3 Kings

by Zack O'Malley Greenburg

  5. Stephen Rust, telephone interview by author, January 2017.

  6. Lyle Fass, interview by author, New York, New York, December 2016.

  7. Armadale staff, “Our Heritage,” Armadale Vodka website, accessed December 2016, https://www.vodkaarmadale.com/our-heritage/.

  8. Author’s note: At press time, a pair of West Coast entrepreneurs unconnected to Roc-A-Fella were trying to revive Armadale.

  9. Economist staff, “Bubbles and Bling,” The Economist, May 8, 2006, http://www.economist.com/node/6905921.

  10. Jay-Z, Decoded, Spiegel and Grau, New York (2010), p. 83.

  11. Philippe Bienvenu, interview by author, Chigny-les-Roses, France, May 2010. Author’s note: This quote and the next one, along with some of the insights in this section, were originally published in my Jay-Z biography, Empire State of Mind.

  12. Yvonne Lardner, electronic message to author, August 2010.

  13. Branson Belchie, interview by author, New York, New York, February 2010.

  14. Steve Stoute, The Tanning of America, Gotham Books, New York (2011), p. 128.

  15. Eric Schmidt, telephone interview by author, December 2016.

  16. Anthony Rose, Financial Times, “Added Sparkle,” December 12, 2016, https://howtospendit.ft.com/fine-living/119831-added-sparkle-prestige-champagne-cuves.

  17. Author’s note: The list of Armand de Brignac skeptics includes a wine store employee I met in France who likened it to “shower water.”

  18. Lyle Fass, interview by author, New York, New York, December 2016.

  19. Gil Kaufman, “Jay-Z and President Obama: A Bromance History,” MTV News, September 19, 2012, http://www.mtv.com/news/1694108/jay-z-obama-bromance/.

  20. Jay-Z, interview with Steve Forbes and Warren Buffett, September 2010. Transcript: http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2010/1011/rich-list-10-omaha-warren-buffett-jay-z-steve-forbes-summit-interview.html.

  21. Diddy, interview by author, Austin, Texas, March 2014.

  22. Diddy, “Diddy Blog #16,” YouTube, August 30, 2008, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thmueS0ngAs.

  23. Author’s note: Little notched eighteen interceptions in his career. Dick “Night Train” Lane once clocked fourteen in a single season.

  24. Stephen Rust, telephone interview by author, January 2017.

  25. Lynette Holloway, “Hip-Hop Sales Pop,” New York Times, September 2, 2002, http://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/02/business/media-hip-hop-sales-pop-pass-the-courvoisier-and-count-the-cash.html.

  26. Kenny Meiselas, interview by author, New York, New York, November 2016.

  27. Stephen Rust, telephone interview by author, January 2017.

  28. Douglas Martin, “Sidney Frank, Eighty-Six, Dies,” New York Times, January 12, 2006, http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/12/business/sidney-frank-86-dies-took-a-german-drink-and-a-vodka-brand-to.html.

  29. Stephen Rust, telephone interview by author, January 2017.

  30. Eric Schmidt, telephone interview by author, December 2016.

  31. Stephen Rust, telephone interview by author, January 2017.

  32. Lyle Fass, interview by author, New York, New York, December 2016.

  33. Roberto Rogness, electronic message to author, January 2016.

  34. Stephen Rust, telephone interview by author, January 2017.

  35. Lyle Fass, interview by author, New York, New York, December 2016.

  36. Eric Arnold, electronic message to author, January 2017.

  37. Author’s note: Biggie never praised cheese eggs and Welch’s potato juice; 50 Cent didn’t hawk potato-flavored Vitaminwater. Why would you want to drink vodka made from potatoes when you could drink vodka made from grapes?

  38. Stephen Rust, telephone interview by author, January 2017.

  39. Eric Schmidt, telephone interview by author, December 2016.

  40. Stephen Rust, telephone interview by author, January 2017.

  41. Jonathan Mannion, interview by author, New York, New York, February 2016.

  42. Diddy, interview by author, Austin, Texas, March 2014.

  43. Eric Schmidt, telephone interview by author, December 2016.

  44. Stephen Rust, telephone interview by author, January 2017.

  45. Timbaland, telephone interview by author, May 2012. Author’s note: This quote was first published in my story “Timbaland to Launch His Own Line of Liqueur This Summer,” Forbes, May 22, 2012, http://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2012/05/22/timbaland-to-launch-his-own-line-of-liqueur-this-summer/.

