Jay-Z’s Marcy Ventures: Who Is Marcy?

Jay-Z’s net worth is now reportedly $2.5B. One company that helped him get there was his company, Marcy Ventures Partners, which he co-founded with Jay Brown and Larry Marcus. However, some may not realize the Marcy Houses are the housing projects named after 19th Century politician William Marcy.

Jay-Z Adds Another B

Rap legend/mogul Jay-Z’s net worth is $2.5B, according to a Forbes report released on March 24.

One company that has been lucrative to Jay-Z is Marcy Venture Partners, which is a firm that invests in consumer and culture with an emphasis on sustainability, empowerment, as well as health and wellness. 

“Marcy” is named for Jay-Z’s former home Marcy Houses, a Brooklyn, NY housing project. However, those projects were particularly named after William Marcy, a politician in the 19th Century, who supported slavery. 

A consideration that could be made by Jay-Z is to possibly change the company’s name due to Marcy’s beliefs. 

Meet Marcy

William Marcy was a  New York politician from the 1820s to his death in 1857. Marcy was the Governor of New York from 1833-1838 and was the 21st United States Secretary of State from 1853-1857. 

Marcy was a member of the Democratic Party and was labeled into two groups, the doughfaces, and Hunkers. A “doughface” was a northern Democrat who had southern sympathies. These politicians favored the south when it came to disputes about slavery. 

Marcy was also one of the leaders of the Hunkers, which was a group of New York Democrats who opposed the “barnburners,” who did not support the extension of slavery. Hunkers were also pro-government and wanted to minimize discussion about slavery. 

A Name Change On The Way?

In the past, Jay-Z used his Roc Nation company to push for firings of corrupt police officers and criminal justice reform. Jay-Z’s efforts are perceived as progressive and looking for reform when it comes to law enforcement, while Marcy believed in the opposite. 

At the time of press, it is unclear whether or not Jay-Z knows the history of Marcy and has not said anything about changing the name of the company.