From filth to filthy rich: The Jay- Z story

Born Shawn Corey Carter, the rap mogul has gone from drug dealer on the shady streets of Brooklyn to one of the most diversified and successful entrepreneurs in the history of the American music industry. As he likes to put it, “I’m not a business man. I’m a business, man.”

With an estimated worth of $490 million, having the likes of a rap label, a clothing line, a sports agency and pocket change like stake in a basketball team as a part of his business empire, the 44-year-old has come a long way from being just another kid on the block to one of the wealthiest hip- hop artist ever.

I. The Timeline: What he really did.

Having endured a tough childhood, Jay-Z seemed like a kid at a wrong place at the wrong time. Dropping out of school, dealing drugs, it didn’t give the impression of the terribly successful fairytale like it does now. Back then, trying to break into the rap game wasn’t an easy position to be in. So, what do you do when you can’t get a record label to release an album of your own? You set up a label yourself. From clothing & apparel lines to alcohol and concert promotion, the regular black kid became a brand.

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/226279

‘From bricks to Billboards, from grams to Grammys’: Dirt off your shoulder.(Jay went from selling grams (small quantity) and bricks (large quantity) of cocaine to the top of Billboard Magazine’s rap charts and winning Grammy awards)

I.I Jay- Z: A lesson on the power of Entrepreneurial Capitalism

Having not being able to release his first album until the age of 26, Jay as Steve Forbes of the Forbes Magazine puts it, was well versed with the “here today, gone tomorrow” syndrome. The rap industry had always been projected as a youth oriented business where Jay- Z turned out to be a potential game changer with the ability to cater to people of all ages. Moreover, he has always been inclined to give his fans more than they bargain for.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/steveforbes/2012/09/05/jay-z-and-the-power-of-entrepreneurial-capitalism/2/

I.II All fancy stuff aside, the guy has some ridiculously strong fundamentals

For a music career that has managed to last for almost 18 years now, one thing that always worked in Jay-Z’s favour was that he managed to get the basics right. Then, followed the self- realisation of being more than just a ‘rapper’ but an icon who could sell a brand image that the consumers were willing to follow and imitate.

http://thegrio.com/2012/08/21/5-things-jay-z-can-teach-us-about-entrepreneurship/#s:jay-z-16x9

“They say a midget standing on a giant’s shoulders can see much further than the giant. So, I’ve got the whole rap world on my shoulders, they trying to see further than I am”: Hovi Baby

I.III The relentless pursuit of what’s next.

Everybody loves a rags to riches story but one attribute that makes him stand out in the queue is the fact that he did it all by himself. Moulded by the environment that he was surrounded with, he ‘hustled’ his way up the ladder with a poetic finace.

http://www.policymic.com/articles/85907/8-things-every-entrepreneur-can-learn-from-jay-z

I.IV So, what is so great about Jay- Z?

And it goes beyond him sleeping with Beyonce.

http://www.quora.com/Jay-Z/What-is-so-great-about-Jay-Z

II. Jay- Z: The phenomenon

In an interview with the Vanity Fair Magazine, he claimed that making deals on the street taught him to master his finances and even though he was good at it, there was always an exit plan involved. Fred Braitwite, a hip hop pioneer summed it all very well. ”I think that the analogy of a top basketball player fits him best. Think quick, score points and keep moving.”

http://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2011/03/16/jay-z-business-commandments/

 “My ambition was never to just fit into the corporate mould, it was to take it over and remake that world in our image": Operation Corporate Turnover

II.I Jay- Z: Bloomberg game changers.

Being a rare amalgamation of cultural and corporate power, Bloomberg News featured him on their series called ‘The game changers’.

http://www.bloomberg.com/video/64654492-bloomberg-game-changers-jay-z.html

Hanging out with the most powerful man in the world. Yeah, no biggie!

II.II The night when Jay- Z came to town and became a global superstar

Jay- Z had partnered with the corporate big- wigs like Budweiser, Coca- Cola & Microsoft in the past but still couldn’t be recognised as a worldwide phenomenon. Then, came the opportunity to headline at The Glastonbury Music Festival in the UK. Hip- Hop at one of the biggest rock festivals in the world just sounds wrong, doesn’t it? Not really.

http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/1084055/why-jay-z-is-a-model-for-entrepreneurs-guest-post-by-jason-hirschhorn

II.III Empire State of Mind: How Jay-Z from street corner to corner office.

Zack O’Malley Greenburg, a senior editor at Forbes Magazine penned down a book on the rap mogul describing him as one of the most ‘extraordinary entrepreneurs’ of our era, an insightful read through the modern reality of Jay- Z’s empire.

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304741404575564092478617462

which was a follow up to Jay-Z’s autobiography, ‘Decoded’ released in 2010.

http://online.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304023804575566644176961542

I.IV Sparks fly when Warren Buffet and Jay-Z sit together for a conversation.

When Forbes Magazine to host a 400 Summit to congregate a definitive list of USA’s richest billionaires, it gave way to a rare opportunity of getting Berkshire Hathway’s Warren Buffet together in a room with the rapper, Jay- Z. Two men who seem like the complete opposites of each other but in reality, are quite similar.

http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2010/1011/rich-list-10-omaha-warren-buffett-jay-z-steve-forbes-summit-interview.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NizR0KXjhhM