Shawn “Jay Z” Carter and Harvey Weinstein at an AmFar benefit (Photo: Getty Images)

Following his triumphs in the hip hop space, the artist known as Jay Z has entered into a development deal under his real name, Shawn Carter, with the Weinstein Company, potentially signaling a new direction in his career and interests.

The two-year overall development deal will be to produce for film and television, with both scripted and unscripted shows in play.

Carter already has two projects in development at HBO for which he’s serving as executive producer, according to IMDB:  Higher, a comedy set in the world of electronic music, and an untitled miniseries based on the life of Emmett Till, a black youth who was brutally murdered in the deep South in 1955.

He has also had a string of successful soundtrack forays, including writing the tune “Crazy in Love” for Twentieth Century Fox’s animated Ice Age: Collision Course (2016) and writing and performing “Dirt Off Your Shoulder” for Paramount’s Daddy’s Home (2015). He was also an executive producer on Baz Luhrmann’s 2013 remake of The Great Gatsby, for which he also produced the pop-driven soundtrack.

“I’m excited to tell stories from real-life prophets who, through their struggles, have changed the world for the better and others whose stories are filled with fantasy and delight,” Carter said in an announcement trumpeting the deal. “

For his part, TWC co-chair Harvey Weinstein noted that he and “Jay” have been social acquaintances on the NYC party scene “for many years,” noting his “ability to influence entertainment and pop culture has gone well beyond music.”

Joining Weinstein in making the announcement was TWC chief operating officer David Glasser, who welcomed the opportunity to work with Carter “as we continue to grow our TV division.”