Hip-Hop Entrepreneurs @ thinkbeta.com

Hip-Hop Entrepreneurs

Posted on December 1st, 2009 admin 58 comments

Today’s blog is by Team 1 of my noon Learning Community Class. Hank

Jay-Z – Hustler Mentality

There have been many hip hop entrepreneurs in the recent generation. Arguably, the most financially successful hip hop artist and entrepreneur in America is Jay Z. His estimated net worth is $350 million.

Shawn Corey Carter, also know as “Jay-Z,” was born December 4, 1969 in Brooklyn New York. Jay Z was raised amongst four by a single mother in the projects. “When I left the block, everyone was saying I was crazy, I was doing well for myself on the streets, and cats around me were like these rappers…they just record, tour, and get separated from their families, while some white person takes all their money. I was determined to do it differently,” he said in a New York Metro interview.

Just as Jay Z stated, most successful entrepreneurs stem from an attitude of wanting to do something different, as demonstrated in the disruptive innovation model. He’s always had that hustler mentality, the drive to make nothing into something. He just learned how to do something positive and productive with it. He is the president and CEO of Def Jam/Roc-a-Fella Records, has his own shoe line and Rocawear clothing line, and co-owns The 40/40 Club located in New York City, Atlantic City, and Las Vegas.

50 Cent – Get Rich or Die Tryin’

Multiplatinum rap artist Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson has been an icon in the hip-hop industry since his debut album Get Rich or Die Tryin’ released in 2001 2003. Four albums later, not

The cover of his newest album Before I Self Destruct

including projects with his group G-Unit, 50 has amassed millions of dollars through record sales, endorsements, and, most notably, the Coca-Cola acquisition of Glaceau’s Vitamin Water line. He has made Forbes’ lists for his wealth. His rags to riches story has been made into not one, but two films – Get Rich or Die Tryin’ and his most recent film Before I Self Destruct. His story of success as a musician and entrepreneur has inspired many of his contemporaries to get into entrepreneurial ventures. But how did he get to be where he is now?

His first great success came after the release of his critically-acclaimed debut Get Rich or Die Tryin’. To date, this album has sold over 12 million copies worldwide. He followed this album with another multiplatinum record The Massacre. These albums along with his subsequent works with G-Unit netted 50 a great deal of money. However, Curtis did not depend on record sales alone to make him money. He invested his money in creating startups like G-Unit Clothing and G-Unit films. Companies like these along with lucrative endorsement deals have placed 50 Cent at the top of hip-hop entrepreneurs. His mind is focused on the next big thing and he rarely has free time. His rise to fame and success has been unrivaled by any rapper in recent history with the exception of Jay-Z.

He has written a book with author Robert Greene called The 50^th Law. In this book, 50 uses personal anecdotes along with the theme of fear to teach readers how to be successful. His success is a testament to the fact that anyone can be successful, but you have to have the mentality to do so.

50 unveiling his new cologne called “Power”

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58 responses to “Hip-Hop Entrepreneurs”
1. G. John Mullen December 1st, 2009 at 07:41
  
  Nice blog! Is every group in ENTR 106 doing a blog post? If so, how did you pull that off Hank, just sit back and enjoy the students doing your work, haha.
2. Kyle Chen December 1st, 2009 at 07:45
  
  Soo Hank just copy and paste blogs? Tsk tsk
3. Karlis Jansons December 1st, 2009 at 08:27
  
  Appreciate the music or not, what these artists have accomplished from an entrepreneurship standpoint is pretty impressive.
4. Nathan Ferguson December 1st, 2009 at 08:44
  
  Jay-Z is the man. All of the companies he owns are famous, and thought very highly of.
5. Jake Vanhooser December 1st, 2009 at 08:53
  
  It is amazing to me how much these two guys have accomplished. Even without their music they have still done many impressive things to make money. 50 cents vitamin water deal was such a huge feat for a guy like that.
6. Alex Lewis December 1st, 2009 at 09:04
  
  These are good inspiration stories for aspiring business people. Jay-Z makes great music as well as running mutiple successful businesses which is just impressive.
7. Greg Forney December 1st, 2009 at 09:11
  
  Both of them are very impressive.
8. Chris Cookley December 1st, 2009 at 09:15
  
  It is very impressive how fast these guys, particularly 50, amassed such wealth. Having multi-platinum selling albums helps, but their business sense and drive are also huge contributing factors. It’s very inspirational.
  
