Pitchfork

Photo by Kyle Gustafson

Jay-Z's love affair with Norway continues with the announcement of the rapper/mogul's new label: StarRoc, a joint venture with Norwegian production duo Stargate, according to MTV.com.

Also known as the duo of Mikkel S. Eriksen and Tor Erik Hermansen, Stargate's production resume includes Beyoncé's "Irreplaceable", Ne-Yo's "So Sick", and Rihanna's "Don't Stop the Music".

The new label, StarRoc, is a 50/50 partnership between Stargate and Roc Nation, the company Jay founded with Live Nation earlier this year. Artists that sign to StarRoc will be signing a "360 deal", meaning a kind of blanket contract that can cover not just albums and tours but endorsements, talent management, merchandise, publishing, and a variety of other business ventures.

According to The New York Times (via MTV), StarRoc will include a music publishing arm in addition to being a label.

MTV also reports that Jay-Z's The Blueprint 3 is due from Def Jam before the end of the year. The rapper has a few October tour dates as well.

Watchin' Jay-Z:

10-15 Los Angeles, CA - Palladium
10-16 Houston, TX - House of Blues
10-24 Philadelphia, PA - Wachovia Center
10-27 Boston, MA - TD Banknorth Garden (Jam'n 94.5 Monster Jam) *
10-28 East Rutherford, NJ - IZOD Center (Power 105.1's Powerhouse) *

* with Lil Wayne