| Type | Sports bar |
|---|---|
| Owner | Jay-Z, Desiree Gonzalez, Juan Pérez |
| Area served | New York City Atlantic City, NJ |
| Website | the4040club.com/ |
| Footnote | |
The 40/40 Club is a chain of sports bars and lounges owned by hip hop mogul Jay-Z and partners Desiree Gonzalez and Juan Pérez. The name is borrowed from the baseball term [1] used to denote the exclusive group of Major League Baseball players who have achieved the rare individual feat of recording 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a single season.
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On June 18, 2003, the first 40/40 Club opened in New York City at 6 West 25th Street just west of Broadway; the Atlantic City location opened on October 25, 2005. The third 40/40 Club was located in The Palazzo, an extension of The Venetian in Las Vegas; the grand opening was held December 30, 2007.[2]
The venues are known for their live music, celebrity patrons, and sports memorabilia. The brand gained recognition when Jay-Z referenced his investment in his 2003 song "Dirt Off Your Shoulder" with the line "Now you chillin with a boss, bitch of course SC on the sleeve / at the 40/40 club ESPN on the screen". The video for the Swizz Beatz produced Memphis Bleek single "Like That" was filmed at the club's New York location.
Chris Brown held a private birthday party at the New York City location for his 18th birthday. It was featured on an episode of My Super Sweet 16, retitled My Super 18. Miami Heat Basketball star LeBron James celebrated his birthday at the grand opening of the Vegas 40/40 Club on December 30, 2007.[2]
The Las Vegas version of the 40/40 Club was short-lived. After a series of successful opening weeks, general patronage of the venue declined steadily. No press release acknowledging this came from Jay-Z or his office.
Speculation and denial[3] of a closure dogged the venue for months.[4] The multi-million dollar club's last day of operation was August 28, 2008, just eight months after its grand opening. The space occupied by the club was bought back by the hotel and immediately turned into a sports lounge that was operated by hotel staff for one year. Then, the hotel re-sold the space to Emeril Lagasse. The venue is now known simply as "Lagasse's Stadium".[5] No major remodeling of the venue was performed other than to remove all 40/40 insignia, and thus, all references to Jay-Z.[6]
Jay-Z has returned to the Venetian and the Palazzo a number of times since the 40/40 closed, primarily to make appearances and/or dine at Tao and Lavo, two other high-profile nightclubs that are also tenants in the 19 million square foot "megacenter".[7][8]
A number of employees working at the New York City location filed suit against the company claiming that they were not receiving paychecks, therefore relying solely on tips for their income while working for the club.
As of late July 2009, it is an ongoing case. However, defense lawyer Michael DiMattia, who represented Jay-Z in the case, has filed a suit against him due to nonpayment of defense bills. He claims that requests for payment go back as far as 2008, and despite Jay-Z earning over $80 million in the past year, he has yet to be compensated for his services.[9][10]
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