Jigga what, Jigga who? Love him or hate him, Shawn Corey Carter also known as Jay-Z has had a huge impact on hip-hop. The latest validation of his transformation from rapper to full-fledged mogul is selection as the cover for Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People.
For the uninformed, Jay-Z over the course of his well-publicized career has been known as a rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip-hop artists and entrepreneurs in the country. Forbes estimated his net worth at nearly $500 million. Jay has sold approximately 50 million albums worldwide, while receiving seventeen Grammy Awards for his musical work and is consistently ranked as one of the greatest rappers of all-time, he was ranked #1 by MTV in their list of The Greatest MCs of All-Time in 2006. Two of his albums, Reasonable Doubt and The Blueprint, are considered landmarks in the genre with both of them being ranked in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
As an entreprenuer, Jay-Z co-owns the 40/40 Club, is currently part-owner of the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets but looking to sell his shares to become a sports agent. He is also co-creator of the line Rocawear, as well as the former CEO of Def Jam Recordings, co-founder of Roc-A-Fella Records, and the founder of Roc Nation. As an artist, he holds the record for most number one albums by a solo artist on the Billboard 200 with twelve. Jay-Z also has had four number ones on the Billboard Hot 100, one as lead artist. On December 11, 2009, Jay-Z was ranked as the 10th-most successful artist of the 2000s by Billboard and ranking as the 5th top solo male artist and as the 4th top rapper behind Eminem, Nelly, and 50 Cent. He married American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles in 2008.They have one daughter named Blue Ivy Carter, born in January 2012.
His battle with Nas in the early 2000s, rocked the hip-hop universe and rivaled the infamous battle between Tupac and Biggie. While we question Jay’s place as an artist (we would chose Nas over Jay as a modern contemporary; also he was impacted by the demise of Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G.), there is not disputing his marketing machine that has vaulted the kid from the Marcy Projects from the streets to walking with CEOs and the President of the United States.
Love him or hate him, today is Jay’s day!!!!