The 40-year-old MC is rewriting the hip-hop handbook, powering through perhaps his most dominant year yet.
By Jayson Rodriguez
Jay-Z performs at Comerica Park on Thursday in Detroit, Michigan
Photo: Getty Images
Although it’s been almost exactly one year since Jay-ZAlicia Keys took their hometown anthem to the World Series, performing the number before game 2 of the baseball championships between the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies. The Roc Nation CEO then rode shotgun with Alex Rodriguez during the Yankees victory parade in Manhattan. As the celebration wrapped, Jay performed his tune, which Derek Jeter had used as his at-bat music throughout the playoffs.
Jay-Z scored a big win on his own just a month after the Yanks clinched the chip when he earned his first career #1 record as “Empire State of Mind” topped the Billboard Hot 100. The iconic MC has amassed a total of 11 number one albums, but this was his first solo #1 single.
As is nearly always the case with Jay-Z, business was good, too.
He became a Broadway producer, along with Will and Jada Pinkett-Smith, when he invested in the Tony-winning Broadway play “Fela!” The investment was among one of the many money moves that helped Jay-Z to top the Forbes “Hip-Hop Cash Kings” list this year, the third time in four years he’s done so.
2010 also started off on the right foot as Jay-Z took home the award for Best International Male Solo Artist at the Brit Awards.
Domestically, Jay boasted about hearing his music playing in the background when he called President Barack Obama. He later visited the White House with his wife, Beyoncé.
In the spring, Jay-Z joined a Brooklyn conglomerate, consisting of the Governor of New York, the Brooklyn borough president and the Russian billionaire owner of the Nets — Jay owns a small share of the team — to break ground on the New Jersey Nets’ future arena.
But it wasn’t only baseball and basketball pros who wanted a piece of Jay. In June a spokesperson for the New York Racing Association announced “Empire State of Mind” would be played during the142nd running of the Belmont Stakes, replacing Frank Sinatra’s classic “New York, New York.”
In spite of his lofty ambitions and achievements, Jay-Z continues to be grounded in music. The rapper has been in the studio a plenty, with the likes of Swizz Beatz, Jack White and Dr. Dre.
Hov was also the musical act during the Mother’s Day episode of “Saturday Night Live” — the highest-rated “SNL” in 18 months — and he dedicated his tune “Forever Young” to host Betty White.
Just last month, Kanye West announced that he and Jay would complete a collaborative album. And this month, Jay is co-headlining with Eminem on their Home and Home concert series. After Eminem stole the show at the first stop, Detroit, expectations for Jay-Z at Yankee Stadium next Monday and Tuesday are higher than, well, the Empire State Building.
Needless to say, Jay should be scoring a Moonman or two this weekend.
The 27th annual MTV Video Music Awards will be broadcast live from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday. The party starts with MTV News’ VMA Pre-Show at 8 p.m., followed by the main event at 9 p.m. ET. Fans can go to VMA.MTV.com (or text VMA to 97979 if they are Verizon subscribers) to vote for Best New Artist from now through Sunday.
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