  By the way, Get Rich Or Die Trying was released in 2003, not 2001. And that is still his best album to date.
9. Nick Brenneke December 1st, 2009 at 09:24
  
  Thanks for the correction Chris.
10. Shawn Tomlinson December 1st, 2009 at 09:41
  
  Jay Z isn’t a businessman he’s a business…man. He changed the entire landscape of what it meant to be an entertainer. It’s not just about performing anymore but about being a true entrepreneur.
11. sree harsha uddandam December 1st, 2009 at 09:53
  
  It is really impressive and also inspiring to hear about these rags to riches stories. As mentioned in the disruptive innovation model, it is really important for any person to be different and also innovative in the things he is doing.
  I am taking the pleasure of introducing one more story of rags to riches. He is “Mr.Dirubhai Ambani”. considered as the most successful Entrepreneur in India. He failed in 10th grade and now is the owner of the Reliance company.(but he is no longer alive). He used to carry small petrol tanks Istanbul. He once had a thought ” why shouldn’t I own a Petrol company?” From there he started to explore the options for his business and finally started his business in Mumbai. He faced many obstacles like other Entrepreneurs but he fought against them and stood as a role model for any Entrepreneur.
  
  To find out more about him, visit:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhirubhai_Ambani
12. Lyndsey S. December 1st, 2009 at 10:03
  
  I had no idea Jay-Z was 40 years old! Good for him with the whole marrying Beyonce thing! haha!
  
  What I really like about Jay-Z though is how motivated he has always seemed to be. I get irritated with a lot of rap because it’s the same old, same old stuff to me. Although I have never be an avid listener of Jay-Z, I still appreciate his work.
13. Katelyne Moody December 1st, 2009 at 10:34
  
  I LOVE the Blueprint III. It lived up to all the hype, and I am not at all a Jay-Z fan. I guess that’s the mark of a great entreprenuer…selling such a great product it forces even people who don’t beleive in it to buy it or listen.
  
  –katelyne–
14. Zacheriah Ruggles December 1st, 2009 at 10:56
  
  Both are impressive but someone has to stand out and be above everyone else.
15. Christina Jacobs December 1st, 2009 at 10:57
  
  Even though everyone was telling Jay-Z he was crazy, he went on and made something of himself. I have one question though, how do you get Jay-Z out of Shawn Corey Carter??
16. Andrew Rodriguez December 1st, 2009 at 11:10
  
  Both of these hip-hip artists have ‘made it big’ in the music business, but it was the side-dealings that have given them their well-deserved titles of entrepreneurs.
17. josh dennison December 1st, 2009 at 11:12
  
  I think a lot of people underestimate a lot of musicians intelligence these artists have leveraged their position to help start their companies and it is impressive.
18. Chris Miller December 1st, 2009 at 11:12
  
  It’s amazing that Jay-Z is still in touch with pop culture at the age of 40, especially in hip hop which is inherently a “young people’s” thing.
19. Erica Lied December 1st, 2009 at 11:26
  
  It is so nice to see that there are many different faces of entrepreneurs. Having this blog about rappers really brings it home that entrepreneurship applies to everything and everyone. Another amazing mogul to think about that would somewhat fall into this category would be Russell Simmons! With his clothing lines, music label and other ventures he has paved a new path in American culture.
20. Marisa Strupp December 1st, 2009 at 11:58
  
  Jay-Z and 50 Cent proved that anything can be turned into a profitable business. It is very respectful how far each other them have come and how much they all accomplished.
21. Xi Wu December 1st, 2009 at 12:19
  
  He is so different that he have the chance to make a difference. I really appreciate his spirits shared by all entrepreneurs.
22. Stephen Williams II December 1st, 2009 at 12:23
  
  In a way, I can relate to them. I plan on rising from what I am now to someone better…greater. They are definitely forces to be reckoned with and their statuses are such that some people can only dream of achieving.
23. Leah Keough December 1st, 2009 at 12:23
  
