NBA & TNT Go Cray-Z for Jay-Z

I got an interesting e-mail the other day a representative of M80 & TNT regarding the NBA on TNT Thursdays and the return of Hip-Hop star Jay-Z. TNT is using Jay-Z in a series of exclusive spots promoting the 2006-07 NBA season on TNT. The spots will give fans an introspective look into the mind of the entertainment mogul prior to the release of his highly-anticipated comeback album.

Here are the uncut videos featuring Jay-Z sharing his thoughts while riding in a limo through New York as well as the press release. In the first one he talks about retiring and coming back and in the second one he talks about early fame.





TNT Tabs Jay-Z for New ‘NBA on TNT' Season Launch Promo Spots

New series of spots promote 2006-07 NBA season

Turner Network Television ( TNT ), home of exclusive Thursday night NBA doubleheaders and the Emmy-award winning Inside the NBA show, announced today a landmark partnership with the formerly retired Grammy-award winning artist Jay-Z to star in a series of exclusive spots promoting the 2006-07 NBA season on TNT. The spots will give fans an introspective look into the mind of the entertainment mogul prior to the release of his highly-anticipated comeback album. The uniquely produced spots are another triumph for TNT which has been lauded for innovative creative pairings with other elite artists such as The Rolling Stones and Pharrell .

The new promos will help mark the exciting return of NBA action to TNT for the 23 rd consecutive year, as well as the return of Jay-Z who announced his retirement from music in 2003. The spots are a part of TNT's critically-acclaimed 'Let the Truth Be Told' marketing campaign which features various celebrities and athletes revealing “truths” in their own unique way. The campaign was previously directed by Spike Lee and featured notable athletes such as Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James and Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade, as well as comedian Sacha Baron Cohen in his Ali G persona.

“The new approach to our NBA on TNT promo series featuring Jay-Z is dramatic, smart and provocative,” said Craig Barry , Turner Sports VP/Creative Director. “Using Jay-Z's own words and powerhouse persona, we wanted to showcase his sophisticated style to parallel the tenets of sports and music.”

The series includes approx. eight different 30-second spots that show Jay-Z sharing his ‘truths' during a thought-provoking interview on core themes, such as competition, talent, stardom and legacy, during a ride through the streets of Manhattan in the back of a chauffer-driven car. The underlying essence of the series tracks the stages of a superstar athlete, which parallel that of an entertainment mogul.

In the first promo, “The Truth About Stardom,” Jay-Z discusses how stardom makes you a marked man because everyone wants to steal the spotlight. The cityscape of New York provides the backdrop for NBA footage playing on billboards overhead. The spot began running nationwide Thurs., Oct. 5; the remainder of the series will be rolled out in following weeks, with an extended director's cut of the interview available exclusively on TNT OverTime on NBA.com.

The additional Let The Truth Be Told campaign promos put the athletes in the director's chair, allowing each player to create the idea and truth-telling script for their spot. The unique and highly-innovative promos will be launched in early October and will feature NBA superstars to be announced at a later date.