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Apple to Start Record Label with Jay-Z and Beyonce?

Sunday July 15, 2007 12:56 am PDT by Arnold Kim
Starting in April 2007 there were rumors from MediaTakeOut that rapper Jay-Z was leaving the Def Jam Recordings record label to create a new "super label" with singer Beyonce.

In an exclusive interview, MediaTakeOut.com spoke to a key person involved in creating the new label. And according to that insider, the new label will launch early next year. Tells our insider, "It's a done deal. [Jay Z] already has Beyonce and [Mathew Knowles] on board ... She'll be finishing up her contract [with Sony], and I expect that she'll sign on to the new label shortly afterwards."


Jay-Z is a popular rapper and current president and CEO of Def Jam -- a record label owned by Universal Music.

At the time, Jay-Z was reportedly shopping this new "super label" around with the major record labels "and to Apple - who [was] very interested in doing business".

Now, Moli.com is claiming that "an inside industry source" says that its a done deal.

[Jay-Z and Beyonce] will move to Apple to run a new music division. It sounds rather incredible: [Jay-Z's] already got a pretty good job, running Def Jam, and [Steve] Jobs may be too smart to get into the tanking recording business (as others have said). Of course, if it is true, my guess is this would be a new, revamped record biz, one based on digital distribution, not boring old physical products.


Coincidentally, Universal Music recently let their long term contract lapse with Apple for iTunes music distribution and have gone on a short term "at will" distribution deal.

The reliability of these sites is unknown, but published for interest as well as due to the existance of a historical rumor trail.

Readers should remember that Apple and Apple Corps previously settled giving Apple, Inc. ownership of all trademarks related to "Apple", which would pave the way for Apple to pursue this sort of deal.

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