In his classic "Brooklyn, We Go Hard," Jay-Z raps of how he wants to fill the lost legacy of the Dodgers. "Now when I bring the Nets," he sings, "I'm the Black Branch Rickey." It's an allusion to the legendary Dodger GM who signed Jackie Robinson and other Negro League stars.

So when Poppy Harlow of CNN asked Jay-Z if it was the financial or emotional side of his Nets' investment, it wasn't surprising what he said in response.

The emotional part of the equation is "first and foremost," he said. "I'm from Brooklyn, New York. That's where I'm from. So it's beyond my wildest dreams to be part of a sports franchise that's (the first) to be back in Brooklyn since the Dodgers.

"You know, my grandmother was over my house for Mothers Day and she wants to go to the games. She said, "God willing, God willing, I just want to go to one game...since the Dodgers. And it really hit me. Yesterday, I was, 'that's it, that's what it's all about ... right there.' So, of course I'm gonna take her."

• Jay-Z talks United Way Benefit Concert (Video @ 7:55) - Poppy Harlow - CNN