Staffers at Tidal, and its parent company Block recently received “stern warnings” from management that they shouldn’t mention Jay-Z, whose legal name is Shawn Carter, on internal company forums like email or messaging system Slack
Three employees who requested anonymity because they are not permitted to speak about corporate matters, disclosed these orders to multiple news sources, Media Take Out confirmed.
Jay Z is one of Block’s nine board members.
In 2021, under CEO Jack Dorsey, Block acquired a majority stake in the music streaming platform Tidal from a Jay Z for an estimated $300M. The deal was panned by Block investors who believed that Jack overpaid for the company, because Dorsey and Carter are personal friends.
Last week, Block laid off dozens of workers from Tidal’s staff and announced that further cuts are expected at Tidal and other Block entities, which also include Square and CashApp,.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 17: Jay-Z attends Fanatics Fest NYC at Javits Center on August 17, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by John Nacion/Getty Images)
The order to not mention Carter came last month, as some employees questioned among themselves Jay Z’s role on Block’s board given his purported long time friendship with P. Diddy, the rapper and entrepreneur whose legal name is Sean Combs.
The two have collaborated on music and frequently been photographed together over the years attending things like parties and sporting events – and Block employees started implying that Jay Z could have been involved in Diddy’s shenanigans.
Combs is currently in prison awaiting trial related to a federal indictment accusing him of years of six trafficking and related crimes. Multiple s*xual assault allegations and numerous lawsuits against Combs have also been filed.
