Zack O'Malley Greenburg

Updated and revised—the story of American rapper Jay-Z's glass-shattering rise from the Brooklyn projects to the top of the business world.Beyond the award-wining albums and chart-topping hits, Jay-Z’s business savvy has cemented his legacy as one of the most successful artists of our time. Now with new insights into how he recently achieved his Forbes -certified billionaire status, Empire State of Mind reveals the inside story behind the rapper's meteoric rise.With a sprawling network of investments ranging from fashion, technology, and top-shelf liquor to nightclubs, streaming services, and record labels, it’s possible for Jay-Z to profit at every turn of your day. So how did a kid from the projects turn himself into a one-man conglomerate? Through the eyes of the people who lived it with him—including the childhood friend who got him into the drug trade, the DJ who persuaded him to stop dealing and focus on his music, and industry collaborators like Alicia Keys and J. Cole—we see how Jay-Z not only honed his craft but transformed each setback into an opportunity for more.For every hustler, mogul, and businessperson who seeks to build something spectacular, this book is the blueprint.

Tracing the careers of hip-hop's three most dynamic stars, this deeply reported history brilliantly examines the entrepreneurial genius of the first musician Diddy, Dr. Dre, and Jay-Z.Being successful musicians was simply never enough for the three kings of hip-hop. Diddy, Dr. Dre, and Jay-Z lifted themselves from childhood adversity into tycoon territory, amassing levels of fame and wealth that not only outshone all other contemporary hip-hop artists, but with a combined net worth of well over $2 billion made them the three richest American musicians, period.Yet their fortunes have little to do with selling their own between Diddy's Ciroc vodka, Dre's $3 billion sale of his Beats headphones to Apple, and Jay-Z's Tidal streaming service and other assets, these artists have transcended pop music fame to become lifestyle icons and moguls.Hip-hop is no longer just a musical genre; it's become a way of life that encompasses fashion, film, food, drink, sports, electronics and more -- one that has opened new paths to profit and to critical and commercial acclaim. Thanks in large part to the Three Kings -- who all started their own record labels and released classic albums before moving on to become multifaceted businessmen -- hip-hop has been transformed from a genre spawned in poverty into a truly global multibillion-dollar industry.These men are the modern embodiment of the American Dream, but their stories as great thinkers and entrepreneurs have yet to be told in full. Based on a decade of reporting, and interviews with more than 100 sources including hip-hop pioneers Russell Simmons and Fab 5 Freddy; new-breed executives like former Def Jam chief Kevin Liles and venture capitalist Troy Carter; and stars from Swizz Beatz to Shaquille O'Neal, 3 Kings tells the fascinating story of the rise and rise of the three most influential musicians in America.

The surprising rags-to-riches-to-rags-to-riches story of how Michael Jackson grew a billion-dollar business.Michael Jackson is known by many as the greatest entertainer of all time, but he was also a revolutionary when it came to business. In addition to famously buying the Beatles' publishing catalogue, Jackson was one of the first pop stars to launch his own clothing line, record label, sneakers, and video games—creating a fundamental shift in the monetization of fame and paving the way for entertainer-entrepreneurs like Jay Z and Diddy. All told, Jackson earned more than $1.1 billion in his solo career, and the assets he built in life have earned more than $700 million in the five years since his death—more than any other solo music act over that time.Michael Jackson, Inc. reveals the incredible rise, fall, and rise again of Michael Jackson's fortune—driven by the unmatched perfectionism of the King of Pop. Forbes senior editor Zack O'Malley Greenburg uncovers never-before-told stories from interviews with more than 100 people, including music industry veterans Berry Gordy, John Branca, and Walter Yetnikoff; artists 50 Cent, Sheryl Crow, and Jon Bon Jovi; and members of the Jackson family. Other insights come from court documents and Jackson's private notes, some of them previously unpublished. Through Greenburg's novelistic telling, a clear picture emerges of Jackson's early years, his rise to international superstardom, his decline—fueled by demons internal and external, as well as the dissolution of the team that helped him execute his best business moves—and, finally, his financial life after death.Underlying Jackson's unique history is the complex but universal tale of the effects of wealth and fame on the human psyche. A valuable case study for generations of entertainers to come and for anyone interested in show business, Michael Jackson, Inc. tells the story of a man whose financial feats, once obscured by his late-life travails, have become an enduring legacy.

