We Speak Entertainment
JAY-Z files trademark for ‘Jaybo’ character from ‘Story of O.J.’ music video
He’s a not businessman, he’s a business, man.
JAY-Z is seeking to trademark Jaybo, the animated character who stars in the rapper’s “Story of O.J.” music video, according to documents obtained by the Daily News.
One trademark request also gives JAY-Z, 48, the exclusive rights to use Jaybo in films and television series.
“The Story of O.J.”, the first video released off JAY-Z’s 2017 album “4:44,” was released on July 5, one day before the initial trademark requests were filed on July 6.
JAY-Z’s move to trademark Jaybo gives the rap mogul a rare opportunity to reappropriate and profit off a historically racist character.
Jaybo is a play on “Sambo,” which originates from the 1899 children’s book “The Story of Little Black Sambo,” which has widely been derided as racist.
It also affords JAY-Z a new revenue stream after it was reported in December that his music streaming service, Tidal, was losing tens of millions of dollars per year and could run out of cash in months.
“Story of O.J.” is nominated for three Grammy Awards later this month — Record of the Year, Best Rap Song and Best Music Video — in addition to JAY-Z’s five other nominations.
JAY-Z’s eight nominations makes him tied with Stevie Wonder as third most-nominated artist in Grammys history.
Hold onto your leather jackets – the wildest ride of 2025 is here.
Steve Blacknell – TV face, radio voice, rock PR, and the man who dated Kate Bush – is dropping his bombshell memoir Tales From The Bedroom Wall on July 9th, and it is everything. The highs? Concorde with Phil Collins to Live Aid. MTV fame. Hanging with Alice Cooper, Lemmy, and David Cassidy – often in hot tubs or backstage chaos. The lows? Addiction. Broken hearts. A speedboat explosion!
His rollercoaster love life includes a marriage to iconic ‘60s groupie Catherine James, who once lived with Mick Jaggerand was Eric Clapton’s muse. But it’s not just name-dropping. Blacknell opens up about his bulimia, lost fortunes, and his long, winding path back to the love of his life, Maggie.
With a foreword from Bill Wyman and stories that read like a rockumentary on steroids, this memoir is as outrageous and addictive as the man himself.
Available July 9th from Old Treacle Press. Rock on.
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