Yankees draft UCLA pitcher with freestyling alter ego: Grandmaster Kap (VIDEO)

The New York Yankees, with their highest pick in 22 years, took righthanded pitcher James Kaprielian out of UCLA with the 16th overall selection Monday night.

And Kaprielian brings along a little someone else with his hard-breaking curveball — namely a freestyling alter ego he likes to call "Grandmaster Kap."

Kaprielian finished fifth all-time at UCLA in career ERA (2.06) and sixth all-time in career strikeouts (275) and looks like he'll be fast-tracked to the majors.

As for laying down tracks with Jay Z, well ... in due time.

Kanye’s NBA All-Star concert pisses off Manhattan residents: Report

Kanye West is already feeling the wrath of fans angered by his upstaging of Beck at the Grammys on Sunday. But now the rapper is now being criticized for for headlining an NBA All-Star event in the middle of one of Manhattan's busiest neighborhoods.

West was identified by Jay Z’s company Roc Nation as the ­A-list performer who will stage a 45-minute concert on Thursday in the Flatiron District before the NBA All-Star weekend begins — a move that is coming under fire from area residents.

The concert will be held at the Flatiron Plaza at 23rd Street and Broadway — a major crossroads that borders Madison Square Park. Jay Z will attend, but it’s unclear if he will perform. Over 10,000 people are expected to attend the free show — and that's a conservative estimate.

Not surprisingly, a party will reportedly be held afterward at Jay Z's popular 40/40 Club just blocks away on West 25th Street.

City officials and the local leaders had said the concert was being organized by a third-party producer working with the NBA. But the NBA has since distanced itself from the event after community backlash.

After days of 24/7 construction where over one hundred granite blocks and planters will have to be moved, as well as a Citi Bike dock and two solar-powered phone charging stations, Manhattan Community Board Five expressed its concerns regarding the event.

Officials said the city will not make any money from the concert but will use the event fees to recoup sanitation and police costs.

The entire All-Star weekend is expected to bring in almost $200 million to the city, officials said.

Mayweather heckled by fans calling for Pacquiao fight at Clippers game (VIDEO)

Floyd Mayweather's appearance at the Clippers-Nets game with celebrity pals Justin Bieber, Beyonce and Jay Z drew a lot of attention courtside at the Staples Center Thursday night.

And maybe more than the boxer wanted.

As the undefeated welterweight champ tried to enjoy the Clippers 123-84 blowout, more than a few fans used the opportunity to heckle Mayweather about avoiding a fight with Manny Pacquaio by chanting "We want Pacquiao, we want Pacquiao."

Negotiations between the two fighters are still ongoing as the boxing world waits for some sort of confirmation of the $200 million mega fight.

Pacquiao has already agreed to Mayweather's terms for the eagerly-awaited fight which has been penciled in for May 2 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. But the Filipino, who has given Mayweather a Jan. 31 deadline to commit, is already scouting out a potential bout with Amir Khan if a deal doesn't materialize.

Pacquiao making plans if Mayweather falters http://t.co/WfyGtcIw5g via @espnboxing #boxing #Mayweather #Pacquiao #fight
— Douglas Holtzman (@DouglasHoltzman) January 24, 2015

LeBron James wants an ‘I can’t breathe’ t-shirt for Cavs-Nets game: Report

While many eyes will be looking up at a heavily guarded private suite occupied by members of the royal family at Barclays Center Monday night, one member of NBA royalty will try and get people to notice him as a man of the people down below during pre-game warmups.

LeBron James said he is looking for a way for a way to protest the Eric Garner decision, and wants to get a "#I can't breathe" t-shirt to wear before the Cavaliers take on the Nets.

Britain's Prince William and his pregnant wife, Duchess Kate Middleton, will be in attendance for the game featuring King James himself on this already over-hyped night.

James has already spoken out about the death of Garner and a grand jury‘s controversial decision not to indict the responsible officers.

On Sunday, James was asked about the t-shirt worn recently by Bulls point guard Derrick Rose.

