Jay-Z is dropping hits and trying to pick up more stars for Roc Nation Sports. Jay-Z continues to chase after superstars in the latino market, most recently being rumored to having discussions with the red hot Yasiel Puig and fellow Cuban compatriot Yoenis Cespedes.
It's no mystery Jay-Z loves cigars. The best cigars are supposedly Cuban. Puig and Cespedes are Cuban. Is there a connection? Jay-Z is trying to make a Cuban connection with the top players from the island. We've even heard Jay-Z reference Cuba in his songs. Here's a bit from "Otis" as Jay-Z collaborated with Kanye West:
"Welcome to Havana/Smoking Cubana's with Castro in cabanas."
He later gives props to all those immigrants making money in this country (whether legally or illegally) and it seems as though Jay-Z and Roc Nation Sports want to give Puig and Cespedes a chance to grow, not only in the game, but financially.
Cespedes is already getting paid, what many believe is a ton of money. More surprising is the fact that it was the Oakland Athletics who jumped on the four-year, $36 million deal. Puig, on the other hand, is making way less money than Cespedes as the 22-year-old is under team control until 2019. He is making less than $400K a year. Siding with Jay-Z will allow Puig to grow outside of the business of baseball and possibly give the youngster tips on how to be more likable.
Puig is receiving a lot of heat as of late because of his lack of cooperation with the media. More recently, Mark McGwire, the Los Angeles Dodgers hitting coach had to speak to Puig on the side after the right-fielder brushed off Luis Gonzalez, the Arizona Diamondbacks' legend. Maybe Puig didn't know who Gonzalez was, but the fact is that he has to become more humble. Being a people person will get Puig more endorsements, which will lead to fat paychecks outside of baseball.
Jay-Z is famous for expanding The Roc into an empire that not only created music, but also had a clothing line, shoes and fragrances. Jay-Z's latest venture has landed Roc Nation Sports guys like Kevin Durant, Cano and Victor Cruz, who the company handles off the field.