After more than two decades in the music business, Jay-Z, the G.O.A.T, is officially a billionaire, and the first hip-hop artist to reach the feat, according to Forbes. While much of Jay’s fame comes from his overwhelming success in music, his wealth extends far beyond his legendary lyrics.
“I’m not a businessman, I’m a business, man – Jay-Z.
From Marcy housing projects in Brooklyn to co-founding his own record label, Roc-A-Fella Records, to release his own 1996 debut, “Reasonable Doubt,” it kicked off a ripple effect of success in the form of 14 No. 1 albums, 22 Grammy awards and over $500 million in pretax earnings in a decade, the publication reports.
After creating his own music lane, he then started his own clothing line, Rocawear, which he sold for $204 million eight years later. Then came his own cognac, D’Ussé in collaboration with Barcardi, and then of course, his own music streaming service, Tidal.
“It’s bigger than hip-hop…it’s a blueprint for our culture. A guy that looks like us sounds like us, loves us, made it to something that we always felt that was above us,” Swizz Beatz said of the icon. “If he’s a billionaire now, imagine what he’s about to be.”
Between his businesses, stakes in companies and his music career income, minus the cost of his lavish lifestyle, Hov is worth ten-figures, and according to Swizz, this is only the beginning.
According to Forbes, Jay-Z’s empire is comprised of a $310 million stake in Armand de Brignac, $220 million in cash and investments, which includes $70 million in Uber. Hov’s D’Ussé and Tidal streaming service are both worth $100 million, with $75 million from Roc Nation and another $75 million from his music catalog, bringing the music mogul to a total of $880 million. However, with the rapper’s $70 million art collection and $50 million in real estate, Jay has officially reached billionaire status.
But, what’s better than one billionaire? Two! Shout out to Jay-Z and Hip Hop Royalty, the Billionaire Couple, the Carters!
