Is Jay-Z "Hustling" for Nets?

Referring to Jay-Z as someone who's made a "remarkable journey from a hustler slinging drugs to an international icon", Norman Oder of Atlantic Yards Report castigates the Nets' minority owner as "fronting for two other world-class hustlers" in his promotion of the Barclays Center.

Writing for Salon, Oder says Jay-Z is "a Teflon-coated superstar employed by his partners to distract attention from the hardball politics, sweetheart deals and private profits behind the arena and the rest of the 16-tower project."

Specifically, Oder accuses Jay-Z of exaggerating the number of jobs produced at the arena construction site. Oder is writing a book about Atlantic Yards, but has yet to announce a publisher.

• Jay-Z’s hip-hop of distraction - Norman Oder - Salon
• The Unfulfilled Promises of Atlantic Yards - Norman Oder - City Lights