I.B. BAD EYES THE DAZZLING FACETS OF A HOT ROC

While the Roc Nation-to-Sony deal hasn’t yet been formally announced, Rob Stringer has indeed inked the rapidly emerging creative entity, which had been coveted by all of the majors since Jay-Z created it in partnership with Live Nation. Meanwhile, Warner Music will release The Blueprint 3, the album Jay-Z recently bought back from UMG for a reported $5 million, reuniting the rap star with his former Def Jam colleague Lyor Cohen. This P&D arrangement will be Jay-Z’s initial release under his Live Nation pact. What remains to be seen is whether the deal is a one-off or includes future releases… Jay-Z’s own records were never part of the Sony-Roc Nation deal, and some believe he chose to go elsewhere because his wife Beyonce is on Columbia. Rumor has it that Beyonce’s contract is up for renegotiation, and her new deal is expected to be gigantic... Meanwhile, big changes are going down with Kelly Rowland, Beyonce’s partner in Destiny’s Child, as the two lifelong friends teamed up to become the top-selling female group of all time. Rowland is out of her own Sony deal, and the planets are lining up for this free-agent diva, who’s the vocalist and co-writer of a single by French star DJ David Guetta that is already a smash in Europe and is breaking on EMI in the U.S. Rowland has also parted ways with longtime manager Matthew Knowles, with Jeff Rabhan now managing and the well-respected Gary Stiffelman taking over her legal representation from Destiny’s Child/Beyonce attorney Ken Hertz… Conjecture about EMI’s future has ramped up since Terra Firma revealed last week that it has put more millions into the company, causing observers to ask whether Elio Leoni-Sceti’s assurances that EMI’s finances are under control are fact or spin... The news that the Bronfman family is moving to London was inadvertently broken earlier this week via an email from Edgar’s wife Clarissa to her friends explaining that she wanted her four young children to get the experience of living in another country. This surprising decision will put Bronfman even more out of the loop at WMG, even as it puts Cohen that much more firmly in the driver’s seat, but it does position the Chairman in close proximity to EMI, should he choose to make another move on the company… In other WMG activity, Kevin Liles, Cohen’s cohort since both were at IDJ, is returning to the day-to-day operations of WMG after a stint promoting his book, making public appearances and being referred to by fellow execs as “the Rubber Chicken Man of the Year.” Liles will be in charge of Warner’s growing portfolio of 360 deals, with an emphasis on monetizing those rights … Jim Wiatt’s announcement that he will be resigning as Chairman of the newly combined William Morris-Endeavor—a deal he had championed—is causing many to wonder what further repercussions may be in store in this potentially volatile merger of contrasting cultures. For the most part, the William Morris music department appears to be secure, in large part because Endeavor is not in music. While no music agents have yet been fired, certain bigger-salaried agents who are no longer major earners —including some from the music side—could be vulnerable, say insiders, noting that Endeavor has a young, aggressive, eat-what-you-kill style… Much chatter surrounds WM music head Peter Grosslight, who is on the board of the merged company, as wonderers wonder whether he had a role in Wiatt’s ouster… In a related matter, Ari Emanuel is on the Live Nation board, though most expect him to step down, noting that retaining that position while running an agency with music clients would be a clear-cut conflict of interest… The summer touring season is coming into focus, with Green Day, No Doubt, Blink-182 and the Warped Tour getting off to strong starts, while Nine Inch Nails/Jane’s Addiction, the Dave Matthews Band and Aerosmith (touring without a record) are softer than expected. But these relative disappointments are nothing compared to the re-formed Creed’s tour, which concert insiders say is a disaster, while The Fray and Yanni are doing only slightly better... Because of the decrease in up-front ticket sales, the walk-up business will be a major point of emphasis this year. By the Fourth of July, say concert-watchers, we should have a better idea of what sort of summer this will be… In other Aerosmith news, Jason Flom is now co-managing Steven Tyler with Nickelback’s John Greenberg, who handles the Canadian rockers with Bryan Coleman and Tim Heyne. Tyler had been repped for ages by Howard Kaufman and Trudy Green, who still manage Aerosmith, but the singer and Flom have a long history as well. John Branca remains the attorney for Tyler and the band, as well as Nickelback. Could this end up being a messy situation?… Names in the Rumor Mill: Kelly Curtis, Tata, Michael Guido, Rob Light, Tim Leiweke, Interscope and VEVO.