The message on Rose’s shirt, “I can’t breathe,” is a reference to Garner’s words as he was choked while being arrested for selling untaxed cigarettes. Detroit Lions running back Reggie Bush also wore a shirt with the phrase written on it on Sunday.

“It was spectacular,” James said about Rose’s shirt, which he wore in pre-game warmups Saturday night. “I loved it. I’m looking for one.”

It shouldn't be hard to find. They’re reportedly going for $9.99 on eBay.

Will he wear it Monday at Brooklyn's Barclays Center, where the Royals will be in attendance and where protesters gathered outside just days earlier?

Even without Jay Z and Beyonce who will also be there, expect a wild scene.

NBA donated $1 million for William and Kate to attend Cavs-Nets game: Report

In a bid to make the bring basketball to an even bigger worldwide audience, the NBA is donating $1 million dollars to Prince William and  Kate Middleton's charity for attending a Cavaliers-Nets game featuring LeBron James at Brooklyn's Barclays Center next month.

The NBA honchos' generous donation to the Duke and Duchess' new conservation charity is reportedly a big "thank you" for attending the already high-profile game during the Royal Couple's three-day trip in New York City, according to MailOnline.

The decision by the couple to attend that particular game means the Royals will get to meet King James — still the NBA's reigning star.

NBA insiders believe that the image of the royal couple at the game inside Barclays Center will be shown around the world, helping the sport gain new fans.

"It's an incredible publicity coup for the NBA,'"an insider told MailOnline.

"The images of them all together will be seen all over the world — it's a marketing man's dream. A million bucks is a small price to pay for the publicity the NBA's going to get."

Friends say that Kate and William had expressed an interest in attending a basketball game at legendary Madison Square Garden when they were planning their December 7-9 visit to the city.

But the couple snubbed the New York Knicks vs. Portland Trailblazers game on December 7 in favor of seeing LeBron play the following night.

"Kate and William are both big sports fans'," explained the friend. 

"And although basketball isn't big in Britain, William has heard of LeBron James... although Kate apparently had no idea who he was!"

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will also be present at the game and is said to be beside himself with excitement at the public relations coup.

And while most attention-seeking celebrities usually sit courtside, the Duke and pregnant Duchess are expected to be viewing the game from the relative safety of a private box.

They will probably meet music royalty when Beyonce and former Nets minority owner, Jay Z, are expected take in the action on the same night.

That might be the photo-op of the year.

NBA draft pick James Young signs with Jay Z after getting eyeful of Rihanna: Report

Jay Z's Roc Nation Sports has landed some of the biggest names in sports during its short existence. Robinson Cano, Victor Cruz, Kevin Durant, Geno Smith and CC Sabathia are just a few of the stars the rapper/agent has lured from other agencies.

Possible NBA lottery pick James Young signed with the burgeoning sports agency on Thursday and now we might know Jay Z's secret weapon to landing the young buck.

Rihanna.

The sultry pop singer, a Jay Z protégé, at least deserves a major assist in landing the former Kentucky star. The two sat next to each other courtside at Barclays Center for Game 3 of the Nets-Raptors series last Friday, reports the N.Y. Post.

And she gave him an eyeful.

Young, who is expected to go in the top half of the first round, seemed enthralled by the sexy recruiter and her white see-through top. He was caught by photographers ogling her rather than watching the game.

Rihanna even gave Young a shout-out on Twitter following the announcement.

I am proud to say that JAMES YOUNG is the newest member of the #ROCNationSports family!!! WELCOME… http://t.co/smIDaTMKZm
— Rihanna (@rihanna) May 1, 2014

Can't blame the kid — but does she get a commission too?

Jay Z wears medallion of group who believe whites are 'wicked and weak': Report

Jay-Z caused a little stir at Barclays Center last week when he wore a shiny medallion the size of a CD symbolizing the Five Percent Nation. 

The rap star and founder of the Roc Nation sports agency was sitting court-side at a Nets game on Tuesday with wife Beyonce when he was snapped wearing the controversial symbol of the group which embraces radical positions regarding religion and race, according to a description by NPR.

