Born in Brooklyn New York and raised in Marcy Houses housing project in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York City, the raising star, Shawn Corey Carter made himself¹. This early entrepreneur was not looking for life to drop opportunity in his lap. His first business venture, specifically dealing drugs, is alluded to in his music. According to his mother, music was always on Jay-Z’s mind. Believing in himself and eager to turn his dreams into action, Jay-Z took to the streets to launch his career. Jay-Z’s inner entrepreneur shined throughout his rise to the top.  He found a mentor in a rapper named Jaz-O, aka Big Jaz². Big Jaz had a record deal but would remain a small figure in the rap industry. Jay-Z was able to learn from Jaz how the rap industry worked and how he was going to succeed. Unhappy with the standard way of business in the rap world, Jay-Z made a truly entrepreneurial decision when he started his own label. Smart enough to realize that this was not a venture he could undertake on his own, he recruited friends Damon Dash and Kareem "Biggs" Burke as co-founders of Roc-a-Fella Records². This was a very risky move, placing their reputations on the line. The possible rewards of this venture included more control, a larger profit, and the self-fulfillment of launching their own business.
       Jay-Z immediately took action. He released his debut album Reasonable Doubt in 1996 with distributor Priority Records. The risk paid off, springboarding Jay-Z’s industry success. Proving he is not one to rest on his laurels, Jay-Z pumped out records, building himself a solid reputation and generating a strong following. He released the following albums like clockwork²:
*In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 (1997)
*Vol. 2: Hard Knock Life (1998)….Eventually winning a Grammy for Best Rap Album.
* Vol. 3: Life and Times of S. Carter (1999)
* Dynasty Roc la Familia (2000)
* The Blueprint (2001)
* The Blueprint²: The Gift & the Curse (2002)
* The Black Album (2003)….Retirement Album

Out of retirment:
* Collision Course (2004)
* Retirement
* "I Declare War" concert
* Kingdom Come (2006)
* American Gangster (2007)

       Never satisfied, Jay-Z turned to the business world after his rap retirement in 2003. The record label Def Jam Records was in some trouble at the time and needed new leadership in the executive office. Jay-Z was asked to assume the role of President. Realizing that he could not manage his former label, Roc-a-Fella, he negotiated a buy out with Universal as part of the deal². Jay-Z became not only one of the youngest executives in the business but one of the first African American rappers to climb the corporate ladder. Like any true entrepreneur, Jay-Z wasted no time in realizing his dreams for Def Jam². In only months he accomplished what takes others years. Jay-Z launched a string of aspiring rap superstars, including Young Jeezy, Teairra Marí, Rihanna, and Bobby Valentino. If you know anything about current billboard standings you can easily recognize the significance of these artists².
       Jay-Z officially announced that he was coming out of retirement in 2005 at the “I Declare War” concert in New York City. Taking to the studio, he quickly released Kingdom Come in late 2006. Jay-Z has since released American Gangster in (2007). He is truly a man of many talents and unending determination².

His other business ventures include:

*Rocawear

Jay-Z co-founded the urban clothing brand Rocawear in 1999 with Damon Dash and Kareem "Biggs" Burke³. IN 2007, Jay-Z negotiated himself quite a deal, selling the Rocawear brand to Iconix Brand Group for $204 million. Even more impressive is the fact that Jay-Z will keep his stake in the company and continue to oversee the marketing, licensing and product development⁴.

* 40/40 Club
Jay-Z co-owns the upscale sports bar known as The 40/40 club. He started the club in New York City and has expanded his reach to Atlantic City, NJ. He has future plans of launching 40/40 Clubs in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Singapore.

*Armadale Vodka
Roc-A-Fella distributes Armadale, a Scottish vodka, in the U.S.

*Commercial Spot/Creative Collaboration With Anheuser-Busch

Jay-Z's new commercial spot with Anheuser aired his latest single "Show Me What You Got". Even Anheuser Busch is borrowing from the creative mind of Jay-Z. He will serve as co-brand director for Budweiser Select and will work with Anheuser Bush on strategic marketing programs and creative ad development⁵.

*New Jersey Nets

Jay-Z is a co-owner of the New Jersey Nets NBA team. He paid a reported $4.5 million for this share.

*J Hotels

Jay-Z has expanded his financial reach to real estate development. J Hotels recently purchased a mid-block parcel in Chelsea, New York, for $66 million. Construction plans include a high-end hotel or an art gallery building⁶.

* Live Nation

       According to the New York Times, Jay-Z is finalizing a deal with concert promoter Live Nation for $150 million. The deal will include financing in the amount of 5 million a year in overhead and another 25 million to finance Jay-Z’s acquisitions or investments. The company will be called Roc Nation and will split profits with Live Nation. O yeah, I almost forgot that his personal contract is worth $150 million! Jay-Z will be the first hip-hop artist to sign with Live Nation⁷.

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Works Cited:

1 The Greatest MCs of All Time MTV.

2 Birchmeier, Jason. All Music Guide.          http://www.starpulse.com/Music/Jay-Z/Biography/

3 Iconix to Buy Rocawear, Jay-Z's Clothing Line. The New York Times.

4 Jay-Z: Down To 98 Problems Yet?. MTV (2007-02-07).

5 http://www.allhiphop.com/Hiphopnews/index.asp?ID=6279

6 HHWorlds.com - Jay-Z Teams Up With J Hotels To Develop On $66 Million New York Site

7 In Rapper’s Deal, a New Model for Music Business" New York Times. April 3, 2008.