9781422276235

HIP - HOP & R&B Culture, Music & Storytelling

Beyoncé Bruno Mars Cardi B Chance the Rapper DJ Khaled

Drake Jay-Z Pharrell Pitbull Rihanna The Weeknd

mason crest Summer Bookout HIP - HOP & R&B Culture, Music & Storytelling JAY-Z Y

CONTENTS Chapter 1 : Jay-Z's Greatest Moments................................................................................. 7 Chapter 2: From the Marcy Projects to International Fame..................................... 27 Chapter 3: More Than Just a Rapper................................................................................. 39 Chapter 4: Representing Hip-Hop..................................................................................... 53 Chapter 5: Giving Back to the Community..................................................................... 63 Series Glossary of Key Terms.................................................................................................. 72 Further Reading.......................................................................................................................... 74 Internet Resources..................................................................................................................... 74 Citations........................................................................................................................................ 75 Photo Credits and Educational Videos............................................................................... 76 Index............................................................................................................................................... 77 Author’s Biography.................................................................................................................... 80

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Copyright © 2019 by Mason Crest, an imprint of National Highlights, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the publisher.

First printing 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

hardback: 978-1-4222-4181-3 series: 978-1-4222-4176-9 ebook: 978-1-4222-7623-5

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Bookout, Summer, author. Title: Jay-Z / Summer Bookout. Description: Broomall, PA : Mason Crest, 2018. | Series: Hip-hop & R&B: culture, music & storytelling. Identifiers: LCCN 2018020772 (print) | LCCN 2018020983 (ebook) | ISBN 9781422276235 (eBook) | ISBN 9781422241813 (hardback) | ISBN 9781422241769 (series) Subjects: LCSH: Jay-Z, 1969---Juvenile literature. | Rap musicians--United States--Biography--Juvenile literature. Classification: LCC ML3930.J38 (ebook) | LCC ML3930.J38 B66 2018 (print) | DDC 782.421649092 [B] --dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018020772 Developed and Produced by National Highlights, Inc. Editor: Susan Uttendorfsky Interior and cover design: Annalisa Gumbrecht, Studio Gumbrecht Production: Michelle Luke

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Chapter 1:

Jay-Z’s Greatest Moments

Jay-Z’s Rap Career Takes Off R easonable D oubt (Released June 25, 1996) Jay-Z’s debut album started at number twenty-three on the Billboard Top 200 Chart at its release, staying on it for eighteen weeks, and peaked at number three on the Billboard 's R&B Album Chart. R easonable D oubt was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) after it sold over a million copies. Can’t Knock the Hustle , a single released on August 29, 1996, is one of the most well-known tracks from the album. Another hit single, Dead Presidents , was released February 20, 1996, as the first promotional track, but a second version of the song actually appeared on the album. The title Dead Presidents is a slang term for money because pictures of dead presidents appear on printed United States currency. The RIAA certified the single Gold after it sold 500,000 copies.

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JAY-Z

V olume 2: H ard K nock L ife (Released September 29, 1998)

Collaborations Can’t Knock the Hustle, featuring Mary J. Blige Brooklyn’s Finest, featuring The Notorious B.I.G. Feelin’ It, featuring Foxy Brown Coming of Age, featuring Memphis Bleek Bring It On, featuring Big Jaz and Sauce Money I n M y L ife V ol .1 (Released November 04, 1997) Jay-Z’s second album was more detailed, in- depth, and personal than his debut release. The production was handled by Puff Daddy’s Bad Boy Records, resulting in a more polished feel than Jay-Z’s first. It debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 Chart and was certified Platinum by the RIAA. Always Be My Sunshine , released September 16, 1997, was the second single and features guest vocals by Foxy Brown and Babyface. Collaborations The City Is Mine, featuring BLACKstreet I KnowWhat Girls Like, featuring Puff Daddy and Lil’ Kim Always Be My Sunshine, featuring Babyface and Foxy Brown

This album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 Chart and sold 350,000 copies in the first week. It is Jay-Z’s most popular album to date and has sold over 5 million copies— certified five-times Platinum by the RIAA. The single Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem) includes a bit from the song It’s the Hard Knock Life from the 1977 musical Annie . The single reached Gold status by March of 1999 and was certified Platinum on July 15, 2015. It was Jay-Z’s first single to achieve success outside the United States by ranking in the top ten in music charts of other countries. Collaborations If I Should Die, featuring Da Ranjahz Nigga What, Nigga Who (Originator 99), featuring Big Jaz

