Empire State of Mind: How Jay-Z Went From Street Corner to Corner Office is a non-fiction book written by Zack O'Malley Greenburg

Zack O'Malley Greenburg

Zack O'Malley Greenburg is an American writer, journalist and former child-actor. He is a staff writer at Forbes Magazine, where he covers business, music and sports, and authors a popular blog called...

, published in March 2011. The book is an unauthorized biography of American rapper and businessman, Jay-Z

Jay-Z

Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...

, detailing his road to success in business and music. The title of the book is a reference to "Empire State of Mind

Empire State of Mind

"Empire State of Mind" is a song by American rapper and hip hop artist Jay-Z, featuring vocals and a chorus from R&B and soul singer Alicia Keys. It was released as the third single from Jay-Z's 11th studio album The Blueprint 3 by his Roc Nation label in October 2009...

", a 2009 single by Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys

Alicia Keys

Alicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...

. This is Greenburg's first book.

Synopsis

From the official blurb:

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- from classmates at Brooklyn's George Westinghouse High School; to the childhood friend who got him into the drug trade; to the DJ who convinced him to stop dealing and focus on music. This book explains just how Jay-Z propelled himself from the bleak streets of Brooklyn to the heights of the business world.

Notable sources include hip-hop luminaries such as DJ Clark Kent, Questlove of The Roots

The Roots

The Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals...

, Damon Dash

Damon Dash

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, Fred "Fab 5 Freddy” Brathwaite, MC Serch

MC Serch

MC Serch is a Jewish-American hip hop MC and former member of 3rd Bass.-Biography:Serch grew up in Far Rockaway, Queens, attending Far Rockaway High School, and graduated from Music & Art High School...

; NBA stars Jamal Crawford

Jamal Crawford

Jamal Crawford is an American professional basketball player who most recently played with the NBA's Atlanta Hawks. He is a 6'5" and 200 lb shooting guard–point guard...

 and Sebastian Telfair

Sebastian Telfair

Sebastian Telfair is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Telfair was the 13th overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers out of Abraham Lincoln High School...

; and recording industry executives including Craig Kallman

Craig Kallman

Craig Kallman is Chairman and CEO of Atlantic Records.Craig Kallman signed the legendary lyricist Percee P and released his sought after 12" "Puttin' Heads To Bed" on his imprint Big Beat in the early 1990s. He joined the company in 1991, when Atlantic acquired Kallman's independent Big Beat...

, CEO of Atlantic Records. Greenburg also reveals new information on Jay-Z’s various business dealings, such as:

• 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.

External links

• JAY-Z BOOK: Empire State of Mind | The Definitive Jay-Z Biography