Jay-Z To Produce Netflix Thriller “Forty Acres”

Jay-Z (@allthingsjayz) is working on producing a new movie for Netflix, called Forty Acres, based on the best-selling novel by Dwayne Alexander Smith. The book, published in 2014, won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author. The film is still in its early developmental stages but is said to be a cross between Jordan Peele’s Get Out and Tom Cruise’s 1993 film The Firm.

Smith’s book is described as the story of a civil rights attorney who fights for survival after joining an elite black organization with an astonishing secret. The novel brings to light this vast conspiracy within the organization while tackling the issues of power and race.

Not only are Mike Epps and Smith joining in as executive producers,  but also Luke Cage creator Cheo Hodari Coker will be working on the project.

Other Endeavors

Jay-Z worked with Netflix recently on its upcoming film, The Harder They Fall. The film is an American Western where a man looks to exact revenge against the man who murdered his parents. He and James Lassiter worked as producers on-set, and will work alongside each other once again in Forty Acres.

Real name Shawn Carter, Hov has also attained significant success as a businessman. He began his music career when he founded Roc-A-Fella Records in 1995. In 1999, he created the clothing brand Rocawear, and in 2003 founded the luxury sports bar 40/40 Club. The two are now multi-million-dollar corporations.

At the start of the week, Jay-Z and Quincy Adams tied for the artist with the most Grammy nominations in history. They both have 80 nominations. His wife, Beyoncé is close behind with 79 total nominations. It is no surprise for a successful rapper and businessman like Jay-Z. After all, he is deemed as one of the most influential hip-hop artists in history. He is also commonly cited as one of the greatest rappers of all time.

Kristen Fessler| IG: @kristenfess | Twitter: @kristenfessler