(AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

Wasn’t he just walking around Cuba celebrating his fifth wedding anniversary? Oh well. Business is business.

Jay Z’s Roc Nation has announced a multi-year global deal with Universal Music Group (UMG)  such that Roc Nation will run as its own, standalone label. That means albums from Jay Z, Rihanna, and other artists will be released under the UMG umbrella.

“Not only does this agreement provide a dynamic platform for Roc Nation’s exciting emerging artists, it extends our relationship with the extraordinary Rihanna and represents a homecoming for JAY Z-a brilliant artist and entrepreneur, who has been a creative cornerstone of our company,” said Lucian Grainge, Chairman and CEO of UMG in a press release statement. We might not notice too much difference, but on the back end, it means backing from a huge company.

Meanwhile, we’re also hearing that the Made In America Festival will be returning to Philadelphia August 31 to September 1. We see a trip to Philly in our future! Last year, acts included Kanye West, Pearl Jam, and Drake.

Credit: WENN

From The Grio

NEW YORK (AP) — Robinson Cano is switching agents from Scott Boras to a new company formed by musician Jay-Z’s Roc Nation and CAA Sports.

Cano will be represented in baseball matters by CAA Sports’ Brodie Van Wagenen. The New York Yankees second baseman is making $15 million this season and can become a free agent at the end of the World Series.

While the Yankees usually wait for contracts to expire before negotiating new agreements with players, they have said they hope to reach a deal with the 30-year-old Cano while he remains under their control.

Read more at TheGrio.com.

Remember a few months back when we told you about Rob Kardashian going bananas on Twitter about Rita Ora after their split as a romantic item? The rant was pretty disrespectful whether the claims he put out there about her were true or not (since adults shouldn’t expose people’s sexual lives on social media…or at least they shouldn’t), and included him saying she slept around on him with 20 guys, and ended it with such statements as, “How can a woman who is so busy trying to start her own career have time to be with so many dudes all while in a relationship?!”

“I never actually thought it was a relationship in all honesty. I never mentally defined it as boyfriend/girlfriend. When I split up with him, I said, ‘It’s because I’m never there, I don’t know how to do it.’ That’s all I said, then … the rest happened. He obviously felt that creating myths was the way forward.”

“When you are involved with someone for a while and they decide to express their feelings to the public, well, that’s not my personal way of therapy but I guess everyone takes split-ups differently. You should have to sit an exam before you go on Twitter. To see if you’re mentally stable.”

Source: Wire Images

We’ve heard countless stories of Grammy winning, commercially successful artists going bankrupt. Remember Toni Braxton and TLC? Well, all of that happens because most of the time in the music industry, artists don’t own the music they write. The record companies do. Well Beyonce and Jay-Z have made sure that won’t happen to them, not like it ever would have anyway.

Earlier this week, Jay-Z inked a publishing administration deal with Warner/Chappell  from all his music from 2008 until…he retires…for real this time. Roc Nation was also signed to a worldwide publishing deal.

The next day, Warner announced that Beyonce would receive a similar deal. Except Beyonce will have publishing writes on all of her future songs, including those on her upcoming album.  Beyonce had this to say in the press release announcing the deal:

“It’s an honor to join Warner/Chappell Music and to continue working with my friend Jon Platt. I trust his vision and admire his professionalism, and I look forward to our partnership.”

This is a dream for any artist who writes their own music. It’s truly a mark of independence. Remember, Prince had a falling out with Warner, saying that creating music under their label was like being a slave. Though it seems terribly unfair that companies would be able to make money from an artists’ work, it’s standard protocol. Now, Beyonce, Jay-Z and members of the Roc Nation firm will make money anytime the music included in this contract is used or played anywhere. Talk about power plays!

Angela Davis (left) and her niece, actress Eisa Davis, at a Toronto Film Festival event. AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Aaron Vincent Elkaim

Just in time for Black History Month, Codeblack Films, a Lionsgate company, has announced that it is releasing Free Angela and All Political Prisoners, presented by BET Networks at select AMC locations in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Washington D.C., Oakland, Philadelphia and Atlanta on April 5, 2013.

This documentary of Angela Davis was directed and written by Shola Lynch, whose previous work includes Chisholm ’72- Unbought & Unbossed.  According to a press release for this film, Davis was inspired by Chisholm ’72 to “speak to young people in the 21^st century and to give them a sense of what it means to feel collectively powerful and capable of changing the world.”

