Jay-Z's Roc Nation is launching a new imprint alongside Random House, with new books on the way from Lil Uzi Vert and Meek Mill, among others.
"There are so many untold stories and we consider it a true privilege to be able to amplify diverse voices while exploring the uncharted worlds that are about to open to us," Jana Fleishman, Roc Nation’s executive vice president, said in a statement to the Associated Press on Tuesday.
The Roc Lit 101 imprint's initial release schedule has a CC Sabathia memoir and a new book from journalist Danyel Smith slated for summer 2021. Among the confirmed future releases are a Meek Mill book about criminal justice, new memoirs from both Yo Gotti and Fat Joe, and something in the "fantasy fiction" vein from Uzi.
Roc Lit 101 further promises "genre-defying literature from some of the most imaginative and incisive writers and biggest artists of our time."
Leading the Roc Lit 101 team is One World editor-in-chief Chris Jackson, whose prior work with Jay-Z includes publishing Decoded.
"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," Jackson said.
Will Uzi's fantasy fiction project be connected in any way to the narrative at the heart of his acclaimed 2020 album Eternal Atake? While that's certainly a possibility, Tuesday's announcement didn't expand on the project beyond that it would see Uzi in the "fantasy fiction" space.
