Jay-Z is launching his own YouTube channel.
Jay-Z. Photo by Ros O'Gorman
The rapper-turned-entrepreneur is expanding his resume with a venture into branded video content.
His Life+Times channel is scheduled to launch on Saturday at 9.30pm ET.
Programming will kick off with clips from his last concert at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Life+Times, the name of the rapper’s personal blog, will also feature original content.
A fan interaction show called Roc Nation Check-In, Well Dunn with British fashion model Jourdan Dunn and a docu-series about basketball’s Brooklyn Nets are underway, according to USA Today.
Jay-Z is a minority stakeholder in the team.
The YouTube venture comes as a result of a deal between the 99 Problems rapper and entertainment company IconicTV.
“The site really is a way for Jay to showcase the breadth of his interests, from fashion, architecture, music, style, food, consumables, electronics, and so forth,’ Iconic TV co-founder Michael Hirschorn told the newspaper.
The venture is part of YouTube’s new original programming initiative. Jay-Z and his new business partners already have big plans to expand.
‘We’re approaching this channel and programming it, not at the level of an MTV or a BET ‘ at least, not yet ‘ but really programming it as a real channel that will have regular content, some featuring him, some under his creative direction, but that when he wants to reach his audience, he’s no longer going to have to go through an intermediary to get to that audience,’ Michael said.
