Jay Z tries his hand at boxing

Rap king, Jay Z, who occasionally slips on the gloves as part of his fitness routine at Chelsea Piers, has delved into boxing on the corporate side with Roc Nation Sports, the agency he created.

The agency, after eight long months of negotiations finally obtained its boxing license. It would be managed by renowned fight executive Dave Itskowitch.

Roc Nation Sports will promote boxing matches as well as sign boxers.

“This is an opportunity for us to change the game,” Michael Yormark, president and chief of branding and strategy for Roc Nation who is also the twin brother of Barclays Center CEO Brett Yormark, told ESPN. “Jay Z has an incredible passion for boxing. We want to take the platform we’ve created and bring that to the boxing industry. We want to bring more money and visibility to the sport and give the boxers opportunities outside the ring.”

He added: “There’s no question Roc Nation Sports can create celebrity status for boxers and align them with corporate America. Look at the success we’ve had with our athletes and (recording)artists (represented by parent company Roc Nation). That is what we do, and we do that better than anyone. We will be able to build brands for these boxers and build their careers outside of the ring. That’s the difference that Roc Nation will bring to this sport.”

The agency has yet to sign any fighters but has obtained licenses to promote in New York and Washington.

Jay Z isn’t the first hip-hop mogul to try his hand at boxing. Damon Dash, the former rap impresario who co-founded Roc-A-Fella Records (with Jay Z), had teamed up with boxing promoter Lou DiBella for at a time.

Recently too, 50 Cent made an attempt as a boxing promoter and found moderate success.