Vance
01-30-2007, 11:20 PM
Will Jay-Z boycott his own team -- the New Jersey Nets -- for taking $400 million from a bank that some say was built on profits from the slave trade?
The Jiggaman was all smiles recently when the team announced that its new arena in Brooklyn, Jay-Z's hometown, would be called the Barclays Center, after UK-based Barclays Bank, which is paying $400 million over 20 years for naming rights. But just after the January 18 announcement, local politicians and journalists quickly rang the alarm on the deal, criticizing the team and its majority owner, Bruce Ratner, for taking money from a bank whose founding family profited from its ownership of slaves in the 18th century and was involved in controversial dealings with the South African government in the 1980s.
Since then, Jay-Z (real name: Shawn Carter), who owns less than one percent of the team, has declined to comment. His his rep told TMZ that there would be no statement given or action taken by Carter. The rapper has a history of boycotting: Last year, he stopped drinking and serving Cristal champagne after an executive with Cristal's producer made disparaging remarks about rappers and their affinity for the bubbly.
Barclays, for its part, says its slave-trade past should be understood in the context of history, and says that it will spend $2.5 million on enhancing basketball courts all over the borough of Brooklyn.
source:tmz.com
Readers Comments.
1. He should boycott his own clothing line for using real fur. A**hole.
2. Barclays will spend 2.5 million enhancing basketball courts all over Brooklyn? Is that supposed to make up for slavery? Ok, so give those negros a new bball court and they won't know the difference, right? Give me a break, If mr.jigga knows of this will he disapprove? That money is so intoxicating for those celebs who knows if he will even acknowledge this. What an insult...until next time world...BLONDEE
3. This guy is to boring. He is innocent and to nice. Why do stories on him?? LOL.
4. If anything I think the fact that they went from slavery, to making basketball courts is a PLUS.......if they were a racist bank x amount of yeras ago, it looks to me as though they have somehow EVOLVED since then......
Make ya'money Jigga.....
5. This whole boycott companies invloved with the slave trade thing is rather sickening. Why do people who feel this way remain in the United States? This country was involved in the slave trade so a boycott would mean GO SOMEWHERE ELSE!!!
6. i agree with Great Dane, #4
and anyways, who gives a f*ck!?
7. Boycott a bank now who's owners and employees and their families were not even alive when slavery was a "world business".
Now that makes a lot of sense. Hurt those people who had nothing to do with it.
How about we all boycott Africa for actually starting the slave trade? How about Africans finally close the slave trade business? Hell its still alive and well in Africa and all our celbrities do is ignore the fact and continue trying to get average everyday people like you and I to boycott our own people and hurt our own people.
For heavens sake, are you people actually serious with this nonsense? Who the hell on the board at Barclay's or even a representitive was a decision maker during the slave trade is still around today?
get a clue people, all this damn boycotting, not letting history rest and constant racism amongst blacks and whites is only hurting our country.
8. He'll boycott if it's convenient for him.
Jackass.
9. black america is so full of it! they are always going on and on about how all the companies and families made all this money on slavery and should be punished, but when was the last time some rich black guy gave back his share of the land that was stolen from the native americans
Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae So palese dnot copmilan aoubt my tpynig you know you can raed it
10. Ummm... perhaps we should all boycott every square inch of land we live, work, and recreate upon because it was stolen from Native Americans over the course of three centuries. Stupid Ass Liberal Media Always trying to stir the turd.
11. That's so typical and RACIST of the media. Trying real hard to bring down a talented and successful African American. It is impossible for black people to be racist, we are recipients of racism not purveyors. This racist story by TMZ should be pulled immediately! NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE!!!
12. It's not about boycotting anything just acknowledgement and doing more like a sports center for inner city children, or even more after school programs for kids who want to do something positive have a place to go; not hyping up basketball courts...that's all those drug slingers need, a nicer bball court to sell their poison...till next time world...BLONDEE
13. #7 Walter, I agree with you completely.
Have you noticed that racism is invoked when it benefits the weaker side of an argument. Maybe Rev Jackson and Al Sharpton with the other outdated hacks can boycott Jay Z for getting a loan. Give me a break! Move on and remember this is 2007 not 1857!
14. Jay Z is worthless trash
15. According to African American women like Farrah (named for a white actress) it is racism if ANYONE criticizes a black person for doing bad things or being a bad person
I guess the whole concept now behind racism is that blacks should be able to do whatever they want
(including apparently, beating up black women, abandoning them and treating them horribly? and abandoning black children? which Jay Z and his friends all do all the time!))
