JAY Z PLANNING SPECIAL NEW YEARS WEEKEND

Jay-Z planning concert and grand opening for New Years Eve weekend in Las Vegas.

Hip hop mogul Jay-Z is ending the year off in style. The rapper has announced plans to perform at The Palms Casino in Las Vegas during New Years Eve weekend. Jay-Z will perform his American Gangster album at The Pearl Theater in the Palms Casino on December 29th.

Jay-Z explained how one scene in the movie, American Gangster, where T.I.’s character decided against pursuing a career in baseball in order to continue working for his drug dealer uncle played by Denzel Washington, was particularly inspiring. He said,

“And Denzel had set it up for him to meet with the Yankees and it was all set up. This guy was on his way to a legitimate life and be like you know a super star in his own right. T.I. didn’t attend the meeting. And he asked him, why didn’t you attend this important thing that I set up for you. He was like, ‘I don’t want to be a pitcher anymore. I don’t want to be a baseball player. I want to be like you.’ So that emotion right there. We never got to see Denzel go to his room and cry. You know or atleast be reflective about it because you know that’s the last thing he wanted for his nephew. Hence he wouldn’t have set up the meeting. He didn’t want his nephew following him into that type of life. So those are things that I would take. I would press pause on them and then I would explain it. You know explain the emotion behind it.”

On Sunday, December 30th, Jay-Z will host a grand opening gala for his new 40/40 sports bar in Las Vegas. The $20 million dollar, 24,000 square foot sports bar will be located in The Palazzo, a 53-story extension of The Venetian and Sands Expo complex. The sports bar features 24-karat gold and platinum floors, five VIP lounges, and 85 plasma-screen televisions.

Jay-Z will be opening 40/40 sports bars in Tokyo, Japan, and Macau, China, in 2008.