Atlantic City Weekly

Share this Story:

ATLANTIC CITY — Unless he retires from the music
 business entirely, it is unlikely that Jay-Z’s Atlantic City 40/40 Club will ever keep pace in years with the famous rapper/producer/entrepreneur’s growing list of Grammy awards. 


But the club — a 15,000-square-foot fusion of upscale sports bar, ultra-lounge and nightclub that cost around $4 million to build — is certainly holding its own, and recently reached its sixth anniversary in Atlantic City last month. 


Last Saturday night, following his sold-out Boardwalk Hall show with fellow rap superstar Kanye West, Jay-Z made a rare guest appearance at the second of his five 40/40 clubs (the first debuting in his hometown of New York City in 2003; others following in Chicago, Atlanta and London).


“We hosted the official Jay-Z concert after-party here, which included Jay-Z and his official DJ Young Guru, [Philadelphia rapper] Meek Mill, and a myriad of celebrities and special guests,” says 40/40 general manager Yonit Ibrahimian. 


“The energy in the place was incredible while Jay-Z was there,” says DJ Wallah, the Saturday night house DJ at the A.C. 40/40. “It was amazing to see a superstar of that magnitude party and drink among the people.”


Jay-Z is also a well-reputed sports fanatic, and all five 40/40 clubs take their name from the rare baseball feat of hitting at least 40 home runs and stealing 40 bases in one season. Only four Major Leaguers have ever done it — Alfonso Soriano in 2006 (with Washington), Alex Rodriguez (1998, Seattle), Barry Bonds (1996, San Francisco) and Jose Canseco (1988, Oakland). Those four players have signed jerseys on the A.C. club’s lower level’s “Hall of Fame” corridor, and there are a number of other signed, framed jerseys of past and present stars from all the major sports. 


The 40/40’s vast lower level also includes private alcoves around the perimeter of a huge tiled floor, centered by a large bar. Two giant-screen TVs are back-to-back over the bar, and several rows of plush seating slope up, auditorium style, to four private lounges that guests can rent for private affairs on any weekend night. There are also about 30 smaller flat-screen TVs scattered throughout the club, including at special bottle-service areas that offer a slew of special packages based on group size. 


“Our four VIP lounges are perfect for private, more exclusive events,” says Ibrahimian. “They include a personalized wait staff, independent audio-visual systems, pool tables and large flat-screen televisions — and the options for these private rooms [ranging from about 300 square feet up to nearly 1,000] are endless.”


Also available are membership packages transferable to any of the other 40/40 locations. They include, among other amenities, exclusive invitations to show previews and special events, waived cover charges on entry fees for any major sports broadcasts (such as the anticipated Dec. 3 rematch between light-middleweight boxers Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito), and any annual parties like the 40/40’s mega-popular New Year’s Eve festivities.


Sports broadcasts are a perpetual part of the club’s early hours, but it morphs into more of a nightclub feel as the clock approaches midnight, and stays that way until closing around 5am Fridays and Saturdays. “After the games the atmosphere becomes more dynamic, as the lights are lowered, the music turns up, and the customers are welcome to hang out and listen to our roster of celebrity guest DJs while enjoying a few drinks,” says Ibrahimian.