Jay Z: A Biography
()
Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this ebook
ABOUT THE BOOK
Jay-Z (born December 4, 1969, as Shawn Carter) is one of the most successful hip-hop artists in history, an esteemed entrepreneur, and, as Beyonce’s husband, one half of one of the most famous celebrity couples. His business ventures include a clothing line, a sports bar, and part-ownership of a professional basketball franchise.
Jay-Z made his debut in 1996 with Reasonable Doubt, an album that would later go platinum and receive recognition as a classic. The following year, he kicked off a trilogy with In My Lifetime, Vol. 1, followed the next year by Vol. 2, Hard Knock Life and then concluded in 1999 with Vol. 3, Life and Times of S. Carter. By that time, he’d established himself as one of the leading forces on the hip-hop radar.
He continued his prolific output into the next decade, releasing records at a rapid clip, prior to “retiring” - although the retirement turned out to be more of a short hiatus (something that would happen several times during Jay-Z’s rap career). His Blueprint trilogy received some of the best reviews and best sales of his career, including the smash hit “Empire State of Mind,” with Alicia Keys (from 2009’s The Blueprint 3), a song that has gone on to become one of New York City’s most inescapable anthems.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Adam McKibbin's work has appeared in a wide variety of magazines and websites, including The Nation, the Chicago Tribune, AlterNet, Paste and Punk Planet. He's worked in web editorial and social media management for years, and is a seasoned interviewer whose favorite subjects include David Lynch, Tori Amos and human rights journalist Mac McClelland. He studied creative writing at the University of Wisconsin and received the Award for Academic Excellence for his collected fiction. He's currently working on his first nonfiction book. Adam lives in Los Angeles with his wife and daughter, and can be found on Twitter at @TheRedAlert.
EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK
He dabbled in the music business, but kept one foot in his increasingly successful criminal life. Finally, after his teenage days were over, he decided to give music a full-time shot.
One of his earliest mentors was Jonathan Burke, who went by the name of Jaz-O. Jaz-O’s “The Originators” (1989) was a showcase for one of the first verses from the young Jay-Z (Rolling Stone, Jay-Z Biography).
As he shifted focus to his music career, he and two other friends from around the neighborhood, Damon Dash and Kareem Burke, decided to cut out the middleman and form their own label, Roc-A-Fella, which would pave the way for Jay-Z’s future business leadership with much larger companies. Jay-Z and Jaz-O would go on to have a falling out, leading to numerous inflammatory quotes and verses from the former mentor.
Jay-Z’s work ethic may be in his blood; his mother didn’t retire from her clerical job until 2002, and reportedly never gave her coworkers any indication that her son was an ascendant hip-hop icon. She admitted to not quite being fully aware of the scale of Jay-Z’s success at the time, and that she enjoyed his music, but wished he cursed less (CBS News, The King of Rap)...
Buy a copy to keep reading!
Related to Jay Z
Related ebooks
Jay Z: Celebrity Biographies Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Real Diddy: Behind The Music Tales, #12 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJelly Roll Biography Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsN.W.A: The Aftermath: Behind The Music Tales, #4 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsN.W.A: The Aftermath: Exclusive Interviews with Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Jerry Heller, Yella & Westside Connection Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDrake A Short Unauthorized Biography Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Dirty Version: On Stage, in the Studio, and in the Streets with Ol' Dirty Bastard Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5New York State of Mind 1.0: Behind The Music Tales, #7 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings101 Amazing Bob Marley Facts Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCritical Beatdown Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5FAME: Beyonce Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWill Smith: Celebrity Biographies Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRuthless: A Memoir Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The History of Trap Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Unofficial Biography of Beyonce Knowles Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5Fall Out Boy Band: Very Best Band Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLet's Get It Started: The Rise & Rise of the Black Eyed Peas Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFar From Over: The Music and Life of Drake, The Unofficial Story Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings101 Amazing Facts about Lorde Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBeyoncégraphica: A Graphic Biography of Beyoncé Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fight The Power: Rap, Race and Reality Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJay-Z: The King of America Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Jack Black: Love or Hate Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAmerican D-Boy II: The Return of D-Boy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIce Cold Murder Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLMFAO: An Unauthorized Biography Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRihanna: In Her Own Words Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Rock 'n' Roll Archives, Volume Two: Punk Rock Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBlueprints of Sir Michael Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRonald Reagan - The Truth: Great USA Presidents Biography Series, #5 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Biography & Memoir For You
Becoming Bulletproof: Protect Yourself, Read People, Influence Situations, and Live Fearlessly Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5All That Remains: A Renowned Forensic Scientist on Death, Mortality, and Solving Crimes Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, HER Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Disloyal: A Memoir: The True Story of the Former Personal Attorney to President Donald J. Trump Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Good Girls Don't Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Jack Reacher Reading Order: The Complete Lee Child’s Reading List Of Jack Reacher Series Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: the heartfelt, funny memoir by a New York Times bestselling therapist Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Why Fish Don't Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Just Mercy: a story of justice and redemption Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Diary of a Young Girl Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Stolen Life: A Memoir Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Wright Brothers Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Ivy League Counterfeiter Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Meditations: Complete and Unabridged Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Art of Eating Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Billion Years: My Escape From a Life in the Highest Ranks of Scientology Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Up From Slavery: An Autobiography: A True Story Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sex Cult Nun: Breaking Away from the Children of God, a Wild, Radical Religious Cult Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Cook's Tour: In Search of the Perfect Meal Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Faithful Spy: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Plot to Kill Hitler Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examiner Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5People, Places, Things: My Human Landmarks Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of the Donner Party Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Taste: My Life Through Food Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Jay Z
0 ratings0 reviews