenal players are?

I’m pretty sure that if Cesc Fabregas, Sol Campbell or Robin van Persie wanted to fly to New York City and have a night out, then they could quite easily do so on their own dime. And I somehow doubt that tickets to a Jay-Z concert – backstage or otherwise – is going to be their main motivation in the battle for Premier League glory this season.

So what makes Jay-Z feel rich and famous and powerful enough to be offering “incentives” to famous footballers? What’s that you say? He’s married to Beyonce Knowles? Oh, OK then.

Actually, this might not be all Jay-Z’s fault. It might be more the ContactMusic.com article that’s to blame. Even the headline – JAY-Z LENDS HIS SUPPORT TO LONDON SOCCER CLUB – seems to imply that he’s donating money to some sort of Sunday league pub team.

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Category: English Premier League

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Max Harris

I think Jay Z is being big headed here! He's not that special. Only reason I see Arsenal players attending is because they will be more interested in seeing his wifey Beyonce! Pity Jay Z didn't invite Chelsea to his concert. Notorious womanisers Cashley Cole or John Terry would be pre-occupied with somebody else while JayZ's on stage ...Hahaha.. Another fact: World Football (Not Soccer) is the biggest money & most popular sport in the World! Another fact: Rap is the biggest money making music in the world as reported on Fox News, 60 minutes and CNN! That said I don't particularly like Jay Z either. Although he is worth about $500M no way could he afford to buy Arsenal. He'd have to at least double his money to £500M
Anthony

Why Arsenal of all teams? What a shame.
Cameron

Richer than Jay-Z not only is Jay-Z a musician, if im not mistaken he is part-owner (co-owner) maybe of a record label, a Clothing line, and from his concerts he easily takes about 150k-300k per concert. Furthermore the cut he rakes off his albums are substantially more then most artists out there.
john

I am not sure the commentors of this article get it either then. Jay-Z let his ego say "Sure little sports players...come to my concerts if you like." They are bigger than JayZ and with the conversion rate...probably richer than he is in some cases. They don't need insentive from a rapper who probably couldn't tell the differnece between Cesc and Van Persie. Stuff it Jay.
Matt

Sorry to burst everyone's bubble, but Jay-Z is a good Tim.

http://www.pressteam.co.uk/use...
star_bury

@ Jack - He's probably been soured by the NJ Nets debacle...
Gooner4life&beyond

If you don't like rap that is your opinion, many don't share it however. I guarantee you there are many 'cultured' individuals out there who like rap, including those in the Arsenal team.
Gooner4life&beyond

Sorry, but Jay-Z is more famous than most people who play in the major tournaments. Only guys like Ronaldo and Beckham will be more famous than him. A lot of footballers play in these major tournaments, many of whom will go unremembered by most who watch the games.
seven30

My favorite rapper is a fan of my favorite football club? !!!... damn i have great taste... young hov has a knack for knowing whats hot and the gunners are the hottest thing in football...

*dusts dirt off his shoulders* :)
Jack

To be fair, I'm surpised Hov doesn't want to buy a stake in Arsenal with the funds he's sitting on.
Daryl

OK, maybe I was wrong. It could very well be that there are a few Arsenal players who'd be thrilled to party with Jay-Z and go backstage and all that. Seems I forgot that footballers can have heroes too.
frank

HOVA! HOVA!
truth or fiction

I am struggling with the premise that rap is actually music or worth listening too? From what I know of the gunners they are worldly and cultured. So I'd say this rapper is just looking for validation by having bigger stars to hang with. Do you remember as a child inviting the popular kids and just hoping they'd come to your party? That's what's going on here.
Jiggaman

I don't think this is patronising you have to remember Michael Jackson offered Rio Ferdinand tickets to his concerts and Rio Ferdinand was so excited he couldn't hold himself together.

Of course thats a slightly different deal considering back stage passes for the MJ concert weren't going to be available as soon as hardcore fans bought up the few there were but its the same principle.

@Goonerinho Jay-Z is famous but not nearly as famous as any of the stars that play in world cup or UEFA Champions League games.

Damn even the PL games between Arsenal and Manchester United have fetched upto a billion worldwide viewers.

The whole "richer" thing is nonsense too players are represenatatives of a club that doles out a share of its profits between a hundred or more of its employees. It's not an entity that can be divided up lke that.
Goonerinho

lol no matter how rich and 'famous' football players may be.. they are nothing compared to famous musicians! Jay-Z in particular is much richer and more famous than any of our stars.

On top of that 'soccer' is still relatively small in the US. In most areas its still completely disregarded so over there nobody knows our stars.

I think you're just being a little over sensitive man.
azaniangooner

I think you need to go back to school. He is offering backstage passes to his England gig to justify the time the players will have to take out of their busy lives to attend the gig. It is a incentive to attend from a larger economic time incentive and not a pure money incentive.
wayne

Musicians especially rappers invite sports players to their concerts and vice versa (ie: P Diddy and Man U a few years ago).

It sounds by what you've written that you slightly mis-understand what is being said. There are many American Celebrity's who support Arsenal, ie: Spike Lee. Some get to come over and catch the games and others do not. Jay-Z saying he is a supporter of Arsenal to me just means the best rapper alive supports the best Footbal team around = makes sense to me!
ray

yeah, think ur reading into it a little too much. despite how rich and famous arsenal players are, the jigga man is a mogul that i'm sure plenty of the players look up...

the more support the better - we play the best football and cesc is the man!!