  46. Eric Schmidt, electronic message to author, February 2017.

  47. PW Licensing LLC and Pharrell Williams Versus Diageo North America, Inc., United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, No. 12-cv-8424, January 3, 2013.

  48. Author’s note: Another liquor that failed because it didn’t match its namesake’s lifestyle: Trump Vodka, hawked by a billionaire teetotaler (discontinued stateside in 2011, it did find a small audience for a time in Israel, reportedly because the booze is made from potatoes rather than grains, thereby allowing it to be kosher for Passover).

  49. Jean-Claude Biver, telephone interview by author, November 2011.

  50. Sean Barnett, electronic message to author, February 2017.

  51. Swizz Beatz, interview by author, Englewood, New Jersey, August 2016.

  52. Charles Passy, “Is This Cognac Worthy of Jay-Z?,” Wall Street Journal, March 2, 2013, http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2013/03/02/is-this-cognac-worthy-of-jay-z/.

  53. Eric Arnold, electronic message to author, January 2017.

  54. Lyle Fass, interview by author, New York, New York, December 2016.

  55. Author’s observation, DeLeón launch, New York, New York, November 2014.

  56. Sammy Hagar, interview by author, Austin, Texas, March 2017.

  57. Kenny Meiselas, interview by author, New York, New York, November 2016.

  58. Brent Hocking, interview by author, Los Angeles, California, June 2016.

  59. Stephen Rust, telephone interview by author, January 2017.

  60. Eric Schmidt, telephone interview by author, December 2016.

  61. Diddy, speech to crowd at DeLeón launch, New York, New York, November 2014.

  62. Lyle Fass, interview by author, New York, New York, December 2016.

  63. Author’s note: Fass has a deep dislike for marzipan—which is actually made from almonds, not hazelnuts—and I’ve included more of his rationale, in case, for some reason, you’re interested in hearing more about it. “Where I grew up, marzipan came in boxes,” he says. “You had green apple, you had hot dog, you had hamburger. You had all these different things and it all tasted like fucking the same thing: marzipan… I wanted to eat Big League Chew and whatever, but my parents were like, ‘You should eat marzipan.’ I fucking hate marzipan.”

  64. Lyle Fass, interview by author, New York, New York, December 2016.

  Chapter 10: Sound Investments

  1. Troy Carter, interview by author, Los Angeles, California, November 2015; telephone conversation with author, May 2017.

  2. Mike McSherry, electronic message to author, January 2017.

  3. Peter Adderton, electronic message to author, January 2017.

  4. Author’s note: Diddy’s team didn’t have anything to add about the Boost Mobile negotiations. “I only have the vaguest memory of something possibly like that,” Kenny Meiselas told me.

  5. Peter Adderton, electronic message to author, January 2017.

  6. Ibid.

  7. Mike McSherry, electronic message to author, January 2017.

  8. Darryl Cobbin, telephone interview by author, August 2016; electronic message to author, January 2017. Author’s note: As part of the campaign, Boost donated a portion of the song’s proceeds to the United Negro College Fund, the Ludacris Foundation, and the Chicago State University Foundation. In November 2004, Billboard reported that Boost had raised more than $20,000 for the organizations, not to mention a significant amount of press and goodwill.

  9. Darryl Cobbin,
telephone interview by author, August 2016; electronic message to author, May 2017.

  10. Author’s note: Meneilly did not respond to a request for comment in time to be interviewed for this book.

  11. Darryl Cobbin, telephone interview by author, August 2016.

  12. Mike McSherry, electronic message to author, January 2017.

  13. Peter Adderton, electronic message to author, January 2017.

  14. Darryl Cobbin, telephone interview by author, August 2016.

  15. Matthew Perpetua, “Nas Owes the IRS Nearly $6.5 Million,” Rolling Stone, January 26, 2011, http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/nas-owes-the-irs-nearly-6-5-million-20110126.

  16. D. A. Wallach, telephone interview by author, December 2016.

  17. Ibid.

  18. Anthony Saleh, telephone interview by author, November 2016.

  19. Ilan Zechory, telephone interview by author, January 2017.

  20. Nas, telephone interview by author, May 2012.

  21. Anthony Saleh, telephone interview by author, November 2016.

  22. Ben Horowitz, telephone interview by author, October 2012. Author’s note: This quote was originally published in my story “Inside Andreessen Horowitz’s $15 Million Investment in Rap Genius,” Forbes, October 3, 2012, http://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2012/10/03/inside-andreessen-horowitz-15-million-investment-in-rap-genius/.

