Jay Z The Library Of Hip Hop Biographies Large Print 16pt

Jay-Z is more than a successful hip-hop artist. He is a businessman. He's sold over 33 million albums, is part owner of the New Jersey Nets, and is a co-founder of the Roc-A-Fella Records. Growing up in the projects in Brooklyn, Jay-Z overcame family hardship and adversity to become one of the most successful hip-hop artists of all time....

In many ways, Kanye West Breaks the mold of the hip-hop superstar. Initially a much sought-after producer of other artists' albums (Jay-Z, Janet Jackson, Alicia Keys, Mobb Deep, Cam'ron, John Legend), West had great difficulty getting a record contract for his own work. His father was a Black Panther-turned photojournalist and born again Christian counselor, and his mother was a university English professor. West was thought to lack the ''street cred'' necessary to be a serious and popular rapper. Yet once given his chance, West electrified the world of hip-hop, releasing two albums in two years, both of which went triple platinum. Outspoken, egotistical, unconventional, inventive, and ingenious, Kanye West is one of the hip-hop world's most fascinating and unpredictable artists.

Beginning to rap at the age of 9, Ludacris (born Christopher Brian Bridges) drew on a wide range of musical influences supplied by his father, who steeped his son in many genres of popular music. Soon he was recording boisterous and madcap rap albums, each of which went double or triple platinum. Ludacris has also appeared in several high profile, popular, and critically successful films. Despite run-ins with media giants Oprah Winfrey and Bill O-Reilly over the content of his lyrics, Ludacris is generally regarded as a genial and light-hearted rap superstar, one whose range of talents are only beginning to be revealed to an increasingly enthusiastic public.

Profiles the rapper who rose from a childhood of poverty to become a Grammy Award winner, company CEO, and multimillionaire.

Five-time Grammy Award winner Missy Elliott creates something fresh and original with every new album. She has a natural confidence and a style all her own. Growing up in Virginia, Missy wrote an performed songs all the time for anybody who would listen. Since her first album in 1997, Missy has had 6 platinum albums, a feat that has never been accomplished by any other female rapper. She is a record producer, clothing designer, and charity spokeswoman and has her own record label.

Themes: Hi-Lo, urban nonfiction, music, entrepreneur, Hip-Hop, celebrities, biographies. Themes: Hi-Lo, urban nonfiction, music, entrepreneur, Hip-Hop, celebrities, biographies. There's no doubt about it, today's students listen to an average of 2.5 hours of music every day. Guess what they are listening to? Hip-hop is mainstream, continually topping Billboard's Hot 100 charts. These hi-lo biographies engage striving readers from the very beginning with blinged-out covers, stunning four-color photographs, modern and graphic page design, and high-interest informational text. Biographies highlight the unique characteristics of each mega-rapper, including childhood struggles, personal style, rivalries, giving back, and more. Each 48-page paperback book includes a timeline and glossary, with vocabulary words highlighted throughout. Shawn Corey Carter was born in 1969 and raised in Brooklyn's tough Marcy housing projects. The J and Z trains ran by Marcy, so his friends called him Jay-Z. Hearing rap for the first time "... was like watching some kind of combat, but he was alone in the center. All he had were his eyes, taking in everything, and the words inside him. I was dazzled."

One of the first singles from The Black Album, a famous Jay-Z record, rap "What More Can I Say"? But the real question is what more can this music legend do? From the platinum albums to the sold-out concerts to his Rocawear clothing brand, Jay-Z has done it all. He has sold some 50 million albums worldwide. He even has a sneaker named after him. From the Brooklyn projects to the corner office in Manhattan, Jay-Z made his own way, overcoming many obstacles. Author Jeff Burlingame explores the remarkably interesting life of this hip-hop icon.

As USA TODAY, the Nation's No. 1 Newspaper, puts it, "anyone who has followed Jay-Z's career knows [that] the superstar born Shawn Corey Carter has long defied anyone who tried to pigeonhole him." He left behind the dangerous life of a drug dealer and became one of the biggest names in music. He then achieved success as a businessman, an activist, and an author, while staying true to the spirit of hip-hop. Raised in Brooklyn, New York, Jay-Z grew up in a household full of music lovers. After hearing people rap for the first time, he also discovered the creative fire within himself. He began to make up rhymes nonstop—and made his way from financial hardship to the throne of a music empire.