A $5 Million Casino Project Backed by Nas Moves Forward as Jay Z’s Falters
Not only are two rap legends, Nas and Jay-Z, competing in the music industry, but now, it’s spilled into the New York casino market.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:This week, a proposal backed by Nas to expand Resorts World New York City in Queens advanced. This came after a Jay-Z-affiliated bid for Times Square was rejected.
Now, their rivalry is heating up.
Nas’ Victory
The Resorts World proposal comes from Genting, with which Nas is partnered. The proposal is for $5 billion, and it secured unanimous approval from its local community advisory committee.
With this plan, a 350,000-square-foot casino floor, housing units, new parkland, and transit links to JFK and Manhattan will be developed.
Additionally, there’s set to be a concert venue and a sports academy that’ll be headed up by Kenny “The Jet” Smith, a Queens native who played in the NBA from 1987 to 1997.
The Queens Borough President, Donovan Richards, playfully used a Nas’ past lyrics, saying, “Sorry Jay-Z. We win again. I just had to rub it in”.
Nas views this as a massively transformative project that’ll provide new work opportunities. In addition to this, MGM’s Empire City Casino in Yonkers also received unanimous backing. It’ll expand from slots to live table games.
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Jay-Z Setback
Jay-Z partnered with Caesars and SL Green Realty to bring a casino to Times Square, but there was plenty of opposition. For example, the Broadway League argued that a gambling venue would threaten the theater district’s culture. “A casino can go anywhere, but Broadway only lives here”, Broadway League president Jason Laks said after the vote.
Desiree Perez, the CEO of Roc Nation, was disappointed. While she thanked officials who supported them, she also added that “not every politician has the courage and foresight to do what’s right for their constituents”.
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