It has been announced that JAY-Z is bringing his entertainment company, Roc Nation, into the book publishing world through a collaboration with Random House. The new imprint, titled Roc Lit 101, has promised readers a mesh between entertainment and “genre-defying” content, according to a joint announcement made on Tuesday, December 15.
Roc Lit 101 already has a number of books lined up, with musicians such as Meek Mill and Fat Joe set to share written works. The collaboration is sure to bring out a wide range of genres and authors, as rapper Lil Uzi Vert will also release a fantasy fiction, Meek Mill a criminal justice book, and former Vibe Magazine editor-in-chief and ESSENCE contributor Danyel Smith will produce a “story of Black women in music,” titled Shine Bright.
One World (an imprint of Random House) publisher and editor-in-chief, Chris Jackson will lead the Roc Lit 101 team. He will be joined by Jana Fleishman, who is the current executive vice president of Roc Nation. Jackson expanded on Roc Lit’s goals, saying in a statement, “Our aspiration for the imprint is to create books that draw from the best of pop culture— its most imaginative and talented storytellers, innovators, and literary chroniclers — to create beautifully written and produced works that will entertain and enthrall readers, but also illuminate critical issues.”
JAY-Z is well acquainted with expanding his business ventures, as his new imprint comes on the heels of his luxury cannabis brand, Monogram. He has also been a key player over the years in exemplifying Black excellence in the business world, as his partnership with the NFL came late last year.
The collaboration with Random House will bring together the efforts of Black thought leaders, content creators, and artists. Although Random House declined to comment to Complex on whether or not JAY-Z or Beyoncé would release a book through Roc Lit, Fleishman did expand more on the type of content the imprint will produce in the coming year. “There are so many untold stories,” she said. “[W]e consider it a true privilege to be able to amplify diverse voices while exploring the uncharted worlds that are about to open to us.”