The Jiggaman was all smiles recently when the team announced that its new arena in Brooklyn, Jay-Z's hometown, would be called the Barclays Center, after UK-based Barclays Bank, which is paying $400 million over 20 years for naming rights. But just after the January 18 announcement, local politicians and journalists quickly rang the alarm on the deal, criticizing the team and its majority owner, Bruce Ratner, for taking money from a bank whose founding family profited from its ownership of slaves in the 18th century and was involved in controversial dealings with the South African government in the 1980s.
Since then, Jay-Z (real name: Shawn Carter), who owns less than one percent of the team, has declined to comment. His his rep told TMZ that there would be no statement given or action taken by Carter. The rapper has a history of boycotting: Last year, he stopped drinking and serving Cristal champagne after an executive with Cristal's producer made disparaging remarks about rappers and their affinity for the bubbly.
Barclays, for its part, says its slave-trade past should be understood in the context of history, and says that it will spend $2.5 million on enhancing basketball courts all over the borough of Brooklyn.
source:tmz.com
Readers Comments.
1. He should boycott his own clothing line for using real fur. A**hole.
2. Barclays will spend 2.5 million enhancing basketball courts all over Brooklyn? Is that supposed to make up for slavery? Ok, so give those negros a new bball court and they won't know the difference, right? Give me a break, If mr.jigga knows of this will he disapprove? That money is so intoxicating for those celebs who knows if he will even acknowledge this. What an insult...until next time world...BLONDEE
3. This guy is to boring. He is innocent and to nice. Why do stories on him?? LOL.
4. If anything I think the fact that they went from slavery, to making basketball courts is a PLUS.......if they were a racist bank x amount of yeras ago, it looks to me as though they have somehow EVOLVED since then......
Make ya'money Jigga.....
5. This whole boycott companies invloved with the slave trade thing is rather sickening. Why do people who feel this way remain in the United States? This country was involved in the slave trade so a boycott would mean GO SOMEWHERE ELSE!!!
6. i agree with Great Dane, #4
and anyways, who gives a f*ck!?
7. Boycott a bank now who's owners and employees and their families were not even alive when slavery was a "world business".
Now that makes a lot of sense. Hurt those people who had nothing to do with it.
How about we all boycott Africa for actually starting the slave trade? How about Africans finally close the slave trade business? Hell its still alive and well in Africa and all our celbrities do is ignore the fact and continue trying to get average everyday people like you and I to boycott our own people and hurt our own people.
For heavens sake, are you people actually serious with this nonsense? Who the hell on the board at Barclay's or even a representitive was a decision maker during the slave trade is still around today?
get a clue people, all this damn boycotting, not letting history rest and constant racism amongst blacks and whites is only hurting our country.
8. He'll boycott if it's convenient for him.
Jackass.
9. black america is so full of it! they are always going on and on about how all the companies and families made all this money on slavery and should be punished, but when was the last time some rich black guy gave back his share of the land that was stolen from the native americans
Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae So palese dnot copmilan aoubt my tpynig you know you can raed it
10. Ummm... perhaps we should all boycott every square inch of land we live, work, and recreate upon because it was stolen from Native Americans over the course of three centuries. Stupid Ass Liberal Media Always trying to stir the turd.
11. That's so typical and RACIST of the media. Trying real hard to bring down a talented and successful African American. It is impossible for black people to be racist, we are recipients of racism not purveyors. This racist story by TMZ should be pulled immediately! NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE!!!
12. It's not about boycotting anything just acknowledgement and doing more like a sports center for inner city children, or even more after school programs for kids who want to do something positive have a place to go; not hyping up basketball courts...that's all those drug slingers need, a nicer bball court to sell their poison...till next time world...BLONDEE
13. #7 Walter, I agree with you completely.
Have you noticed that racism is invoked when it benefits the weaker side of an argument. Maybe Rev Jackson and Al Sharpton with the other outdated hacks can boycott Jay Z for getting a loan. Give me a break! Move on and remember this is 2007 not 1857!
14. Jay Z is worthless trash
15. According to African American women like Farrah (named for a white actress) it is racism if ANYONE criticizes a black person for doing bad things or being a bad person
I guess the whole concept now behind racism is that blacks should be able to do whatever they want
(including apparently, beating up black women, abandoning them and treating them horribly? and abandoning black children? which Jay Z and his friends all do all the time!))