There are some things I'll never understand - this is worth $450 million dollars?

Check out the lyrics to Jay-Z's "H.A.M." Warning, NSFW lyrics (but there's no audio here, just written words).

Jay-Z is reportedly worth nearly half a billion dollars. No wonder, with songs like this, huh?

https://genius.com/Jay-z-and-kanye-west-ham-lyrics

I too do not understand how those lyrics lead one to be worth millions.

Wow...
Just wow...

As Robin Williams once said, you can fool some of the people some of the time and jerk the rest off.

One of our favorites. I put it on to get Shawn in the mood

Because it isn't and never has been, the intended comparison (and its commentary) is entirely false. While highly respected as a rapper (his lyrical skill is often in his ability to apply multiple layers of hidden meaning and mixed metaphors masked by a strong bravado persona, sometimes though he drops the lyrical skill and just raps on bravado and it shows when does this), Jay Z has always been much more a successful businessman than a rapper. His only major money from rap was a deal with Live Nation for over $150 million. While nothing to sneeze at, it is just a fraction of his total value. Forbes lists his net worth at $810 million, much of that from the businesses he has started or invested in. His first success was the Roccawear clothing company he started with Damon Dash, that sold for $210 million back in 2007. He also founded Roccafella Records though he left that to become the CEO of Def Jam Records. I am unsure how much money he made from either of those. He now owns Roc Nation talent agency, which represents a wide range of talent and is quite successful. Other projects include Tidal (which he purchased almost entirely for $56 mil and just sold 1/3 for $200 mil), several clubs, and other businesses. Basically, is he good rapper? Yep when he wants to be. Did heg get to being worth between $0.5-1 Billion because of rap, not really other than it gave him the connections to use his business acumen. On that note, he credits being a crack dealer as helping him fine tune his business sense:

Quote:

---

“I know about budgets. I was a drug dealer,” Jay Z told Vanity Fair contributing editor Lisa Robinson. “To be in a drug deal, you need to know what you can spend, what you need to re-up. Or if you want to start some sort of barbershop or car wash — those were the businesses back then. Things you can get in easily to get out of [that] life. At some point, you have to have an exit strategy, because your window is very small; you're going to get locked up or you're going to die.”

---

In conclusion, I would argue while he is famous as a rapper his business talent far eclipses his rap ability.

Some of you are just old and don't understand the younger generation.... :)

Note...I don't really listen to any music. I just watch Carrie Underwood videos.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by PedroDaGr8

I would argue while he is famous as a rapper his business talent far eclipses his rap ability.

---

No kidding.

That was crap on a stick.