Jada Pinkett Smith also worked on Free Angela as an executive producer, with Overbrook Entertainment and Jay Z for Roc Nation and a number of other names in the entertainment industry. The film was a hit at the Toronto Film Festival a few months ago.

Angela Davis has been hailed as a political symbol and prominent activist in the 1960s for her involvement in the Civil Rights movement and affiliation with the Black Panthers. This film features Angela Davis’ own personal account of what led to her imprisonment. The story focuses on Davis as a young professor and social justice activist who is somehow implicated in a kidnapping attempt and a shootout that leaves four people dead. Davis ultimately lands on the FBI’s 10 most wanted list. She also became a global cause, with people around the world calling her a “political prisoner” and demanding her release. The documentary coincides with the 40th anniversary of Davis’ acquittal on charges of murder, kidnapping, and conspiracy.

Fun fact: Davis became such a celebrated cause that she was the inspiration for a song by John Lennon and Yoko Ono — “Angela” — and another by The Rolling Stones — “Sweet Black Angel.” IMDB also reminds us that Davis ran for VP of the US in 1980 and 1984 under the Communist Party umbrella.

After the jump, we’ve got the trailer. Will you watch this movie?

First of all: Why is there about to be ANOTHER Fast And Furious movie? We get the gist of the whole movie series by now, so can we let it go already?

And second of all: Who knew Rita Ora could act?

To be honest with you, I don’t know a great deal about Ora like that, aside from the fact that she dresses a mix of tomboy meets colorful and quirky, and that Roc Nation really, really, REALLY wants us to like her and make her the next Rihanna. Seriously, we see her everywhere, but are they really even pushing her music like that? I can’t name more than like two of her tracks like that, but I guess it’s all about creating a brand. Well, with news that she has won a role in the next Fast and Furious movie that Rihanna was originally set to star in, those comparisons between Ri Ri and Rita probably won’t go away any time soon.

Earlier in the year it was reported that Rihanna would play a villain in the newest installment of the popular film series, as people behind Fast and Furious were impressed with Ri Ri’s work in Battleship. But as it turned out, a lot of people are feeling Rihanna on the acting tip in general, because, according to The Sun, a busy schedule, including upcoming voice work on an animated film, caused scheduling conflicts and Rihanna had to back out of Fast and Furious 6. When she did, up stepped Ora who auditioned for the movie, and according to the Daily Mail, had previous acting experience (was it from that Drake video, “Over”?) and wowed casting folks during her auditions. A source told The Sun that “They loved her look and her attitude.”

Though there has been some talk that Rita has been swaggerjacking Rihanna’s steelo (yeah, I took it back) for a while now, the few times I’ve seen these two women together in public, Rihanna seems to have embraced her (possibly because she doesn’t see her as competition, but hey, she might just really like the chick). But I can’t help but wonder what she’s thinking now that Ora will be groomed for a role she way going to have. Especially one that puts a sistah so close to fine a** Paul Walker and The Rock! Either way, I know Jay-Z is somewhere doing the “Big Pimpin’” dance because they’re making him some good money!

While the deets of the interview aren’t available yet, Rihanna must have received the “green light” to unveil the November cover of Vogue magazine.  On the cover, with photos by Annie Leibovitz, Rihanna is rocking red lips and a red dress to go with her new short ‘do.

This cover story, of course, goes right along with her new album Unapologetic (we think that’s the name at this point) which is also set to drop next month.  She absolutely does not seem to stop working because she just finished touring for her last album over the summer and she’ll be right back at it at the top of the year to tour with Unapologetic.

While Vogue isn’t known for showcasing black women on the cover, Rih has snagged it twice in the States and once last year for British Vogue.  Her management team seems to be right in line with Rih’s work ethic, huh?

I wonder what she’ll be talking about. It seems like we know as much as she’s going to tell us at this point, doesn’t it?

What do you think of the cover?

Source: thatgoodhit.com

At a Cartier event last week, Roc Nation singer Rita Ora decided to show some love to her boss’s wife by serenading the crowd with a cover of the Destiny’s Child classic, “Say My Name.” Bey and Jay were in the crowd for the performance (of course, somewhere VIP and not really with the crowd), and I’m sure Ora was feeling the pressure. For me, there were a few times where she was singing the song especially hard (and a bit too loud). She definitely got off to a rough start, but I think that by the end, she pulled it together and did a pretty good job. As most people who listen to covers would say, I would definitely prefer to listen to the original, but she did a pretty good job. Check out the video of her rendition of the track and let us know what you think of Ora’s performance below.

