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Empire State of Mind: How Jay Z Went from Street Corner to Corner Office, Revised Edition Paperback – September 22, 2015

by Zack O'Malley Greenburg (Author), Steve Forbes (Foreword)

121 customer reviews

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"I’m not a businessman—I’m a business, man." —Jay Z

As much as Martha Stewart or Oprah—and perhaps more than any musician—Jay Z has turned himself into a lifestyle. You can wake up to the local radio station playing his newest hit, spritz yourself with his latest cologne, slip on a pair of his Rocawear jeans, lace up your Reebok S. Carter sneakers, watch baseball star Robinson Cano smack a couple of hits in an afternoon game, and grab dinner at The Spotted Pig. On the way to Jay Z’s 40/40 Club for a D’Ussé cognac nightcap, sign up for streaming service Tidal and hear his latest collaboration with Beyoncé. He’ll profit at every turn of your day.

Empire State of Mind reveals the story behind Jay Z’s rise as told by the people who lived it with him, from classmates at Brooklyn’s George Westinghouse High School and the childhood friend who got him into the drug trade, to the DJ who persuaded him to stop dealing and focus on the music. Now with new interviews with industry insiders like Russell Simmons, Alicia Keys, and J. Cole—more than one hundred in total—this book explains just how Jay Z propelled himself from the bleak streets of Brooklyn to the heights of the business world.

Empire State of Mind: How Jay Z Went from Street Corner to Corner Office, Revised Edition

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Fascinating, well-done biography of one of the most extraordinary entrepreneurs of our era."
—Steve Forbes

"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."
—Dan Charnas, author of The Big Payback: The History of the Business of Hip-Hop

"Greenburg follows the money and key pieces of the Jay Z puzzle in this insightful,savvy read. This book is like a GPS leading us through the modern urban realityof how Jay Z’s empire was built."
—Fab 5 Freddy, artist, hip-hop pioneer, and former host of Yo! MTV Raps

"A superb guide for your career, even if you are looking to be an investment banker or grocery store manager instead of a hip-hop legend."
—CNN.com

About the Author

Zack O’Malley Greenburg is a seniorr editor at Forbes, where he has covered finance and music since 2005. He has profiled the likes of Akon, 50 Cent, and Afrika Bambaataa, and his stories have taken him from the casinos of Macau to the diamond mines of Sierra Leone. He has also written for The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, and Dan’s Papers. He lives in New York City.

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Product details

Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Portfolio; Revised ed. edition (September 22, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1591848342
ISBN-13: 978-1591848349
Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 0.7 x 7.8 inches
Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (121 customer reviews)
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #19,339 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #8 in Books > Arts & Photography > Music > Biographies > Rap & Hip-Hop
- #95 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Leaders & Notable People > Rich & Famous
- #129 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Professionals & Academics > Business

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Customer Reviews

121

3.9 out of 5 stars

5 star		41%
4 star		30%
3 star		17%
2 star		6%
1 star		6%

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Top Customer Reviews

It was a good read and great insight in to the mind of ...

ByJohn Stephon Adairon September 2, 2016

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Burned through this book really quickly. It was a good read and great insight in to the mind of someone who truly knows how to work game of life, Jay-Z really took hustling to the corporate world and he owned every opportunity he got. It's made me more aware of the things i need to do in my life to become more financially secure.

0Comment 4 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Crack to Corporate

Bymisscoconutson May 17, 2013

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I loved this book and more power to him for the success he has, it is truly awe inspiring, proving that if you set your mind to something, there is absolutely nothing you cannot achieve.

BUT should Barack Obama be counting this man among his friends publicly? Jay Z started his illustrious career as a drug dealer, something he had to have his arm twisted to get out of and go half heartedly into the music business, if the book is to be believed. He stabbed at least one man and who knows what else, instead of allowing the legal system to assist him. Black, white or orange, why are we being told that this behaviour is OK?

As wonderful as this book is, it poses a number of questions regarding the direction impressionable readers will take to achieve their own goals in years to come.

0Comment One person found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

A very good book.

ByNic Mcon June 11, 2015

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

I enjoyed this book very much. I'm a huge Jay Z fan and I enjoyed learning more about his business acumen. The writing was clear and easily understandable and it didn't feel biased. I would recommend this to friends who wanted to read about how Jay moves in business and what it motivations are (could be?). I'm still a fan afterwards. I'm still inspired by his moves.

