LIU’S GONNA ‘ROC’
Jay-Z starting showbiz management school
One of Brooklyn’s most famous exports is behind a new college program in his home borough.
Jay-Z’s Roc Nation entertainment company, which manages athletes and artists, is partnering with Brooklyn’s Long Island University to start a school of entertainment management set to open in fall 2021.
“We’re excited that the Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment will provide unique insight, knowledge and experiences for students and introduce the world to the next generation of unmatched talent,” said company CEO Desiree Perez.
The new school will be a “a true investment in our community and young people in Brooklyn, in New York City, and beyond,” she added.
The school will be housed at the 15,000-student Long Island University in downtown Brooklyn, and will offer undergraduate degrees in music, music technology, entrepreneurship and production, and sports management, according to The Associated Press.
Jay-Z, who grew up in the Marcy Houses in Bedford-Stuyvesant, founded Roc Nation in 2008 and has signed on big-name artists including Rihanna and Alicia Keys.
An offshoot, Roc Nation Sports, opened in 2013 to represent athletes. The company partnered with the NFL this year to produce a Miami halftime show featuring Shakira and Jennifer Lopez.
A quarter of the students in the inaugural Roc Nation class will be given full rides based on financial need and merit, company officials said.
The financial support, which the school has dubbed the “Hope Scholarship” will target promising highschoolers from New York.
Officials at Long Island University say the college’s location in the heart of Brooklyn will give students a range of opportunities for jobs, internships and networking.
“Our proximity in and around New York City’s epicenter of music and sports clearly positions us to offer unparalleled experiential learning and access to professional opportunities that will launch students to success,” LIU President Kimberly Cline said in a statement.
“We look forward to joining with Roc Nation to offer an unprecedented educational resource that opens up the entertainment and sports world to a new and eager generation.”
In addition to regular course loads with full-time professors, the school will incorporate guest lectures from artists.
Younger students will also get the chance to bone up on their music and entertainment knowledge through the school, officials said.
Residential summer camps focused on sports and music management skills for kids ages 10 to 18 will open in spring 2021, and will also include need-based scholarships.