He’s not a businessman; he’s a business, man — and that’s why rapper Jay-Z’s investment in Downtown’s newest wing joint has already put it on the map.
The King of Brooklyn just dumped some cash-money — and his famous name — on his cousin’s three-month-old chicken wing spot, Buffalo Boss, near Flatbush Avenue Extension.
And since word got out this week, the Jay-Z’s wingman cousin has seen a 60-percent increase in sales.
“It’s like ‘the Oprah effect,’ but it’s ‘the Jay-Z effect,’” said Buffalo Boss owner, Jamar White, the singer’s first cousin. “Business is booming because of [Jay-Z’s involvement]. We got a lot of attention real fast.”
White wouldn’t disclose exactly how much was invested, but funding is a moot point once Mr. Z’s instantly recognizable moniker is tied to a business.
Take the Nets for example. The rapper formerly known as Shawn Carter was an original one-percent shareholder in the team — yet was paraded around by the ailing team’s ownership like he was the managing general partner. Jay-Z now owns a tiny fraction of that fraction — yet he’s still the public face of the Brooklyn-bound team as it prepares to move to the Barclays Center in Bruce Ratner’s Atlantic Yards mega-development.
It’s not clear that Buffalo Boss even needed the PR boost, given the quality of its fowl digits, as our investigative team discovered on Wednesday.
There were plenty of varieties, including honey BBQ, teriyaki and the allegedly hot “N’Sinerator” wings — and an order of 10 is just $8. And for dessert, there’s a deep-fried Twinkie ($3), which goes down easier than a Brook Lopez jumper.
So there’s no question about the quality of Jay-Z’s wings. And even though you’ll likely never see Beyonce’s thighs in the joint, Buffalo Boss’s offerings will soon have you singing, “If you havin’ sauce problems, I feel bad for you son/I got 99 problems and a wing ain’t one.”
Buffalo Boss [554 Fulton St. near Flatbush Avenue Extension in Downtown, (718) 624-2677]. For info, visit www.buffaloboss.com.
