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Product Description
Review
"Fascinating, well-done biography of one of the most extraordinary entrepreneurs of our era."
-Steve Forbes
"Zack O''Malley Greenburg has become one of the rare reporters to bring dignified coverage of the hip-hop business into the mainstream. "Empire State of Mind" is a pure product of Greenburg''s care and insight, an exploration of hip-hop''s most enigmatic mogul, Jay-Z."
-Dan Charnas, author of "The Big Payback: The History of the Business of Hip- Hop"
""Empire State Of Mind" follows the money and key pieces of the Jay-Z puzzle in this insightful, savvy read. From Jay''s humble Bed-Stuy Brooklyn roots as Shawn Carter into street crime and the drug game, to his rocket rise to the heights of hip-hop and the music business as one of entertainments most successful players...this book is like a GPS leading us through the modern urban reality of how Jay-Z''s empire was built."
-Fred "Fab 5 Freddy" Brathwaite, hip-hop pioneer, artist, and longtime host of "Yo! MTV Raps"
"Lively and often surprising, "Empire State Of Mind" analyzes one of the greatest assets of the hip-hop generation: the business mind of Jay-Z. In capturing Jay-Z''s refuse to lose mentality, Zack O''Malley Greenburg tells an important, instructive American story of our time."
-Jeff Chang, author of "Can''t Stop Won''t Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation"
-Steve Forbes
"Zack O''Malley Greenburg has become one of the rare reporters to bring dignified coverage of the hip-hop business into the mainstream. "Empire State of Mind" is a pure product of Greenburg''s care and insight, an exploration of hip-hop''s most enigmatic mogul, Jay-Z."
-Dan Charnas, author of "The Big Payback: The History of the Business of Hip- Hop"
""Empire State Of Mind" follows the money and key pieces of the Jay-Z puzzle in this insightful, savvy read. From Jay''s humble Bed-Stuy Brooklyn roots as Shawn Carter into street crime and the drug game, to his rocket rise to the heights of hip-hop and the music business as one of entertainments most successful players...this book is like a GPS leading us through the modern urban reality of how Jay-Z''s empire was built."
-Fred "Fab 5 Freddy" Brathwaite, hip-hop pioneer, artist, and longtime host of "Yo! MTV Raps"
"Lively and often surprising, "Empire State Of Mind" analyzes one of the greatest assets of the hip-hop generation: the business mind of Jay-Z. In capturing Jay-Z''s refuse to lose mentality, Zack O''Malley Greenburg tells an important, instructive American story of our time."
-Jeff Chang, author of "Can''t Stop Won''t Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation"
Book Description
"I'm not a businessman-I'm a business, man."
--Jay-Z
Some people think Jay-Z is just another rapper. Others see him as just another celebrity/mega-star. The reality is, no matter what you think Jay-Z is, he first and foremost a business. And as much as Martha Stewart or Oprah, he has turned himself into a lifestyle.
You can wake up to the local radio station playing Jay-Z's latest hit, spritz yourself with his 9IX cologne, slip on a pair of his Rocawear jeans, lace up your Reebok S. Carter sneakers, catch a Nets basketball game in the afternoon, and grab dinner at The Spotted Pig before heading to an evening performance of the Jay-Z-backed Broadway musical Fela! and a nightcap at his 40/40 Club. He'll profit at every turn of your day.
But despite Jay-Z's success, there are still many Americans whose impressions of him are foggy, outdated, or downright incorrect. Surprisingly to many, he honed his business philosophy not at a fancy B school, but on the streets of Brooklyn, New York and beyond as a drug dealer in the 1980s.
Empire State of Mind tells the story behind Jay-Z's rise to the top as told by the people who lived it with him- from classmates at Brooklyn's George Westinghouse High School; to the childhood friend who got him into the drug trade; to the DJ who convinced him to stop dealing and focus on music. This book explains just how Jay-Z propelled himself from the bleak streets of Brooklyn to the heights of the business world.
Zack O'Malley Greenburg draws on his one-on-one interviews with hip-hop luminaries such as DJ Clark Kent, Questlove of The Roots, Damon Dash, Fred "Fab 5 Freddy" Brathwaite, MC Serch; NBA stars Jamal Crawford and Sebastian Telfair; and recording industry executives including Craig Kallman, CEO of Atlantic Records.
He also includes new information on Jay-Z's various business dealings, such as:
* The feature movie about Jay-Z and his first basketball team that was filmed by Fab 5 Freddy in 2003 but never released.
* The Jay-Z branded Jeep that was scrapped just before going into production.
* The real story behind his association with Armand de Brignac champagne.
* The financial ramifications of his marriage to Beyonce.
Jay-Z's tale is compelling not just because of his celebrity, but because it embodies the rags-to-riches American dream and is a model for any entrepreneur looking to build a commercial empire.
--Jay-Z
Some people think Jay-Z is just another rapper. Others see him as just another celebrity/mega-star. The reality is, no matter what you think Jay-Z is, he first and foremost a business. And as much as Martha Stewart or Oprah, he has turned himself into a lifestyle.
You can wake up to the local radio station playing Jay-Z's latest hit, spritz yourself with his 9IX cologne, slip on a pair of his Rocawear jeans, lace up your Reebok S. Carter sneakers, catch a Nets basketball game in the afternoon, and grab dinner at The Spotted Pig before heading to an evening performance of the Jay-Z-backed Broadway musical Fela! and a nightcap at his 40/40 Club. He'll profit at every turn of your day.