One of the core tenants of the Five Percent Nation — an off-shoot of the Nation of Islam — is that white people are "wicked and inferior" to black men.

When asked by a reporter whether the medallion is meaningful to him, Jay-Z shrugged and said, "A little bit," reported The New York Post.

This isn't the first time that the rapper has been connected to the Five-Percenters and Carmelo Anthony has been spotted wearing the gaudy bling himself.

Jay Z was photographed wearing another similar medallion while giving radio interviews for his album Magna Carta Holy Grail last summer. 

And in "Heaven" a track on that album, Jay-Z references the Five Percent Nation's acronym for Allah by rapping "Arm leg leg arm head."

"Jay Z is not an active member — no one has vouched for him" said Saladin Allah, a representative of an upstate New York region. "It was always understood that you don’t wear the ­regalia if you don’t totally subscribe to the life."

So what exactly do Five Percenters believe?

“The rationale is that the black man is God and created the universe, and is physically stronger and intellectually stronger and more righteous naturally,” says Michael Muhammad Knight, an author of two books on the radical group — who converted to Islam as a teen and is Caucasian.

“Whiteness is weak and wicked and inferior — basically just an errant child who needs to be corrected.”

The group was founded in 1964 in Harlem by Clarence Smith, who later changed his name to Allah, a former student of Malcolm X who disagreed with the Nation of Islam over the nature of God.

Smith rejected the notion of a supernatural deity and instead believed that all black men had God in them and that black women were “earths” who took on a complementary yet subordinate role to their gods.

The idea is empowering, Knight says.

“Anytime someone is saying you have to accept your conditions of oppression and slavery and pray to an unseen god — that kind of god is just being used to keep people down and to keep people from looking to themselves as a solution to their problems,” he notes. “If there is a problem, no one will fix it for you, except yourself.”

While Five-Percenters don't refer to themselves as Muslims, they borrow their name from the Nation of Islam's idea that five per cent of humanity are "poor righteous teachers" who are trying to teach the world the truth of existence. 

Another 10 per cent know the truth of existence but keep the 85 per cent majority in ignorance by preaching belief in a "mystery god."

Knight insisted the movement is open and views the group's controversial stance as more of a statement about power rather than race.

Is Jay Z targeting Johnny Manziel as next Roc Nation client?

Could Texas A&M’s star quarterback Johnny Manziel be the next big-name athlete to sign with Jay Z’s Roc Nation Sports?

Speculation soared that Manziel — who might have played his final college game in a thrilling comeback win over Duke in the Chick Fil-A Bowl — could be the next recruit for the rapper-turned-sports agent after the two partied at the same Miami club Thursday with a host of VIPs, reports Page Six of the N.Y. Post.

Jay Z performed earlier at the BB&T Center in Florida, and, after a stop at Diddy’s Star Island mansion, arrived at nightclub Story in South Beach at 2 a.m. with a group including his wife Beyoncé, Drake, Lil Wayne, Busta Rhymes, Kelly Rowland, Michelle Williams, Rick Ross, Pharrell Williams, Timbaland and DJ Khaled.

Johnny Football — who reportedly blew off his teammates to party with Drake  — was later spotted hanging in the same VIP area where Jay and company occupied a table.

“He was in Jay’s area at Story,” a source told the gossip site, adding that the star QB arrived “very late” after Jay Z’s posse of 100 — “He may have only been there from 4 to 5 a.m.”Another witness said that when Manziel arrived, he was handed a bottle of Ace of Spades champagne — which goes for $300 retail — and told by a club staffer, “Welcome to the gold-bottle life!” But the source said that Jay Z left just as Manziel arrived and they didn’t interact.

Jay Z knows he must tread carefully around Manziel— a projected first-round draft choice. The agent has already butted heads with the NFL Players Association when, last year, he was singled out for possibly running afoul of league rules in the recruitment of Geno Smith to Roc Nation. But he was cleared of any wrongdoing. Agents are not allowed to recruit college players until they go pro.

Having finished his sophomore season, Manziel’s considered a top NFL recruit, but the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner has yet to declare if he’ll join the league. 

