Jay-Z Says His Multibillion-Dollar Times Square Casino Plan 'Makes Perfect Sense' for New York City

Jay-Z said it himself on “Diamonds From Sierra Leone,” “I’m not a businessman, I’m a business, man.” It only makes sense that he busts out his savvy to try and make advances for more money in NY. He’s done it before, investing in the Brooklyn Nets early in their infancy before withdrawing later. Now, he sees the world of gambling becoming a legal, lucrative business across the country. Consequently, he wants in on the business. His first order of business? A casino, smack dab in the middle of Times Square.

via: Complex

Jay-Z sees his multibillion-dollar Times Square casino plans as “an extension of the energy and action that makes New York the city it is,” noting in a new interview that he believes the idea simply “makes perfect sense.”

Speaking with Ralph R. Ortega for City & State, the Roc Nation founder pointed to the Caesars Palace Times Square partnership with SL Green as an example of an opportunity with the potential to “shift culture while uplifting communities.” As for the locale, Jay argued the casino space “doesn’t compete with Times Square” but instead “complements it.”

Jay isn’t alone in his plans. As previously reported, three potential licenses in the area are up for grabs, but Jay believes his “makes the most sense” for NYC. He has, however, faced pushback over the proposal. Among those vehemently opposed to Jay’s casino plans is the No Times Square Casino coalition, which counts the Broadway League association and the Entertainment Community Fund nonprofit among its members.

“Our plan is the only one that transforms an existing building into a project that creates massive opportunity without displacing the neighborhood,” Jay said Wednesday.

In the same interview, Jay, who currently has fans wondering what may be next on the music front eight years after his acclaimed 4:44 album, was asked to name his favorite things about NYC, his hometown.

“The attitude, the culture, the energy,” HOV told City & State. “You walk down any block in any borough; Brooklyn or Harlem or Queens and you feel that spirit. You can’t replicate New York anywhere else.”

Through a partnership with Cadre, as Roc Nation CEO recently revealed to iHeartRadio, New Yorkers will have a chance to invest their own money in the much-discussed space.

“It's not something that normally happens, but it's something that we're providing so that the community or anyone in New York City can be part of,” Perez explained earlier this month.

Jay has long been associated with high-profile business ventures, ranging from his multipurpose Roc Nation agency to the Tidal streaming platform. His catalog also remains in high demand, with the 1997 In My Lifetime, Vol 1. track “Imaginary Players” recently enjoying a streaming bump thanks to its use on Cardi B’s Am I the Drama? single “Imaginary Playerz.”