But despite Jay-Z's success, there are still many Americans whose impressions of him are foggy, outdated, or downright incorrect. Surprisingly to many, he honed his business philosophy not at a fancy B school, but on the streets of Brooklyn, New York and beyond as a drug dealer in the 1980s.
Empire State of Mind tells the story behind Jay-Z's rise to the top as told by the people who lived it with him- from classmates at Brooklyn's George Westinghouse High School; to the childhood friend who got him into the drug trade; to the DJ who convinced him to stop dealing and focus on music. This book explains just how Jay-Z propelled himself from the bleak streets of Brooklyn to the heights of the business world.
Zack O'Malley Greenburg draws on his one-on-one interviews with hip-hop luminaries such as DJ Clark Kent, Questlove of The Roots, Damon Dash, Fred "Fab 5 Freddy" Brathwaite, MC Serch; NBA stars Jamal Crawford and Sebastian Telfair; and recording industry executives including Craig Kallman, CEO of Atlantic Records.
He also includes new information on Jay-Z's various business dealings, such as:
* The feature movie about Jay-Z and his first basketball team that was filmed by Fab 5 Freddy in 2003 but never released.
* The Jay-Z branded Jeep that was scrapped just before going into production.
* The real story behind his association with Armand de Brignac champagne.
* The financial ramifications of his marriage to Beyonce.
Jay-Z's tale is compelling not just because of his celebrity, but because it embodies the rags-to-riches American dream and is a model for any entrepreneur looking to build a commercial empire.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
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4.0 out of 5 stars (21 customer reviews)
29 of 29 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Better Than "Decoded.", Mar 20 2011
By E. Quinones - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Empire State of Mind: How Jay-Z Went from Street Corner to Corner Office (Hardcover)
With "Empire State of Mind," Zack O'Malley Greenburg delivers on his promise to chronicle Jay-Z's compelling journey from drug-dealer to 9-figure businessman.As it turns out, Greenburg pitched the book to Jay-Z's management, but they refused to participate and instead went on to write "Decoded" so they could profit directly.
"Decoded" reads like one of those Donald Trump autobiographies: a very self-congratulatory, shallow look into how he thinks (which is somewhat valuable in its own right), but devoid of any juicy revelation beneath the surface.
"Empire State of Mind," on the other hand, paints a very nuanced picture of Jay-Z's character and gives detailed insight into his major business decisions, including the flops and near-misses that Jay-Z doesn't seem to talk about publicly.
If you want direct testimony from key players in Jay-Z's early life, including former business partner Damon Dash, former mentor Jaz-O, and Dehaven Irby (the guy who introduced Jay-Z to drug-dealing), this is probably the only place you'll be able to find it, since most of them have fallen out and don't talk to him anymore.
Greenburg has done a metric ton of research and reconnaissance work, yet his prose flows smooth like Jay-Z's rhymes. The end result is a fascinating read. Highly recommended.
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
What Jay-Z doesn't want you to know, Mar 28 2011
By D Adler - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Empire State of Mind: How Jay-Z Went from Street Corner to Corner Office (Hardcover)
Put simply, this book is a wonderful, engaging profile of a figure worth reading about, and will teach even hip-hop devotees something about Mr. Carter they did not know before.Jay-Z is naturally an intriguing figure, part-musician, part-former hustler, part-executive - just to name a few of the roles he has played. Yet Greenburg - to his credit - does more than simply kowtow to the great lyricist. Greenburg digs further to paint a comprehensive, inquiring, insightful and often less-than-flattering view of one of the great entrepreneurs of the last 50 years.
Greenburg's book reveals Jay's obvious successes, to be sure: rising from dealing in Brooklyn to a career as a recording artist, a successful turn atop Def Jam Records, a happy marriage with Beyonce. But Greenburg also covers those items Jay doesn't want you to know about: a covert deal to profit from Armand de Brignac champagne; a failed attempt at making a basketball documentary; an aborted effort to release a Jay-Z edition Jeep; and repeated failures as part-owner of the Nets.
Greenburg's warranted conclusion is that Jay-Z is a tremendous businessman and individual. The unique piece Greenburg brings to this story is that Jay came to this success through a portfolio approach, dabbling in so many different industries and fields that while some ventures flopped (see: LeBron in South Beach), many others have resulted in unprecedented revenue and publicity (see: Live Nation). Jay would have you know nothing of those failures. Fortunately, Greenburg thinks otherwise. Do yourself a favor: Read this book.
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great read even for a layperson, Mar 28 2011
By Schmecs "Schmecs" - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Empire State of Mind: How Jay-Z Went from Street Corner to Corner Office (Hardcover)
I didn't know much about Jay-Z before I read this book. Once I started reading, though, I couldn't put it down. Greenburg paints such a thorough picture of Jay-Z without once interviewing him, and I would guess that these multiple perspectives provide a better picture of the man than the man himself could (or would want to, it seems). I came away suddenly inspired to start listening - really actually LISTENING, not just passively hearing - Jay-Z's music, because now I realize it has a legitimate and meaningful context. I would imagine that for someone who is already a big fan, this book would be even more engrossing. Jay-Z has had a powerful impact on the hip-hop industry, and he is poised to become a music and business legend.That said, I should point out that what ultimately made this book enjoyable was how well-written it was, with a touch of humor here and there (in well-placed quotes from Greenburg's sources) and a persistently neutral tone. Should we like Jay-Z? Maybe not. Should we respect him? Well, how can you avoid it? When you finally put the book down, how can you not want to be just a little bit more like him?
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