What do you think?

And on a sidenote, Ora addressed the claims that she is trying to be the next Rihanna, will be the next Rihanna, is trying to take her spot, etc. In an interview with The Guardian, she had the following to say:

“I don’t think there will be a next Rihanna, but I think [Jay-Z] definitely sees me as someone who could be as big as Rihanna. She’s a superstar now, but they first knew her as a small-island girl – and they want to repeat that success.”

Well, it took a good while for Rihanna to be as big as she is now, so Ora better be ready to work hard and be patient if she’s trying to emulate Ri’s success.

More on Madame Noire!

• Hair Do’s and Don’ts According to the Fellas
• Intuition or Evidence: 6 Signs He Has A Chick On The Side
• Better Off Unwed: Couples Who Have Happily Kept A Ring Off Of It
• On To The Next! Women Who Found New Love In The Nick of Time…
• In Between The Sheets: Things All Women Are Insecure About In Bed
• WEEKEND WRAP-UP: Kevin Hart’s (Ex) Wife Not Acting Like A Lady + MORE!
• 6 Things You Can Stop Worrying About Doing For Your Man
• FLASHING LIGHTS! Couples Who Love To Flaunt Their Love

Source: Swag Africa

Jay-Z is looking out for his wife and the whole Carter family big time with a new deal he’s trying to put in the works. Since Beyonce has a joint management deal with her husband’s label Roc Nation and Live Nation, Jay has approached Live Nation to sign a $150 million touring deal for Bey.

Jay-Z is said to believe the exclusive shows on the world tour would be a complete sell-out, saying demand for Bey hasn’t dropped at all since she’s taken a small break to have Blue Ivy, but Live Nation may feel a bit differently. A source told the New York Post:

“Just weeks after the birth of Blue Ivy, Jay met with Live Nation to discuss a tour for Beyoncé, he wanted a deal worth about $150 million, but they countered with a lower offer.”

Live Nation might also just be trying to get the most bang for their buck because any show Bey puts on is pretty much guaranteed to sell out, and people are probably more anxious than ever to see if she’s still got it post-baby. In 2008, Jay signed a $150 million, 10-year deal with Roc Nation for recordings, tours, and entertainment ventures so I respect him trying to get the same money for his wife.

What do you think? Is $150 million too much to ask or does Bey demand that type of deal?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

More on Madame Noire!

• Drop That Drink! Hidden Calories That Can Ruin Your Diet
• Chemistry Clash! Couples Whose Love Seems Lost…
• What You See Is What You Get: Red Flags Women Ignore
• Ruben Studdard – Life After “American Idol”
• Bedroom Breakdown: What His Moves Really Mean…
• Teeny Weeny Afros & More: Celebrity Women Who Have Done the Big Chop
• It Could Happen to You: Gay Men and the Women Who Date Them
• Style to Steal or Girl, Stop: Jada, J.Lo, Tyra and More Hot Looks and Hot Messes From This Week

Source: Tumblr.com - anothergirlslife

If you haven’t heard of Rita Ora, you might need to take first dibs on acting like you discovered her because she just might be the next big thing. A Roc Nation artist under Jigga himself, Ora has been making waves in the U.K. for a little while now, but today, the singer of Kosovo-Albanian descent and her boss, Jay-Z, went to Z100 to debut her new track, “Party and Bulls**t.” Paying homage to B.I.G., the singer serenades us over a Miley Cyrus-ish beat (“Party in the USA” anyone?) that definitely fits the Z100 pop heavy crowd. Folks are throwing her name around like she is being groomed to be the next Rihanna (especially since Jay-Z isn’t too happy about those remixes Rih-Rih did this week…), and the ladies do look a little similar (I see a little Bey in her as well physically). However, the song to me is just okay. I’ll let you decide if she’s the second coming of Rihanna or another one and done artist in the game. Check it out and share your thoughts below:

More on Madame Noire!

• My BFF: The Non-Celebrity Besties of The Famous
• Quarterback Calls Off Wedding Hours Before Ceremony
• Do White People Make You Uncomfortable?
• True Life: I Knew He Wasn’t Into Me When…
• Saying One Thing and Doin Another: Celebs Who Lack Consistency
• ’90s One-(Or Two) Hit Wonders Whose Jams Make Us Want a Comeback
• Black Girls Rock It Across The Pond: Snaps From The 2012 Brit Awards
• Are You Being Used? Signs You’ve Got a “Temporary” Friend on Your Hands