Roc Nation represents Robinson Cano and Victor Cruz and is rumored to be hoping to sign Louisville QB Teddy Bridgewater, who announced his intention to go pro this week. A Roc Nation rep didn’t get back to Page Six.

Victor Cruz on Mariners deal: 'It's a good day for Robinson Cano'

Victor Cruz was among the first big names to join Jay Z's Roc Nation agency and —with the rapper turned sports agent's influence — was the beneficiary of a five-year, $43 million extension with the New York Giants. But even Cruz had to take pause from preparing for his game against the Chargers upon hearing about Robinson Cano's huge $240 million deal with the Seattle Mariners.

“It’s a good day for Robinson Cano,” said Cruz, who along with Cano is  represented by Jay Z's burgeoning sports management agency. “He deserved every bit of that money and every bit of that contract. So hopefully he goes to Seattle and does some good things for that organization.”

Cano rocked the sports world on Friday after agreeing to the 10-year, $240 million deal with the Mariners — a deal apparently orchestrated by Jay Z.

“I’m ecstatic,” Cruz said. “I know [Cano] personally. He’s a good dude, he’s a great guy. I’m happy he was able to get the deal I know he wanted.”

Cruz said his agent, Tom Condon, did most of the work on extension with the Giants, but admitted Cano’s contract was a “big day” for Jay Z and the company.

“I think it’s a stepping-stone. It’s just proof that anything can be done if you put your mind to it and have the type of backing and type of people that you have around you that do the right thing and understand the business,” Cruz said. “It’s a true testament to the way (Jay Z) does his business and the way he goes about it — the right way.”

The Cano contract should help establish Roc Nation as a major force in the world of sports representation and enhance its image in the eyes other big name athletes.

“I think it’s a smart move to be able to choose and go with what you feel is right and go with the organization that you feel is the right one for you and your mold and your brand,” Cruz said. “I think that was the most important part for myself and Robinson Cano.”

Cruz said he would congratulate both Cano and Jay Z via text, but the New Jersey native isn't ready to trade in his Yankee cap for a Mariner one.

“I’ll be Yankees through and through,” Cruz said. “But I’m definitely a Robinson fan. I hope he does well.”

Jay Z's demands blow up Cano's bid to join Mariners: Report

It appears the negotiations in Robinson Cano's talks with the Seattle Mariners came to an abrupt end Thursday, and it seems Cano's rapper-turned agent Jay Z might have been the red light.

Word out of Seattle is that the Mariners were expecting Cano to accept their original $225-million, nine-year offer, but the talks collapsed after Jay Z and CAA's Brodie Van Wagenen upped the ante, sources told the New York Daily News.

When Jay Z demanded 10 years and $252 million – the same deal Alex Rodriguez took more than a decade ago when he left the Mariners for the Rangers — Mariners chairman/CEO Howard Lincoln apparently “exploded,” according to one of the sources, ending the meeting.

 “It doesn’t look like we’re getting him,” a Mariners source said, adding that Seattle did not seem inclined to reignite talks with a player that clearly didn’t want to go there. 

Cano and Jay Z flew up from Los Angeles for the meeting and, apparently, there was high expectation from the Mariners that both sides were close to a deal.

Cano, the top free agent available this year, now finds himself back where he started: without a second team bidding for his services and the Yankees waiting in the wings as his lone suitor.

Throughout recent weeks of this process, Cano has reportedly been traveling with Jay Z during parts of his tour.

“It makes you wonder whether this guy wants to be a rap star or a baseball player,” a baseball official said.

The Mariners’ original $225 million offer had dwarfed the Yankees’ current seven-year offer of $165-$170 million, leaving Seattle more than $50 million ahead of the Bombers, who are believed to be willing to go as high as $175 million.

That would have matched the average annual value of Seattle’s nine-year offer, though it would have been two years and $50 million behind the Mariners overall.

As of late Thursday, the Yankees had not heard anything from Cano’s camp since earlier in the week, though a team source said it was likely because of the huge gap that remained between the two sides.

An industry official told the Daily News earlier this week that a $200 million offer from the Yankees was “never going to happen,” adding, “If that’s the offer and he wants to go there, he’s going to be a Mariner.”