Watch the video for Always Be My Sunshine

Money, Cash, Hoes, featuring DMX Coming of Age (Da Sequel) , featuring Memphis Bleek Can I Get A…, featuring Amil and Ja Rule Paper Chase, featuring Foxy Brown Reservoir Dogs, featuring The LOX,

Watch the video for Dead Presidents

Beanie Sigel, and Sauce Money It’s Like That , featuring Kid Capri

Face Off, featuring Sauce Money Real Niggaz, featuring Too $hort

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V olume 3...L ife and T imes of S. C arter (Released December 28, 1999)

on the Billboard Top 200 Chart. It sold 557,000 copies the first week. Billboard also ranked it the twentieth highest-selling R&B/Hip-Hop Album of the 2000–2010 decade. With over 2 million copies sold, the album was ranked double Platinum by RIAA. Famous rappers Snoop Dogg, R. Kelly, and Scarface appear on the album. The debut single, I Just Wanna Love You (Give It to Me), was released October 17, 2000. Collaborations Change the Game, featuring Beanie Sigel and Memphis Bleek Streets Is Talking, featuring Beanie Sigel This Can’t Be Life, featuring Scarface Get Your Mind Right, Mami, featuring Snoop Dogg Guilty Until Proven Innocent, featuring R. Kelly 1-900-Hustler, featuring Freeway T he B lueprint (Released September 11, 2001) Kanye West produced five of the thirteen tracks on this successful album, and the sales helped to establish Kanye’s career as a producer. In 2003, T he B lueprint was ranked number 464 on Rolling Stone’s list of 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. In a revised 2012 version, it moved up to 252. Rolling Stone also ranked it number four on the list of 100 Best Albums of the 2000s.

This fourth album also debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 Chart. It sold 462,000 copies in the first week and was certified triple Platinum by the RIAA. The third single from the album, Big Pimpin, was released on April 11, 2000. It ranked number thirty-one on the Billboard Hot 100 Year-End Chart for the year 2000. Collaborations

Do It Again (Put Ya Hands Up), featuring Beanie Sigel and Amil Things That U Do, featuring Mariah Carey

Watch the video for Big Pimpin

Snoopy Track, featuring Juvenile S. Carter, featuring Amil Pop 4 Rock, featuring Beanie Sigel, Memphis Bleek, and Amil

Watch Me, featuring Dr. Dre Big Pimpin, featuring UGK T he D ynasty : R oc L a F amilia (Released October 31, 2000) Released less than a year after V olume 3 …, this was another Jay-Z album to debut at the number one spot

Watch the video for I Just Wanna Love You (Give it to Me)

Mariah Carey

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Izzo (H.O.V.A.) was the first single, released on August 21, 2001, and the lyrics explore Jay-Z’s past in the Marcy Projects and his struggles in the recording industry. Collaborations Renegade, featuring Eminem T he B lueprint 2: T he G ift & T he C urse (Released November 12, 2002) This album featured the single 03 Bonnie & Clyde , a collaboration with Jay-Z’s then girlfriend, Beyoncé. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 Chart and sold 545,000 copies in the first week. By 2012, it had sold over 2 million copies and has since been certified triple Platinum by the RIAA. The lead single, 03 Bonnie & Clyde, was released on October 10, 2002, and was certified Gold by the RIAA. Collaborations A Dream, featuring Faith Evans and The Notorious B.I.G. The Watcher 2 , featuring Dr. Dre, Rakim, and Truth Hurts What They Gonna Do, featuring Sean Paul All around the World , featuring LaToiya Williams

Poppin’ Tags, featuring Big Boi, Killer Mike, and Twista The Bounce, featuring Kanye West Guns & Roses , featuring Lenny Kravitz U Don’t Know (Remix), featuring M.O.P. Some How Some Way, featuring Beanie Sigel and Scarface Nigga Please, featuring Young Chris As One, featuring Memphis Bleek, Freeway, Young Gunz, Peedi Crakk, Sparks, and Rell T he B lack A lbum (Released November 14, 2003) This release was promoted as Jay-Z’s last album before his retirement from the music business, although he returned in 2006. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard Top 200 Chart and sold 463,000 copies in its first week in the United States alone. T he B lack A lbum became Jay-Z’s top-selling record of the 2000– 2010 decade. Billboard ranked it as the 136th highest-selling album of the decade in the United States. The second single on the album, Dirt off Your Shoulder, was released March 02, 2004. It was referenced four years later by presidential candidate Barack Obama during a debate with his opponent, Hillary Clinton. The album was certified triple Platinum by the RIAA.