0Comment One person found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Art Reflecting Reality

ByEdward S. Brownon August 14, 2011

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Greenburg's "Empire State of Mind" is a good expose' on rapper/entrepreneur Jay-Z. Reportedly, Greenburg interviewed confidantes of Jay-Z as well as reviewed public documents chronicling Jay-Z's meteoric rise within the entertainment industry. Although Greenburg provided an excellent biographical account for neophytes of Jay-Z's success, Greenburg fell short in answering critical questions. Namely, what societal need did Jay-Z feed to become successful? And what relevance did drug dealing have for Jay-Z's iconic status in the music industry? If Greenburg had answered these two questions, he would have captured what Jay-Z, the Notorious B.I.G., and 50 Cent knew about the American creed and brand marketing.

Rapper Tupac Shakur consistently talked about learning "The Game," but few authors have addressed what learning the game really meant to the aforementioned entertainers. Jay-Z, Biggie, and 50 Cent learned that peddling lyrics and CDs to a niche market was no different than selling drugs to an addicted market. The rugged individualism of the American creed cheers for the underdog. More importantly, Reality TV ushered in the need for authenticity within entertainers. Art had to reflect true reality. The likes of charismatic figures that played gangsters from James Cagney to Marlon Brando made audiences sympathetic to the underworld. Audiences rooted for the bad guy not only to escape legal authorities, but to win. Real life drug dealers could rap about their exploits and keep audiences riveted by their lyrics, beats, and bravado. Jay-Z, Biggie, and 50 Cent realized that if they could capture American society's love affair with the underworld, they could legally sell their experiences of street life without selling the drugs. These rappers were into the drug trade for the money, not the lifestyle. They now sell rap music for the money and the lifestyle.

Greenburg missed this concept because he wanted to record Jay-Z's success as a business case study as opposed to delving into the psyche of what really makes Jay-Z tick.

Overall, "Empire State of Mind" is a good book for inspiration and the basic tenets of business. Greenburg would do well by contracting with Jay-Z to develop a joint venture where true hard-hitting questions about Jay-Z could be answered. Although "Empire State of Mind" is recommended reading, it leaves other questions to be answered.

Edward Brown
Core Edge Image & Charisma Institute

0Comment 4 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Really interesting for the business-minded and hip hop fans

ByNoahEon April 20, 2011

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

I would highly recommend this book to anyone that is interested in business, the music industry, and obviously Jay-Z. It is a great read!

As both a business man and hip hop fan, I found this book to be really interesting, informative and well written. This book provides many business lessons to entrepreneurs. For example, failure is often part of the road to success, confidence in negotiations, importance of managing your brand (e.g. as never a failure), thinking a step ahead, diversification, and emotional detachment from business partners. The author's explanation of Jay-Z's story demonstrates how difficult times can help teach us valuable lessons that ultimately bring us success. There is a lot of interesting information about Jay-Z's background that I was completely unaware of even as a Jay-Z fan.

0Comment 2 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Shawn Carter (Jay-Z)....The Art of Business

ByShayne Hubbardon December 22, 2013

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

A good read. A fair and accurate dedication of Shawn Carter (Jay-Z). An interesting look into the business acumen and the mindset of such and influential figure that has evolved past becoming just a pop icon within Hip-Hop culture. A story told through various quotes Jay-Z has expressed through interviews that have been shared with a focused audience. Personal recollections of countless moments told by the people who have known and know Jay-Z better than most. A motivating selection I would recommend to any person who has an interest in business.

0CommentWas this review helpful to you?YesNo

Interesting, not totally satisfying

ByThe OCon August 21, 2013

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Full disclosure - I am no fan of hip hop music or its practitioners. I became somewhat interested in Jay Z after seeing him interviewed by Charlie Rose and then hearing that he was now becoming an agent for some high profile professional athletes like Robinson Cano. The young author seemed handicapped in part by the fact that this is an unauthorized bio and some people close to Jay Z were reluctant to talk to him. We get the outlines of Jay Z's life but I didn't get the feeling that I know him very well. Marketing products through use of his celebrity persona seems to be his essence. The results are obviously financially impressive but it seems shallow and nothing that inspires admiration for him as a person. And one wonders about the mentality of the people who are influenced by this type of egomaniacal, narcissistic salesmanship. I will watch his future career with some interest and withhold a final judgment on him.

0Comment 2 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Most Recent Customer Reviews

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Excellent Read Read more

Published 19 days ago by Amazon Customer

Five Stars

Well researched, learnt a lot about the details of Jay-Z's business decision making philosophy.Read more

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If you're wondering what an ENTJ reads like, this is your book. Everything and everyday the guy lives to make money, not art. I myself am disgusted by it, but I can respect it.Read more

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Four Stars

Didn't come with a jacket cover. But all the words are in the book ^_^Read more

Published 1 year ago by E. Veal

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Published 1 year ago by MS

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