  23. Nas, telephone interview by author, May 2012.

  24. Anthony Saleh, telephone interview by author, October 2016.

  25. Anthony Saleh, telephone interview by author, November 2016.

  26. Ilan Zechory, telephone interview by author, January 2017.

  27. Author’s note: Defining “startup” turns out to be pretty tough. Is Facebook a startup? It was. But now its market cap is twice the size of Walmart’s. Does a company have to be tech-focused to be considered a startup? Probably not. Though they both function through apps, Uber and Airbnb are touted as two of the most successful startups of the decade, and they revolve around cabs and hotels. In the same vein, Warby Parker sells eyeglasses and Palantir focuses on data analysis, yet they have been considered startups. What about Aquahydrate? It’s listed in startup finance database CrunchBase, so I figure that’s close enough.

  28. Diddy, telephone interview by author, January 2015.

  29. Mark Wahlberg, telephone interview by author, January 2015. Author’s note: This quote, as well as a few others in this section, originally appeared in my story “Liquid Asset,” Forbes, February 4, 2015, http://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2015/02/04/liquid-asset-inside-mark-wahlberg-diddy-and-ron-burkles-aquahydrate/.

  30. Diddy, telephone interview by author, January 2015.

  31. Katherine Zeratsky, “Is Alkaline Water Better for You Than Plain Water?,” Mayo Clinic website, April 4, 2015, http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/alkaline-water/faq-20058029.

  32. Diddy, telephone interview by author, January 2015.

  33. Mark Wahlberg, telephone interview by author, January 2015.

  34. Diddy, telephone interview by author, January 2015.

  35. Mark Wahlberg, telephone interview by author, January 2015.

  36. Diddy, telephone interview by author, January 2015.

  37. Steven Davidoff Solomon, “Sprinkling a Little Celebrity Stardust on Silicon Valley,” New York Times, May 5, 2015, https://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/06/business/sprinkling-a-little-celebrity-stardust-on-silicon-valley.html.

  38. Ilan Zechory, telephone interview by author, January 2017.

  39. Doyle Murphy, “L’Oréal USA Buys Brooklyn Beauty Brand Carol’s Daughter,” New York Daily News, October 26, 2014, http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/brooklyn/oreal-usa-buys-brooklyn-beauty-brand-carol-daughter-article-1.1986483.

  40. James Covert, “Jay-Z Can’t Stop Investing in Private Jet Companies,” New York Post, December 13, 2016, http://nypost.com/2016/12/13/jay-z-cant-stop-investing-in-private-jet-companies/.

  41. Catherine Curan, “Jay-Z’s 99 Problems,” New York Post, May 16, 2010, http://nypost.com/2010/05/16/jay-zs-99-problems/.

  42. Frank DiGiacomo, “Hip-Hop Mogul Jay-Z Upset…,” New York Daily News, July 28, 2010, http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/hip-hop-mogul-jay-z-upset-newly-minted-miami-heat-player-lebron-james-didn-consult-article-1.468536.

  43. David M. Halbfinger, “With Arena, Rapper Rewrites Celebrity Investors’ Playbook,” New York Times, August 15, 2012, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/16/nyregion/with-the-nets-jay-z-rewrites-the-celebrity-investors-playbook.html.

  44. Ibid.

  45. Author’s note: The Ebbets Field Faithful know this, but others may not: Branch Rickey was the Brooklyn Dodgers’ general manager responsible for signing Jackie Robinson. Rickey is up there with Indiana Jones, Han Solo, and President James “Get Off My Plane” Marshall in terms of overall awesomeness for various reasons, including the fact that Harrison Ford played all four of them in major movies.

  46. Pollstar Pro, “Artist Tour History Report,” 2007 to 2017, courtesy of Gary Bongiovanni.

  47. Kurt Badenhausen, “Billion-Dollar Knicks and Lakers Top List of NBA’s Most Valuable Teams,” Forbes, January 23, 2013, http://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2013/01/23/billion-dollar-knicks-and-lakers-top-list-of-nbas-most-valuable-teams/.

  48. Mike Ozanian, “Jay-Z Set to Get $1.5 Million for His Barclays Center Stake,” Forbes, September 17, 2013, http://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeozanian/2013/09/17/jay-z-set-to-get-1-5-millon-for-his-barclays-center-stake/.

  49. Ilan Zechory, telephone interview by author, January 2017.

  50. Randy Phillips, interview by author, Los Angeles, California, December 2016.

  51. Jacob Ganz, “How That Tupac Hologram at Coachella Worked,” NPR Music, April 17, 2012, http://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2012/04/17/150820261/how-that-tupac-hologram-at-coachella-worked.

