Tucson may be in the middle of the desert, but Jay-Z will be seeing green when he performs at Arizona Stadium on April 29, alongside artists Kelly Clarkson, Third-Eye Blind and The Veronicas.
The hip-hop artist will be paid $750,000 for the venue’s first concert since 1977, when Fleetwood Mac made the trek to the UA, according to Jay-Z’s contract obtained through a public records request.
The cost of the show tops the $1 million mark, with the expenses being offset by funds made through such revenue as ticket sales, merchandising and sponsorships, said Tommy Bruce, president of the Associated Students of the University of Arizona, who is sponsoring the show.
Any net profits will be given back to students in the form of scholarships, Bruce added.
Jay-Z’s contract included more than merely the cost of the artist’s appearance, as Jay-Z also included several dressing room requests.
For furnishings, the hip-hop superstar will be given seven dressing rooms, with Room 1 including a large couch, a love seat, matching end tables, banquet tables for catering, four folding chairs and a full-length mirror.
Jay-Z also requested a rolling wardrobe rack, a humidifier and a microwave.
Other notable dressing room requests include an ironing board, hot tea, a 48-bottle case of Fiji Water – 24 cold, 24 room temperature – six packs of Red Bull, Coca-Cola and Vitamin Water, a bowl of fresh fruit and vegetables, roasted chicken, two loaves of bread, a “”jar of good quality peanut butter”” and “”a jar of good quality grape jelly.””
In preparation for the event, the artist will also receive peppermint Altoids, liquid handsoap and a “”small chest with clean ice,”” along with a quart each of cranberry and orange juice, as well as several deli trays with many meats, but “”no pork.””
All terms of the contract were accepted, but the university was not able to accommodate Jay-Z for several requests of alcohol, citing a UA addendum banning alcohol from campus.
Denied requests included Belvedere vodka, two bottles each of Patron Silver Tequila, Italian red wine and champagne, and two six packs of Sapporo beer in bottles.
Per university addendum, the artist will have no use for the following items that were also requested: eight wine glasses, 12 champagne glasses, a martini shaker, 12 shot glasses, a pack of Marlboro Lights Hard Pack and a package of lighters.
Arizona Stadium was also unable to fulfill Jay-Z’s request for “”a separate bathroom and shower with hot and cold running water.””
The show’s headliner will be catered breakfast, lunch and dinner, however Jay-Z makes a request to “”never serve deep fried food.””
-For the full list of Jay-Z’s requests, go to DailyWildcat.com