Global Success, Street success. Financially, credibly, musically rich and synonymous with entertainment as a whole. Shawn Carter (AKA Jay-Z, HOVA) is arguably the best rapper of his generation. While artists such as Diddy may exceed his wealth, his talent isn't so easy to surpass.
From rags to riches, like many rappers, Jay-Z overcame the odds of dealing drugs in Brooklyn to becoming the face of hip-hop today. He owns a stake in the 'Brooklyn Nets' NBA franchise, has his own sports agency, clothing line, production studio group, fifteen studio albums, a friendship with United States president Barack 'Baz' Obama and a celebrity power family with Beyonce.
All this success could be chalked up to a celebrity lifestyle and 'selling out' with pop ventures and collaborations with popular names like 'Alicia Keys' or 'Justin Timberlake', but the fact remains that HOVA first gained prominence with outstanding and compelling lyrics. Of course, as time passes and as success grows, it becomes insulting to rap about how poor and insignificant he once was, rather, Carter adapted his lyrics to flow alongside the river of success. With arrogance and swagger coming out the wazoo, an effortless style and an admirable hairline, Jay-Z's credibility has never really wavered despite the collaborations and mainstream success.
The man's writing has never been in question. Although Jay-Z doesn't write down his lyrics anymore, he believes that writing down as many lyrics as possible is the best way to improve.
While some people may argue the case of a rapper being ranked so highly up this list, the state of the industry at present shows us that rap and hip-hop as a whole are very much in demand, both in downloads and on the radio. When it comes to hip-hop, they don't come much bigger or better than HOVA. The Brooklyn entrepreneur is currently touring his latest album Magna Carta Holy Grail across Europe and after the success of the LP's collaborative predecessor Watch The Throne, it is rumoured that he and Kanye West will join up again for a sequel to the instant hip-hop classic.
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With a constantly full plate, it's no wonder why Jay Z continues to upgrade his net worth on an annual basis. While the genre may not be everyones cup of tea, one thing is for sure, with 2 decades of music and success under his belt, Jay-Z certainly warrants his reputation as well as the number 4 rank on this list. "He's not a businessman, he's a business, man. "
Check out the above link for part of the 'Classic Albums' documentary on HOVA's debut Reasonable Doubt.
Here's a clue for next week, he smells like something.. tune in next week to find out what.
