Jay-Z’s Contribution to Society

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Jay-Z’s Contribution to Society
Introduction
Shawn Corey Carter, commonly known as Jay Z is a world-famous hip hop rapper from New York City who has since taken up the mantle of a label record executive, producer, songwriter, businessman and father. He is widely considered as one of the greatest and comprehensive rap artists of all time. Jay Z is a public figure whose image is associated with wealth, musical and financial success, in addition to being a lyrical genius. Consequently, he is one of the best-selling artists of all time, having sold millions of records for decades. This paper seeks to peek behind the curtains of Jay-Z's musical career, into his contributions in business ethics, philanthropy, social justice, role modelling, and entertainment.
Business Ethics
Jay Z is a pioneer who has lit the road to financial success for entrepreneurs and rap artists everywhere. The world stood witness to his entrepreneurial craft to grant him immense financial success. This began with a humble rollout of his clothing line Rocawear in 1999 (Kaplan np). The unique and stylish urban clothing line that was owned as a subsidiary of Roc-A-Fella Enterprises with Jay Z as the frontman experienced financial success. This was achieved through collaborations with game developers and film directors to feather Rocawear outfits on products and films that were popular with the public. Furthermore, a successful advertising campaign involving the Spice Girls, renowned models and rappers skyrocketed the popularity of Rocawear to Europe and other far-flung regions which subsequently increased the sales and profits by a significant margin of over 50 million dollars (Perice 221).
When starting out on his rap career, Shawn Carter could not find a record label that provided a deal with favorable terms. This prompted him to collaborate with Damon Dash and establish their own record label that supported his musical career. These efforts paid off considerably well a little while later when he was approached and signed by Def Jam Records (Dreisinger np). More recently Jay Z launched a music streaming service that rivals top industry outfits like Spotify and Google Play Music. He saw a trend in the market that he could take advantage of by creating his own opportunity in a market dominated by other giant players. This entrepreneurial move is synonymous with the drive behind Jay-Z's success (Greenburg np). It showed all and sundry that you can find success by creating your own opportunity.
This was a picture that paled in comparison to what average people, especially African Americans, though they could achieve in terms of financial success. It would be of many benefits if more of the youth embrace Jay-Z's business ethic by creating niche opportunities for themselves instead of waiting to be absorbed by a pre-established entity, which may take a long while (Beaumont np). Jay-Z also embodies the personal work ethic of diversifying one’s portfolio. He has several ventures which complement the income received from music which has been his centrefold career for decades. Society can draw reference from Jay-Z so that individuals know how to make use of their talents and passion to pursue avenues of success with the aim of achieving success. This is an especially critical lesson for working individuals to embrace versatility and creativity in their craft (Greenburg np). A lot of studies have been conducted to establish the recipe for success in business as executed by Shawn Carter. This is a significant contribution as a life lesson to many individuals who hope to work and reach success by following in his entrepreneurial ethics.
Philanthropy
Jay Z has made significant involvement in philanthropic contributions to society. In the year 2003, The Shawn Carter Foundation was established as a result of a collaboration between Shawn and Gloria Carter, his mother. It was started with the sole mission and purpose of individuals facing economic and social hardships to acquire higher education at tertiary institutions (Greenburg np). This involves college workshops, opportunities to study abroad and college scholarships. Since it was founded, the group has supported projects meant to empower underprivileged youth through its numerous programs. Similarly, Jay-Z plays a centre role in a variety of charitable efforts. He donated thousands of dollars’ worth in urban clothing to various youth institutions to help out troubled children. In the year 2006, he collected over $250000 at a New York concert and donated it to a non-profit collaborative entity for outfits under the PlayPumps International banner (Greenburg np). This organization plays a significant role in providing health services and clean water for millions of troubled people in parts of Africa suffering the defects of poverty and adverse health crisis.
Social Justice and Commentary
Jay Z is beloved by millions of music lovers in the world for his lyrical style and unique rapping acumen. Additionally, “Hov” as called by his peers, is synonymous with conscious lyrics that convey subdued meaning while remaining rhythmic and enjoyable. His mixture is a balance of social critique against living the good life and reaching peaks of success....