Combining high-octane storytelling with landmark financial reporting in the tradition of Michael Lewis, Zack O'Malley Greenburg delivers a transformative account of how Hollywood cashed in on the latest tech boom while bringing a blast of creativity and diversity to Silicon Valley.How much is celebrity really worth? In a growing trend, Hollywood's biggest stars from Ashton Kutcher to Beyoncé have set out to turn their fame into bankable capital by tossing out traditional endorsement deals in favor of strategic partnerships that grant them a stake in today's top companies. Ushered in by 50 Cent's deal with Vitamin Water -- in which the rapper took equity instead of cash, eventually walking away with a nine-figure haul -- celebrities of all different colors, genders, and talents have learned to capitalize on the invaluable benefits of their platform and visibility.The ever-evolving, mutually beneficial relationship between Hollywood and Silicon Valley has led to everything from laughable flops and billion-dollar profits to rock star CEOs and paparazzi-worthy boards of directors. Through extensive reporting and exclusive interviews with stars like Shaq, Nas, Sophia Bush, and Steve Aoki, Forbes senior editor Zack O'Malley Greenburg takes an up-close-and-personal look at the rise of celebrity investors and their impact on companies including AirBnB, Spotify, and Uber.A-List Angels is a book about business that reads like a thriller: entertaining, edifying, and not to be missed.

In 2007, FORBES debuted the world’s first-ever ranking of the top earners in the genre of hip-hop. A decade later, we celebrate ten years of the Hip-Hop Cash Kings list. In that time, the genre has burgeoned into a full-fledged multibillion-dollar international business, with the top earners pulling an average of about $20 million per year. In 2016, Diddy tops the list at $62 million—up from his $28 million No. 3 spot in 2007.Along the way, FORBES has become a household name in hip-hop. According to Genius, the name has been mentioned in lyrics 200 times, thanks to shout-outs from the likes of 50 Cent, Diddy and Jay Z (“Just call me FORBES.com”) in their “I Get Money (Forbes 1, 2, 3 Remix).”This eBook compiles the rich ten-year history of Hip-Hop Cash Kings data, interviews and features. Writers Zack O’Malley Greenburg and Natalie Robehmed take us backstage with Wiz Khalifa and Tech N9ne, assess the industries of headphones and ghostwriting, and evaluate why Nicki Minaj is the only woman ever to make the top 20.

★矽谷和好萊塢，這兩個不和諧的宇宙，是如何交織在一起的？★★當娛樂界的浮華，與科技界的聰穎互相碰撞★艾希頓．庫奇、俠客．歐尼爾、碧昂絲、小賈斯汀、雷霸龍．詹姆斯……這群頂尖名流，聯手解構獲利的祕密，同時也翻轉人生。《21世紀資本論》作者、經濟學家皮凱提曾說，靠投資（相對於薪資）謀生，可能是「富裕」與「貧窮」的最重要區別。饒舌歌手五角與「維他命水」（Vitamin Water）所開創的合作模式，讓這位嘻哈天王獲得股份而非現金，並最終9位數報酬入袋。當艾希頓．庫奇在2007年首次聽說五角的發財之道時，這位人氣演員意識到他已經錯過一次機會，而他很快就複製這位饒舌歌手先例：不是尋求代言費，而是希望代言廠商給他股份──以首位Twitter粉絲數破100萬的名人身分。庫奇發揮自己的社交影響力，幫眾多渴求累積用戶的科技新創公司帶來矚目眼光，而他則換到公司股權。十年後，從碧昂絲、Jay-Z、凱文．杜蘭特、雷霸龍．詹姆斯、小威廉斯到A-Rod，投資圈出現越來越多的娛樂界名流。這群不同膚色、性別和才能的大牌明星與體壇巨星，紛ಂ

"I'm not a businessman. I'm a business, man." —Jay-ZSome people think Jay-Z is just another rapper. Others see him as just another celebrity/mega-star. The reality is, no matter what you think Jay-Z is, he is first and foremost a business. And as much as Martha Stewart or Oprah, he has turned himself into a lifestyle. You can wake up to the local radio station playing Jay-Z's latest hit, spritz yourself with his 9IX cologne, slip on a pair of his Rocawear jeans, lace up your Reebok S. Carter sneakers, catch a Nets basketball game in the afternoon, and grab dinner at The Spotted Pig before heading to an evening performance of the Jay-Z-backed Broadway musical Fela! and a nightcap at his 40/40 Club. He'll profit at every turn of your day.But despite Jay-Z's success, there are still many Americans whose impressions of him are foggy, outdated, or downright incorrect. Surprisingly to many, he honed his business philosophy not at a fancy B school but on the streets of Brooklyn, New York, and beyond as a drug dealer in the 1980s.Empire State of Mind tells the story behind Jay-Z's rise to the top as told by the people who lived it with him. This audiobook explains just how Jay-Z propelled himself from the bleak streets of Brooklyn to the heights of the business world. He also includes new information on Jay-Z's various business dealings, such The feature movie about Jay-Z and his first basketball team that was filmed by Fab 5 Freddy in 2003 but never released The Jay-Z branded Jeep that was scrapped just before going into production The real story behind his association with Armand de Brignac champagne The financial ramifications of his marriage to Beyonce Jay-Z's tale is compelling, not just because of his celebrity, but because it embodies the rags-to-riches American dream and is a model for any entrepreneur looking to build a commercial empire.