Hip-hop mogul Jay-Z has conquered the worlds of music, fashion and entertainment, and now the veteran emcee is gearing up to plant a flag in the world of television after recently inking a partnership deal with Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim.
According to adweek.com, Turner Broadcasting, Cartoon Network’s parent company, has confirmed the news of the deal and on May 18, Jay-Z performed at Adult Swim’s annual Upfront soiree at New York’s Roseland Ballroom, which previews the network’s future programming.
Although details of the partnership have yet to be revealed, it’s expected that an original animated series will result from the deal.
Jay-Z’s partnership with Adult Swim will add another mark to the network’s continued history of collaborations with hip-hop heavyweights. In 2006, Danger Mouse and MF Doom released the album The Mouse and The Mask, which contained vocal cameos from Aqua Teen Hunger Force’s Meatwad and Shake. That same year, the network partnered with André 3000 to produce the animated series “Class of 3000,” which lasted for two seasons and featured original music from the OutKast lyricist. And just last year, the networked team with T-Pain to produce the musical special “Freaknik: The Musical” which boasted an all-star cast of voice actors, including Snoop Dogg, Cee-Lo Green, Kelis and Big Boi.
For Jay-Z, this deal will mark his first successful attempt at breaking into television. In 2007, the rapper, along with fellow hip-hop mogul Diddy and film executive Harvey Weinstein, tried to purchase Comcast’s G4 network, hoping to create a competitor for Viacom’s BET Network. However, nothing came of the effort.
What do you think of Jay-Z’s new partnership with Adult Swim? –nicholas robinson
