Rapper Jay-Z Joins Silicon Valley Scene With New Investment Group

CALIFORNIA -- Rapper Jay-Z is getting into the Silicon Valley business. Fortune reported Jay-Z and his longtime business partner Jay Brown have created an investment group with venture capitalist Larry Marcus.

"The new investment group will be called Marcy Venture Partners, a nod to New York’s Marcy Houses, the public housing complex where Shawn 'Jay-Z' Carter grew up," the magazine reported.

TechCrunch reported the rapper behind Roc Nation has long tried to find a partner in Silicon Valley.

"And at one time, it appeared they had landed on Sherpa Capital, a VC firm created by some of Uber’s other early investors. But that deal fell apart," TechCrunch said.

But TechCrunch reported the rapper has invested in other technology companies before.

"The rap artist, producer and entrepreneur invested in Uber’s Series B round in 2011 when the company had a pre-money valuation of $300 million. Jay-Z has also invested in JetSmarter and Julep. Roc Nation backed Promise, a decarceration startup."

In 2017, the 47-year-old Los Angeles resident was estimated to worth a whopping $810 million so it sounds like he has plenty of money to invest in Silicon Valley!

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