Jay-Z begs Simon Cowell: let me be a judge on X Factor

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Jay-Z begs Simon Cowell: let me be a judge on X Factor

Jay Z begs Simon Cowell to appear on X Factor Hip-hop mogul Jay-Z has ‘begged’ Simon Cowell to let him be a judge on the next series of The X Factor.

The UK singing contest, which featured a performance from the star’s wife Beyonce in 2008, launched the career of Leona Lewis… and other people we simply haven’t the time to remember.

But, hey: Jay-Z tells The Sun newspaper, “Simon, if you need any help for the next series, let me know man and I’m your judge. There is a lot of untapped hip-hop talent in the UK and if they want my help finding some for the final 12 I am sure I could assist.”

The Hova is obviously keen on launching the US career of current X Factor judge and Girls Aloud star Cheryl Cole.

“I keep a close eye on the music industry throughout the world and I know how hot Cheryl is in the UK,” he muses. “The US market is the toughest one to break into, but once you do it is by far the most lucrative. I think Cheryl has that talent to do it.

“There is nobody in the US like her right now, and I would be very interested in helping her break the US market this year. Bey has seen her perform and she told me how impressed she was. I checked her out and I was impressed as well.”

All well and good, but maybe Jay-Z just likes the way Cole looks?

After all, does even Jay-Z have the smarts to send UK rappers to the top? A notable ‘UK hip-hop talent’ signing of Jay-Z’s, while at Def Jam, was London grime rapper Lady Sovereign.

Despite Jay Z’s patronage, Lady Sovereign’s career stalled badly. In September 2009, she was arrested for assault and drunk and disorderly behaviour after being in Australia for only seven hours. Sovereign spent her first night ‘down under’ in jail.

Lady Sovererign is currently appearing on the UK reality TV horror show that is Celebrity Big Brother.

More to the point, why does Jay Z think he can make hip-hop a winner on X Factor?

No rapper has ever gotten far on the UK ‘talent’ show, and the mumsy Cowell has himself said that 1928’s Mack The Knife is “the best song ever written”. He’s currently steering the career of ‘interesting because she looks like that’ Susan Boyle.

Let’s see, but The Hova vs Cowell might be a more compelling contest than the singers themselves.