  It’s amazing how much success these hip-hop artists have had all based on their drive to do just that, succeed. I’ve always loved Jay-Z’s entrepreneurial skills and mass success with the variety of business that he has created.
24. Bin Lin December 1st, 2009 at 12:48
  
  music stars, movie stars and athletes make tons money every year, and as their incomes are increasing, more and more people are willing to start the business because they already got enough budgets to operate companies/stores, etc., which I think is reasonable and smart. According to the article, hope Jay-Z has good back group knowledge about business, and hope he does well
25. Emily Wetterich December 1st, 2009 at 13:59
  
  Hip-hop isn’t exactly my favorite music, but I know that these are great artists, and their stories are pretty interesting. It is great to hear about their success, and it is very inspiring.
26. Jennifer Cook December 1st, 2009 at 14:18
  
  I just cant believe how much these guys have accomplished. They have spread through so many different industries.
27. David Uhlenhake December 1st, 2009 at 15:20
  
  I love Jay-Z and how he conducts himself as a professional. It seems like these days he is all about a professional and grown up appearance unlike some of the other rappers in the industry. I feel that this professionalism has a direct correlation to his success as a businessman. It amazes me how he can run all of these enterprises while still producing musical hits.
28. Ankit Buti December 1st, 2009 at 16:11
  
  Its true that almost every person on this planet has dreams and ideas. It makes so much sense that once a person makes his name a brand and earns the initial money he can use it to expand even further. Jay Z is no different. He took a very intelligent move which is paying of for him very well.
29. Brent McClean December 1st, 2009 at 18:07
  
  I honestly thought Jay Z was worth more than 350 mil with his business background.
30. Jenna York December 1st, 2009 at 18:35
  
  These guys make great music!
31. Zheng Wang December 1st, 2009 at 19:57
  
  Everybody can be an entrepreneur as long as one has an entrepreneurial mind and the intention to make a difference. This blog is inspiring.
32. Olivia Freeman December 1st, 2009 at 20:31
  
  I have always been a fan of Jay-Z, even though I still don’t think that he is the best thing to look at. [haha] Even though 50 cent sometimes still gets viewed as a chump, I think he is a smart business man.
33. Mayura Davda December 1st, 2009 at 20:34
  
  I’m totally impressed by how he has big companies under his belt and as his very own! And the blog’s pretty cool too. I appreciate the work of this team and their idea for writing this blog.
34. eugene December 1st, 2009 at 20:38
  
  These two guys are examples of a very different brand of entrepreneurship, one that is probably not covered in any University….in both cases, most of their business ventures are not successful because they provide exceptionally good products or have out of this world business models. They are successful because of the entrepreneurs’ behind the company…in other words the key to the companies success is the entrepreneur…the entrepreneurs public image is the life line of the ventures.
35. Sung Jae December 1st, 2009 at 20:40
  
  whoh JayZ and 50 cent are both so out lier. Jay Z earning 350 million by singing, rapping. I like the hustler mentality, making nothing to something significant. Also, 50 cent acquiring millions of dollars by selling vitamin water and writing albums and books was surprising. Unlike Jayz and 50 cent there are lots of emerging entrepreurs in this world nowadays, there are too many people who discourage those potential ideas,cause investors are scared, only tend to mostly support technological ideas like energy. I think to have a hustler mentality is good, as long as you believe in your self truely and if you can support your self with significant amount of financial assets.
36. Aaron Curtis December 1st, 2009 at 21:32
  
  Jay Z, is like a hip hop inspiration to many people who want to try and make it in the industry, and people who just want to become successful.
37. Allison Weilbaker December 1st, 2009 at 22:04
  
  I have known about Jay-Z’s empire for a while but I was surprised when I saw 50 Cent on a stock show on MSNBC that I watch with my dad this summer. It really opened my eyes to the fact that many entertainers have multiple businesses.
38. Steve Shih December 1st, 2009 at 22:45
  
  JayZ and 50 cent have some amazing hip hop songs. And it didn’t suprise me that some famous entertainers are also entrepreneurs.
39. Cara Cymbala December 1st, 2009 at 23:50
  
  I think hip hop entrepreneurs send an important message. That is that no matter what has happened in the past, no matter where you come from, no matter how much money you have, if you want it bad enough, you can make it. I think that teens and young adults in our age group especially should stop trying to mimic the lyrics, and look at how far the artist has come. Jay Z grew up in the projects, and is now arguably the most financially successful rapper alive. Kids listen to rap lyrics and think that they should go out and do the same thing. What they don’t realize is that most of the time they’re talking about where they came from, and that’s not necessarily what they’re still doing today. Jay Z got out of the streets, stopped selling drugs, and turned his hustler mentality into his ambition for music. That’s the message teens need to understand. Because there’s no way these artists have gotten as far as they have by staying on the path they were once on.
40. Clement Mak December 1st, 2009 at 23:51
  