  52. Kendrick Lamar, interview by author, Los Angeles, California, November 2015.

  53. Dave Free, interview by author, Los Angeles, California, November 2015.

  54. Randy Phillips, interview by author, Los Angeles, California, December 2016.

  55. Troy Carter, interview by author, Los Angeles, California, November 2015.

  Chapter 11: Ice in the Winter

  1. Jay-Z, Twitter post, September 29, 2015, https://twitter.com/S_C_/status/648891212317921280.

  2. Author’s observation, Tidal X concert, Brooklyn, New York, October 2015.

  3. Jay-Z, Tidal X concert, Brooklyn, New York, October 2015.

  4. Jason Aldean, interview by author, Hartford, Connecticut, May 2015. Author’s note: A portion of this quote originally appeared in my story “How Jason Aldean Cashed In on the Changing Landscape of Country,” Forbes, July 29, 2015, http://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2015/07/29/how-jason-aldean-cashed-in-on-the-changing-landscape-of-country/.

  5. Author’s note: It is incredibly cheap to visit Norway in January. (This does not come as a surprise to most Oslo residents.)

  6. Aspiro staff, “Year-End Report,” January to December 2014, p. 4.

  7. Tommy Tee, interview by author, Oslo, Norway, January 2017.

  8. Author’s note: We discussed MC Solaar (she felt that he was no longer relevant) and acts like IAM and NTM (she liked them better).

  9. Author’s note: The name sounded like “Louise,” though it could have been Luis or Lewis, but probably not, say, Horatio.

  10. D. A. Wallach, telephone interview by author, December 2016.

  11. Author’s note: Pharrell is a Star Trek nerd. He named his first child Rocket.

  12. D. A. Wallach, telephone interview by author, December 2016.

  13. Steven Bertoni, “Spotify’s Daniel Ek: The Most Important Man in Music,” Forbes, January 4, 2012, http://www.forbes.com/sites/stevenbertoni/2012/01/04/spotifys-daniel-ek-the-most-important-man-in-music/.

  14. D. A. Wallach, telephone interview by author, December 2016.

  15. Rya
n Faughnder, “Spotify Raises $1 Billion in New Debt Financing,” Los Angeles Times, March 30, 2016, http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-spotify-raises-1-billion-in-new-debt-financing-20160330-story.html.

  16. D. A. Wallach, telephone interview by author, December 2016.

  17. Miles Raymer, “Why Apple Is Really Shutting Down Beats Music,” Esquire, November 16, 2015, http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/music/a39741/apple-shuts-down-beats-music/.

  18. Gunnar Sellaeg, interview by author, Oslo, Norway, January 2017.

  19. Author’s note: Though Tidal’s parent was founded by Swedes, the company has historically been based in Malmö, Stockholm, and Oslo; lately, it’s been based in the latter. This has led to some confusion over whether Tidal should be referred to as a Norwegian or a Swedish entity. When in doubt, just call it Scandinavian.

  20. Gunnar Sellaeg, interview by author, Oslo, Norway, January 2017.

  21. Tommy Tee, interview by author, Oslo, Norway, January 2017.

  22. Gunnar Sellaeg, interview by author, Oslo, Norway, January 2017.

  23. Kjetil Saeter, interview by author, Oslo, Norway, January 2017.

  24. Author’s note: As the musician John Oates told me, “That’s the story of the music business… ‘Give him a bottle of wine and take all his publishing.’” For more on this outrageous situation, read the magazine story I cowrote with Nick Messitte, “Revenge of the Record Labels,” Forbes, April 15, 2015, http://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2015/04/15/revenge-of-the-record-labels-how-the-majors-renewed-their-grip-on-music/.

  25. Aspiro staff, “Year-End Report,” January to December 2014, p. 7.

  26. Kjetil Saeter, interview by author, Oslo, Norway, January 2017.

  27. Aspiro staff, “Year-End Report,” January to December 2014, p. 3.

  28. Gunnar Sellaeg, interview by author, Oslo, Norway, January 2017.

  29. Jason Aldean, interview by author, Hartford, Connecticut, May 2015.

  30. Joe Coscarelli, “Four Hundred Million Streams Later, Kanye West’s Pablo Gets a Wider Release,” New York Times, March 31, 2016, https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/02/arts/music/kanye-west-life-pablo-tidal-streams.html.

  31. Colin Stutz, “Tidal Posts $28 Million Net Loss in 2015,” Billboard, September 13, 2016, http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/7510245/tidal-posts-28-million-net-loss-2015-jay-z.