Veteran rapper Ja Rule, who always seems to looking for a new business venture, now wants Nike money. He says he’s campaigning to take over for golf great Tiger Woods, who just ended his 27-year business relationship with the sports retail giant.
Granted, Ja Rule often posts videos of himself on the golf course, one might wonder how he plans to replace Woods in the lucrative Nike endorsement deal.
The 47-year-old “Always On Time” rapper is proposing himself as Nike’s new golf ambassador. He posted videos of himself in action on X on Jan. 8, to draw attention to golf skills.
“Hey Nike if y’all looking for your new golf sponsorship look no further… Exit Tiger Woods Enter Tiger Hood…” he wrote in the video captions.
A Golfing Man
“During the pandemic, man, I think a lot of people picked up the game. I had played before then but never really seriously, but after the pandemic, I really, really got into golf — really caught the bug,” he told the Golf Channel in 2023. “And I’m here man, I love playing golf. This is my office for at least 4-5 hours of the day, whenever I can get out on it.”
Tiger’s Gone Deal
In his official statement about the end of his partnership with Nike, Woods thanked Nike co-founder Phil Knight for his “passion and vision.”
Nike posted a photo of Woods on social media with the caption: “Tiger, you challenged your competition, stereotypes, conventions, the old school way of thinking… And for that challenge, we’re grateful.”
The deal began in 1996 when Woods turned professional, sigining a five-year deal worth $40 million. According to Fortune, Woods’ renewed deal in 2001 was believed to be worth over $100 million. His eight-year deal in 2006 was reported to be $160 million. Finally, his latest deal was signed in 2013 for a reported $200 million.
This partnership helped propel Nike Golf from $30 million to $300 million in annual revenue within its first two years.
The deal ends at a time when Nike announced in a recent earnings call it planed to cut $2 billion over the next three years. And, sorry, Ja Rule, there have been rumors, as Finurah previously reported, that without Tiger Nike might leave the golf space.
When asked about his deal late last year as there was speculation the deal would soon come to an end, Woods answered, “I’m still wearing their product.”
