When Shawn Carter, an aspiring rapper with the stage name Jay-Z, couldn't get his career off the ground at a major record label, he didn't get discouraged. He and his partners Damon Dash and Kareem "Biggs" Burke created a hip-hop label of their own. They named the label Roc-A-Fella Records. Originally intended as a one-time project to release Jay-Z's full-length debut album, Reasonable Doubt, Roc-A-Fella Records expanded into a true hip-hop powerhouse. Roc-A-Fella Records has introduced listeners to the unique talents of artists like Kanye West, the Young Gunz, and the State Property crew. Other artists, such as Jadakiss and the O.D.B., have received another chance to kick-start their careers. This book describes the musical contributions of Jay-Z, Kanye West, and Roc-A-Fella's other past and present artists, as well as the record label's complex behind-the-scenes history.

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Pages: 37. Chapters: Jay-Z, Kanye West, Foxy Brown, Cam'ron, Freeway, Juelz Santana, M.O.P., Amil, Teairra Mari, Hector Delgado, The Diplomats, Young Gunz, N.O.R.E., Memphis Bleek, Nicole Wray, Rell, Tru Life, Peedi Peedi, Neef Buck, Young Steff, State Property, DJ Clue?, Uncle Murda, Aztek Escobar, Omillio Sparks, Sauce Money, Christion. Excerpt: Kanye Omari West (pronounced; born June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and Janet Jackson. His style of production originally used pitched-up vocal samples from soul songs incorporated with his own drums and instruments. However, subsequent productions saw him broadening his musical palette and expressing influences encompassing '70s R&B, baroque pop, trip hop, arena rock, folk, alternative, electronica, synth-pop, and classical music. West released his debut album The College Dropout in 2004, his second album Late Registration in 2005, his third album Graduation in 2007, his fourth album 808s & Heartbreak in 2008, and his fifth album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy in 2010. His five albums, all of which have gone platinum, have received numerous awards and critical acclaim. As of 2011, West has won a total of fourteen Grammy awards. All albums have been very commercially successful, with My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy becoming his fourth consecutive No.1 album in the U.S. upon release. West has had 4 songs exceed 3 million in digital sales as of May 2011, with "Gold Digger" selling 3,086,000, "Stronger" selling 4,402,000, "Heartless" selling 3,742,000 and "E.T." selling 3,157,000, placing him third in overall digital sales. West also...

Presents a biography of rap musician, Shawn Carter, also known as Jay-Z, and chronicles his life and works.

What's beef to Jay-Z? Well, it's all here in this book. We go in depth to every single beef Jay-Z has had in career. We cover Nas, Tupac, Mobb Deep, 50 Cent and people you probably didn't even know had beef with Jay-Z! Did you know the history behind the LL Cool J and Jay-Z beef? That's in here too. Do you remember Jay-Z dissing former NBA player Stephon Marbury? That's in here too and why that all happened. If Jay-Z was in some kind of a beef, even just a few short disses at someone, it's in this book. A book like no other out there, a detailed look at Jay-Z and all of his enemies!

In its 114th year, Billboard remains the world's premier weekly music publication and a diverse digital, events, brand, content and data licensing platform. Billboard publishes the most trusted charts and offers unrivaled reporting about the latest music, video, gaming, media, digital and mobile entertainment issues and trends.

Hip-hop’s favorite poet and Grammy Award–winning artist J. Ivy bares his soul in this inspirational memoir of pain transformed into healing and empowerment. J. Ivy is a true pioneer and trendsetter who’s bridged the worlds of hip-hop and poetry through his appearances on HBO’s Def Poetry and his collaborations with Kanye West and Jay-Z. But throughout his success, he carried with him the pain of being abandoned by his father and growing up in the tough neighborhoods of Chicago’s South Side. So he sat down with pen and paper and processed his pain the only way he knew how—through poetry. The resulting poem, Dear Father, became his vehicle of forgiveness and healing. It is a pivotal poem that has touched and inspired the lives of millions. Fused with his signature raw lyricism and street consciousness, J. Ivy’s memoir shows what it takes to deal with your emotions before your emotions deal with you. His story is personal yet universal, and will inspire others to channel whatever pain they have experienced into their own powerful gift of expression.