Jay-Z Confirms Roc Nation Deal With Willow Smith
If 30's the new 20, as Jay-Z claims in his '30 Something' lyrics, then his new 9-year-old signee, Willow Smith, has yet to be born. Just two days after her first song 'Whip My Hair' appeared online, Will Smith's tween daughter has been confirmed as the newest addition to Jay's Roc Nation lineup.
In an appearance on Ryan Seacrest's radio show this morning, Willow discussed the life and times of a 9-year-old singer and the meaning behind her first song's title. "It means just be an individual," she chimed. "Like, you can't be afraid to be yourself, you have to be yourself, and you can't let anyone tell you that that's wrong."
Her new boss, Jay-Z, then called in and discussed her signing. "She walked in and the first thing she said was, 'I'm really nervous," he said. "And I thought, 'That's maturity' -- to explain exactly how she was feeling when she walked right into the room. I knew right then she was a star."
Jay has a close relationship with Willow's parents, with whom he shares production duties on the hugely successful Broadway musical 'Fela!' The Roc Nation honcho continued to draw a very serious comparison between the young singer and the late King of Pop, "I don't want to go so far, but I can imagine that's how Mike [Jackson] was as a young kid -- he knew exactly what he wanted."
Whether Willow's signing is purely an act of nepotism, or whether the young singer is a real talent, only time will tell.