10.08.12

He’s Got 99 Problems and Being a CEO Ain’t One

For almost a week now, Jay-Z has been ripping the stage at the Barclay Center in Brooklyn, NY with his unique and culturally addictive style of rapping. Tens of thousands of fans have been showing up to sold out shows every night since Sept. 28th to get a glimpse of the man that is probably our favorite rapper’s favorite rapper. So why is this significant? Jay does shows all the time; he’s performed at Coachella, the Grammys and in countless cities and countries around the globe. What could possibly make this concert so special?!  Well for starters, Jay helped get the arena built. Jay-Z Shawn Carter (let’s refer to him by his business name), a partial owner of the Brooklyn Nets, felt a social responsibility to not only own a portion of his hometown team, but to help construct a billion dollar venue suitable for them to play in. Oh…did I mention that his luxe 40/40 club is also inside the Barclay Center and that a RocaWear store will be featured in the arena as well? Yea, well, that too.

If you know anything about hip hop culture in general you know that  most artists don’t come from a glitzy, privileged background and aren’t expected to achieve much given their environment. Mr. Carter famously grew up in Brooklyn’s Marcy House projects and slashed the stereotype by becoming one of the best MC’s in the game. Although he has achieved much success in his career, he has always made it a point to never abandon his humble roots. To be able to come back to the city that helped shape the icon that he is, provide a positive influence for his community, AND to kick start the inauguration of the arena that houses the team he partially owns?! That’s “Big Pimpin” for real!

Jay joins the likes of successful entrepreneurs such as Sean “P Diddy” Combs and Russell Simmons as examples of rises to the top from the ground level. These men understood that they not only need to be the best at what they do, but that to make a lasting impression in any industry you MUST diversify. Don’t be a one trick pony; be well rounded and have a lot of things under your belt that you can utilize to make the best representation of yourself. Remember YOU are a brand and should market yourself as such. These guys are all over the place with product endorsements, clothing lines, fragrances and CEO titles. Who would have thought that we would go to Diddy as a consort for what vodka is the best to bring in our New Year’s Eve celebrations or that the same guy that pioneered Def Jam Records would now be the chairman of a website that that brings us daily news content? Jay-Z’s business savvy of owning a piece of the Barclay Center, operating the Brooklyn Nets, and still coming back to his roots as a performer is a huge accomplishment to what makes him an inspiring brand and those qualities are what makes his brand successful.