Cano’s father, Jose, hasn’t been impressed by the Yankees’ pursuit of his talented son this offseason.

"The Yankees don't seem to want him," Jose Cano said on Thursday.

Brian Cashman confirmed that he’s met in recent weeks with both Van Wagenen and Jay Z, whose Roc Nation Sports inked Cano as its first client back in April.

One American League executive wasn’t surprised to hear Seattle pushed its offer past $200 million, as the Mariners are desperate for a big-name signing to spark the sagging fan base. But apparently, even the Mariners were drawing the line on Cano and Jay Z's overplayed hand.

Robinson Cano denies asking Yankees for $300 million: Report

Whether or not you believe Robinson Cano ever asked the New York Yankees for $300 million dollars — from either side — as his opening rate to sign with the team — technically, he probably didn't.

Cano's representatives, on the other hand, might have.

The desirable free agent sounded angry Thursday when he told the Dominican Republic newspaper El Dia he never asked the Yankees for astronomical sum when negotiations began.

“No one has heard that from my mouth and never will listen, if you are going to talk about anything other than contract,’’ is the translation of what Cano said Thursday in Santo Domingo where the Dominican Republic World Baseball Classic team was honored with a ring ceremony for winning last spring’s tournament. 

 Cano went on to say in Spanish that "you’re never going to hear it." 

But the N.Y. Post reported that, according to a person familiar with the situation, Cano’s representatives, led by rookie agent Jay Z, opened negotiations during the season with a 10-year request for $310 million. It was an offer quickly rejected by the Yankees, who are the prohibitive favorite to sign the premier free agent.

The Yankees countered the $310 million offer with a seven-year pact in the $168 range. They might be willing to extend a year and the dollars but are not going to pay the 31-year-old five-time All-Star $31 million a year.

After Cano’s representatives, minus Jay Z, met with Yankees brass face to face Tuesday and chatted by phone Wednesday, the sides plan to talk again Monday. Cano’s camp came down a little, but a substantial difference remains.

Suddenly, in any language, this is getting ugly.

Jay Z secretly shopping Robinson Cano to Mets: Report

While the notion of Robinson Cano leaving the New York Yankees has Bomber fans clutching their chests, it remains a good possibility. Especially since the two parties are about $140 million apart in their preliminary talks. But the real heartbreak might come if this year's most sought after free agent took his skills cross-borough from the Bronx over to Queens?

There's no question that Cano is looking to cash in with Jay Z as his new hands-on agent and staying in pinstripes is a top priority, but the N.Y. Post is reporting that the rap mogul had a secret meeting Monday night shopping the All-Star to the rival Mets.

The hip-hop impresario joined Mets COO Jeff Wilpon, general manager Sandy Alderson and assistant general manager John Ricco for dinner at a posh Manhattan hotel to discuss Cano’s free agency, two sources familiar with the situation told The Post. Cano’s group, which also featured agents Brodie Van Wagenen and Juan Perez, initiated the meeting; Cano himself didn’t attend.

While Alderson stated last week to say he couldn’t envision the Mets taking on another player with a contract as big as Cano's projected deal, that doesn't mean he can't kick the tires of the best free agent on the market. 

Cano's reps asked the Yankees for a 10-year, $310 million contract, and the Yankees countered with a seven-year offer for between $161 and $168 million. Those are expensive Michelins.

The Yankees have not held extensive talks with Cano’s representatives since free agency began, and they’re unlikely to be shaken by this meeting, given the Mets’ stated salary-commitment intentions and their payroll-slashing of the last three years. Besides, the Mets have a capable second baseman in Daniel Murphy. Not that the tradable Murphy would stand in the Mets' way of getting a player of Cano's caliber.

Cano going to the Mets is definitely a long shot. But the Mets simply had little to lose by agreeing to this meeting. And, in fact, will probably get a little respect from their fans in doing so.    

Jay Z has made it clear his representation of Cano is about marketing as well as baseball, and staying in New York with the Mets would give still Cano as many marketing opportunities as he had with the Yankees — maybe more.

