Hip-Hop’s First Ever Billionaire: Jay-Z!
Jay-Z hit the history books by becoming the first hip-hop billionaire, according to Forbes.
Jay-Z made $1 billion recently, making him the sole hip-hop artist and one of few entertainers to do so. Forbes states this his fortune not only stems from music, but art collections, real estate, streaming services, and liquor deals such as the ones he has D'Ussé and Armand de Brignac.
Some may believe that Dr. Dre became a billionaire before him, although he sold his brand, Beats by Dr. Dre, to Apple before he made $1 billion in net worth. Jay-Z made over $175 million in music and streaming services, $420 million in liquor brands, $70 million in art and $50 million in real estate.
Jay-Z began his career as a drug dealer in Brooklyn before forfeiting that life for music. In 1996, he founded Roc-A-Fella Records and produced 14 albums that ranked No. 1.
Jay-Z's biographer and Forbes senior editor Zack O'Malley Greenburg calls the artist's journey "the modern-day embodiment of the American dream."