Watch the video for Izzo (H.O.V.A.)

Watch the video for 03 Bonnie and Clyde

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K ingdom C ome (Released November 21, 2006)

States. The lyrics to some of the songs revisit Jay-Z’s memories of living in the Marcy Projects in Brooklyn. The first single released was Blue Magic on September 20, 2007. The album was certified Platinum by RIAA. Collaborations Hello Brooklyn 2.0, featuring Lil Wayne Ignorant S —, featuring Beanie Sigel T he B lueprint 3 (Released September 08, 2009) Jay-Z scored another number one debut on the Billboard 200 Chart with this release, and it sold 476,000 copies in the first week. This was Jay-Z’s eleventh album to rank number one on the Billboard charts in the United States. It broke the record of number one albums that was previously held by Elvis Presley. Five of the singles on the album had success on the Billboard charts, including D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune) , the first single on the album. The lyrics protested the use of auto-tune (a way for musicians to alter their voices digitally) by rap artists. Jay-Z thought it was being overused by too many artists at the time. Collaborations What We Talkin’ About , featuring Luke Steele Run This Town , featuring Rihanna and Kanye West Empire State of Mind , featuring Alicia Keys Real as It Gets, featuring Young Jeezy

Promoted as Jay-Z’s comeback album, it was originally planned to be released under Jay-Z’s birth name, Shawn Carter. But he ultimately chose to use his stage name. Dr. Dre played a big role in the production of this album, and it sold 668,000 copies in the first week in the United States. The single ShowMe What You Got was released October 30, 2006, and debuted at number twenty on Billboard ’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart. It also ranked number ninety on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart in its first week. The album was certified double Platinum by RIAA. Collaborations Lost One , featuring Chrisette Michele

Do U Wanna Ride? , featuring John Legend Anything, featuring Usher and Pharrell Hollywood, featuring Beyoncé Dig a Hole , featuring Sterling Simms

Watch the video for ShowMe What You Got

Minority Report , featuring Ne-Yo Beach Chair, featuring Chris Martin

A merican G angster (Released November 06, 2007)

Jay-Z’s tenth album was inspired by the 2007 movie of the same name. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard Top 200 Chart and sold 425,861 copies the first week in the United

Alicia Keys

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On to the Next One, featuring Swizz Beatz Off That, featuring Drake A Star Is Born, featuring J. Cole Already Home, featuring Kid Cudi Hate, featuring Kanye West So Ambitious, featuring Pharrell Young Forever, featuring Mr Hudson M agna C arta H oly G rail (Released July 08, 2013) Released July 04, 2013, as a free digital download for Samsung customers through the Jay-Z Magna Carta app, the album was released for retail sale on July 08, 2013, and was certified Platinum the same day by the RIAA for selling a million copies. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 Chart, making it Jay-Z’s thirteenth

Collaborations Holy Grail, featuring Justin Timberlake **** with Me You Know I Got It , featuring Rick Ross Oceans, featuring Frank Ocean Part II (On the Run) , featuring Beyoncé 4:44 (Released on July 07, 2017) The June 30 pre-release was through Roc Nation as an exclusive for Sprint and Tidal customers, and it immediately debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 Chart, making it Jay-Z’s fourteenth consecutive album to do so. On July 02, for a short amount of time, it was available for free digital download to Tidal customers. The physical edition was released July 07 and was made available on Apple Music, Google Play, and Amazon Music. By July 05, two days before the official release date, it had already been certified Platinum by the RIAA. Only one single off this album became popular— 4:44 . In it, Jay-Z mentions the twins he and his wife Beyoncé were expecting at the time, as well as their daughter, Blue Ivy.

Watch the video for D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)

consecutive studio album to top the charts. It was certified double Platinum by 2013. The lead single, Holy Grail , features vocals from Justin Timberlake, and it won the Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 56th Grammy Awards. In 2014, Billboard put the single at number twenty-five of the Top 100 Rap Songs of All Time.

Beyoncé

Justin Timberlake

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