Jay Z will be 'intimately involved' in Robinson Cano negotiations, says agent

Robinson Cano remains baseball's most high profile free agent this off-season and his representatives are expected to resume negotiations with the New York Yankees sometime this week.

But Cano's representation by Shawn "Jay Z" Carter — the player's agent with Roc Nation in a joint agreement with CAA — in dealing with the team was not so clear cut. Until now.

Jay Z will play a larger role in handling the second baseman's dealings in the process, according to CAA agent Brodie Van Wagenen.

The rap mogul, who recently found himself in trouble with the MLBPA after "gifting" Cano with an expensive watch for his birthday, will not idly sit by while one of his first superstar clients heads to the bargaining table, Van Wagenen said Sunday on Sirius XM’s MLB Network Radio.

“He’s going to be intimately involved in all areas,” said Van Wagenen. “And that has been true for the last six months. It’s certainly true now. Jay is a very, very successful businessman, who has a keen understanding of value, a keen understanding of brands, and a keen understand of what this player, Robinson Cano, wants to accomplish in his career.

“He’s been at the table both in strategy sessions and in preparation. And he absolutely has, and will continue to be, involved in the actual negotiations with potential suitors.”

Van Wagenen also downplayed the occasional suggestion that the market for Cano will not develop. While teams may shy away from his reported $300 million asking price, Van Wagenen does not doubt there will be high levels of interest.

“What I think people are starting to recognize as well is that players of this magnitude don’t come along very often,” he said. “And the opportunity to acquire them is limited. And when you want to try to acquire impact, middle-of-the-order, dynamic players, rare talent, you can only do it in a few areas.

“The draft, which is an uncertain process, because you don’t know how these guys are going to develop, and there’s a time investment that has to take place – if you are successful enough to get those guys to be impact, face-of-the-franchise type players.

“You can trade for them. But nowadays, it comes with a high cost as well. You can sign them internationally. Or you can go out and get them in free agency. So there’s not that many opportunities for players of this magnitude to come out. I think teams recognize that.

“Where we are is there’s teams that are interested. And I think what people realize is that he’s going to make an immediate impact on the field, and then of course there’s going to be additional business value that comes with the association of a player with that magnitude, with a diverse fanbase.”

Jay Z selling Nets share to head coach Jason Kidd: Report

It sounds like Jay Z is taking this whole sports agent thing pretty seriously. The entrepreneurial rapper is selling his minority ownership in the Brookyn Nets to head coach Jason Kidd, sources told Page Six of the N.Y. Post.

The sources claim Kidd will take over Jay’s .067 percent (1/15th of a percent) stake in the team for about $500,000.

The move comes as Jay was forced to sell his Nets shares over a conflict of interest after he started a sports agency, Roc Nation, signing clients including Yankee Robinson Cano and NBA star Kevin Durant.

"Other owners want to give Jason a part ownership of the team, and urged Jay to sell his shares to him," said the source.

Goodbye Brooklyn.

Page Six said:

Amazingly, Jay was introduced to the team in 2003 by Drew Katz, the son of one of the Nets’ principal owners, after Kidd, then the Nets’ marquee point guard, suggested the music mogul buy the team.

According to reports, Jay helped design the team logos and choose the Nets’ stark black-and-white color scheme, and personally appealed to National Basketball Association officials to drop their objections to it.

The Times reported Jay’s influence stretched so far, he courted top players to join the team and even counseled execs on music to play during games.

"He is it,” Bruce Ratner, the Barclays Center developer, said in an interview. “He is us. He is how people are going to see that place."

Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov bought 80 percent ownership of the team in 2009 and appeared on billboards around the city with Jay Z.

Meanwhile, Kidd, who signed on as Nets coach in June, added to an impressive lineup including Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Brook Lopez. 

Unlike Jay Z, the coach owning minority shares in the team would not be seen as a conflict of interest.

A rep for the Nets had no comment, and Kidd’s spokesman, Nets VP of public relations Gary Sussman, also declined to comment. Reps for Jay Z didn’t get back to Page Six.