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March 12, 2010
Hova! and Beyoncé!! At the Groundbreaking!!! OMG!!!!
The breathless coverage of the presence of Jay-Z and Beyoncé at yesterday's Atlantic Yards groundbreaktaking ceremony (and reports that they received the loudest applause) proves that there's one thing that makes Americans even stupider than sports — celebrity! Here's just a small sample.
Rap-Up, JAY-Z BREAKS NEW GROUND IN BROOKLYN
“We did it again, Brooklyn! Shout out to B.I.G.,” a triumphant Jay-Z declared at the ceremonial groundbreaking of the 18,000-seat Barclays Center at Atlantic Yards, the future home of the Brooklyn Nets.
If by "we did it again" Jigga means "handed over another large swath of Brooklyn to my homey Bruce Ratner," he's right!
“What I stand here and represent is hope for New York City. I’m a son of Brooklyn, I’m from Marcy Projects,” said the hip-hop mogul, one of the investors in the sports and entertainment arena. “It brings me so much pride that I’mma get a little nervous about it, but I’m very happy, I’m very excited on this day.”
GossipCenter, Beyonce Knowles and Jay-Z: Barclay's Groundbreakers
Supporting her man, Beyonce Knowles attended the ceremonial groundbreaking for Barclays Center at Atlantic Yards in New York City on Thursday.
GigWise, Jay-Z, Beyonce Appear Together At Groundbreaking Ceremony
Jay-Z and Beyonce made a rare joint public appearance yesterday as they helped put the wheels in motion on a new development project in Brooklyn.
..."I think about growing up in Brooklyn in the Marcy projects and shooting jump shots, thinking I can make it to the NBA.
“Now I stand here as an owner of team that's coming back to Brooklyn."
SOHH.com, JAY-Z ATTENDS NEW JERSEY NETS ARENA CEREMONY, "WE DID IT AGAIN, BROOKLYN!"
Rap mogul Jay-Z attended a New York ceremony for the launch of a new arena to be used by his NBA basketball team New Jersey Nets beginning in 2012.
NY Post, Gov's big scoop
GIRL GOT GAME! Curvacous Beyoncé turns heads yesterday at the Brooklyn arena site where hubby Jay-Z is an investor.
The Independent, A hoop dream that could boost Barclays
The British publication The Independent wasn't immune to the hype.
Bob Diamond, the Massachusetts-born president of Barclays, hopes that the duet he did with Jay-Z yesterday will help. The pair appeared together at the ground- breaking ceremony for the new Atlantic Yards basketball stadium.
There was at least one more-thoughtful treatment of Jay-Z's role in the whole affair.
The Awl, I Got 99 Problems, But Eminent Domain Ain’t One: White Brooklynites Against Jay-Z
Jay-Z has been dipping his toes in the political waters of late. First, he and Beyonce showed up at the White House (which was stellar). Then, he surfaced as entrenched in an imbroglio (not so stellar) with the New York Guv, a potential Queens "racino," and Rev. Floyd Flake, the borough’s behemoth ex-Congressman-cum-powerbroker. Then the governor, even while busy swimming in a flood of scandal, killed the deal. And yesterday, Jay-Z appeared standing shoulder-to-shoulder with dozens of New York politicos and dignitaries to take a big step towards building his dream: a stadium for the Brooklyn Nets. And lots of people are peeved about it.
The hip-hop mogul may have scored ever-more white fans since Danger Mouse and the endless iterations of Black Album riffery. But Jay-Z can count a few detractors amongst white folks in brownstone Brooklyn.
To be clear, there are plenty of non-white folks in brownstone Brooklyn who aren't too thrilled with Atlantic Yards, either.
My city councilwoman, the vivacious Letitia “Tish” James, is an ardent opponent of the project, and an ardent introducer of quirky policies. (Dammit, if I don’t think that naming a subway station in honor of Michael Jackson isn’t some brilliant legislating.) She took on a pro-Yards primary opponent, reportedly backed by Ratner, and clocked her. James has several other local officials with her rebuffing the Bloomberg-Ratner project.
And rightfully so. It looks like a monstrosity. It feels like a landgrab. It’s fueled by a Russian oligarch. Its imminent, eminent ka-thunk will likely send ripples of change through the better parts of the neighborhood. It would destroy the relative, insular tranquility of the streets. It would sanitize the gritty, inimitable Fulton Mall. Its arrival could usher in a SoHo lite, more Park Slope panache, or—God forbid—another Times Square.
...But Jay-Z may never win over the diehard, anti-eminent domain brownstoners. They jeered the ground-breakers with chants of “shame on you” as they arrived. Some held oversized masks of Ratner, Bloomberg, Chuck Schumer and even Eliot Spitzer. But no Jay-Z. This may indicate the (predominately white) protesters’ (thankful) tact, rather than their lack of rage.
Posted by eric at March 12, 2010 12:28 PM