Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter, better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010. He has sold approximately 50 million albums worldwide, while receiving thirteen Grammy Awards for his musical work, and numerous additional nominations. He is consistently ranked as one of the greatest rappers of all-time. He was ranked so by MTV in their list of The Greatest MCs of All-Time in 2006. Two of his albums, Reasonable Doubt (1996) and The Blueprint (2001) 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. Blender, included the former on their 500 CDs You Must Own Before You Die.
Jay-Z co-owns the 40/40 Club, is part-owner of the NBA's New Jersey Nets and is also the creator of the line Rocawear.He is the former CEO of Def Jam Recordings, one of the three founders 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 eleven. Jay-Z also has had four number ones on the Billboard Hot 100, one as lead artist.
He married American R&B superstar Beyoncé Knowles on April 4, 2008. On December 11, 2009, Jay-Z was ranked as the 10th most successful artist of the 2000's by Billboard and ranking as the 5th top solo male artist and as the 4th top rapper behind Eminem, Nelly, and 50 Cent.
“Rap has been a path between cultures in the best tradition of popular music.”
“Hip-hop gave a generation a common ground that didn't require either race to lose anything; everyone gained.”
“You could name practically any problem in the hood and there'd be a rap song for you.”
“You know the type: loud as a motorbike but wouldn't bust a grape in a fruit fight.”
“I'm a hustler, baby; I sell water to a well!”
“I'm not a businessman, I'm a business, man!”
“And all you other cats throwin' shots at Jigga, | You only get half a bar: fuck y'all niggaz.”
“A poet's mission is to make words do more work than they normally do, to make them work on more than one level.”
“The art of rap is deceptive. It seems so straightforward and personal and real that people read it completely literally, as raw testimony or autobiography. And sometimes the words we use, nigga, bitch, motherfucker, and the violence of the images overwhelms some listeners. It's all white noise to them till they hear a bitch or a nigga and then they run off yelling "See!" and feel vindicated in their narrow conception of what the music is about.”
“Life is for living, not living uptight, see ya somewhere up in the sky.”
“Jealousy’s a weak emotion.”
“Only God can judge me so I'm gone, either love me or leave me alone.”