  The entrepreneurship is not only seen in business but in every field, such as music, art, etc.
41. Chris Perry December 2nd, 2009 at 00:19
  
  Its great to see these rags to riches stories it gives inspiration to many people and maybe some hope to people who start at the bottem and are trying to work their way up.
42. Ross Peare December 2nd, 2009 at 00:37
  
  Jay-Z is an entrepreneur…50 sucks and his new album is complete garbage…Jay-Z wins the award
43. Mark Minissale December 2nd, 2009 at 01:48
  
  This is awesome…I also do like his music
44. Kevin B. December 2nd, 2009 at 10:44
  
  I don’t really like either of the two but I can really appreciate how hard they worked to get where they are at.
45. Alex Conkright December 2nd, 2009 at 19:05
  
  Jay Z made his money because he had an eye for tallent. He understood the market as well or better than any industry executives. He also gave a lot of freedom to his artists allowing them to bring in some unknown artists on their songs.
46. Ashley Grice December 3rd, 2009 at 01:28
  
  Whether we like the artists or not there is something to be said about these nontraditional market leaders!!
47. Rohan Thakkar December 3rd, 2009 at 12:16
  
  Jay-z is a great business man, and no doubt him and beyonce are one of Forbes richest couples in the world
48. Zack Saunders December 3rd, 2009 at 12:31
  
  this is a great blog and the stories of these two men are amazing. I didnt realize they had done so much entrepreneurial work.
49. Amber Illig December 3rd, 2009 at 13:23
  
  I have to admit I’m a bit jealous of all of these hip hop stars that just keep getting bigger and taking over more and more industries. I like some hip hop, but I’m not a die hard fan. However, I have taken notice myself that so many of them have become such entrepreneurs with music careers, clothing lines and even appearances in movies. I am most happy for Jay-Z over people like P Diddy because he seems pretty humble about his success (at least that’s how he comes off in the media).
50. Yi Li December 3rd, 2009 at 17:50
  
  It’s interesting to see how entrepreneurs can be seen in so many other fields. I am amazed by Jay Z’s talent as well.
51. Kevin B. December 5th, 2009 at 11:02
  
  I was also thinking and is very interesting to see how hip hop artists will affect the future of the music industry. The type of music has changed drastically over the years and it now seems that electronic and hip hop music is what dominates the radio now.
52. Josh Johnson December 6th, 2009 at 20:23
  
  These artists branded themselves well with their music, and then capitalized on that as entreprenuers. Very smart.
53. Michael Mullen December 8th, 2009 at 14:47
  
  Jay-z is a great business man. I hear his music and his name everywhere.
54. Theresa Reinhart December 8th, 2009 at 20:57
  
  I did not realize the entrepreneurs that were under all the rough and tough act that some rappers personify. I think that it is helpful to take a look at people who you may not believe to be successful businessmen and look closer to see just HOW they got to be so successful.
55. Heath Hiatt December 8th, 2009 at 21:25
  
  Jay-Z’s new album isn’t as great as everyone says. I listened to it a few times and like it but i think it’s clear he’s on the decline.
56. Marisa Nakajima December 8th, 2009 at 23:19
  
  Jay-Z has the most #1 records following the #1 band, The Beetles. He must be doing something right.
57. Alex Selby December 10th, 2009 at 13:43
  
  If he started all those like “shoe companys” and what not, he’s def. got a lot of people hanging on to his coat tails, I can think of a dozen hiphop artists off the top of my head who have there own brands (none of which are overly fantastic *Cough krunk energy drink cough*
58. Debbie New Designer Fashion December 13th, 2009 at 17:42
  
  Howdy I discovered your article by mistake, I was flipping through Google for Designer Fashion when I found your site, I must say your website is very cool I truely think the layout, its astounding!. I don’t have the time right now to fully read your blog but I have saved the location of it and also subscribed for your RSS feeds. I will be back when I free up some time. Thanks for a great site.

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