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This Page Left Blank Intentionally Lifeline BIOGRAPHIES

Jay-Z CEO of Hip-Hop by Stephen G. Gordon

Twenty-First Century Books · Minneapolis To Jackie, who sat under my desk while I wrote this one.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Gordon, Stephen G. Jay-Z : CEO of hip-hop / by Stephen G. Gordon. p. cm. — (USA today lifeline biographies) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978–1–4677–0811–1 (lib. bdg. : alk. paper) 1. Jay-Z, 1969–—Juvenile literature. 2. Rap musicians—United States—Biography— Juvenile literature. I. Title. ML3930.J38G67 2013 782.421649092—dc23 [B] 2012020993

Manufactured in the United States of America 1 – CG – 12/31/12 eISBN: 978-1-4677-1061-9 Lifeline BIOGRAPHIES

V INTRODUCTION Do It Yourself, 4 V CHAPTER ONE Child’s Play, 6 V CHAPTER TWO Trouble, 16 V CHAPTER THREE In Business, 28 V CHAPTER FOUR Shot to the Top, 36 V CHAPTER FIVE Millions, 48 V CHAPTER SIX Mr. President, 62 V CHAPTER SEVEN New Alliances, 73 V CHAPTER EIGHT Empire, 84

V TIMELINE, 96 V GLOSSARY, 99 V DISCOGRAPHY, 101 V SOURCE NOTES, 103 V SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY, 106 V FURTHER READING AND WEBSITES, 107 V INDEX, 109 INTRODUCTION

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Shawn Carter had talent—a lot of talent. Title Do It Even as a teenager, he showed a special gift for . When he picked up a mic, rhymes flowed effortlessly from his yourselfHere tongue. He rapped about growing up in poverty. He rapped about drug dealing. He rapped about violence. These were topics Shawn knew well. Shawn had grown up during the 1970s Marcy Houses, a and the 1980s in the City. housing development in

4 · Jay-Z: CEO of Hip-Hop Do It Yourself · 5

Marcy was to more than four thousand residents—most of them black and all of them poor. Amid the poverty, Shawn found a way to make money. At the age of fifteen, he started selling crack cocaine, an addictive, illegal drug. Dealing drugs thrust Shawn into a world filled with guns and gangs. At the same time Shawn traded in addiction and ugliness, he also created something beautiful. He made up poetic raps and performed them anywhere he could find an audience: in clubs, on local radio shows, and on the sidewalks outside the Marcy Houses. He took the stage name Jay-Z. By he had reached his twenties, Jay-Z wanted to take his art to the next level. He wanted to leave drug dealing behind and make music full-time. , who managed hip-hop artists, tried to land a record deal for Jay-Z. But every Dash and Jay-Z talk- ed to— Columbia, Def Jam, and others—turned them down. Jay-Z was disappointed, but he also saw an opportunity. If he couldn’t get a record label to sign him, then the solution was simple: he would start his own record company. That way, he could call his own shots and determine his own . He wouldn’t have to answer to any record company executives. He would be the executive. Jay-Z, Dash, and another friend, Kareem “Biggs” Burke, put their heads and their money together. They drew up a business plan and founded a company: Roc-A-Fella Records. The three men dreamed big, but they started small. First, Jay-Z recorded a single, “I Can’t Get with That,” in a basement studio. A filmmaker friend shot a low-bud- get video to go with the record. Then the Roc-A-Fella team hustled the song in person to DJs, record stores, and radio stations. Fast-forward to the present. Jay-Z, the former drug dealer, has be- come one of the biggest names in hip-hop. He has sold more than 50 million and won Grammy Awards. He is a business mogul, with wealth estimated at more than $450 million. He’s friendly with princes and presidents. Jay-Z’s rise in the music industry is a tale of determination and inspiration, and a true rags-to-riches story. CHAPTER ONE

sits for a middle school class photo. He attended school in Smile: Shawn Carter (middle) , New York. Glo- Adnis “A. J.” Reeves and On December 4, 1969, Child’s ria Carter welcomed a new baby into their family. They named him Shawn Corey Carter. Baby Shawn Michelle (known as Mickey) play had two big sisters, Eric. and Andrea (called ), and a big brother, New The family lived in Brooklyn, a borough of York City, in a house on Lexington Avenue. A.J.’s par- Adnis Reeves Sr., owned the ents, Ruby Reeves and house. They lived there too. Shawn later remem- bered sitting on the front stoop of the house, “just chillin’” on summer evenings.

6 · Jay-Z: CEO of Hip-Hop Child’s Play · 7

When Shawn was about four, his uncle gave him an old ten-speed bike. The bike was too big for Shawn, so instead of sitting on the bike’s seat, he slid one leg underneath the bar that connected the seat to the handlebars. In this awkward position, he pedaled up and down Lexington Avenue. His neighbors cheered him on. Shawn later said that showing off on the bike gave him his first taste of fame. He liked the feeling. When Shawn was five, the family left his grandparents’ house. They moved a few blocks away to the Marcy Houses, a big housing development for low-income families. More than four thousand resi- dents lived in apartments in the six-story buildings. Shawn’s family lived in apartment 5C. Shawn and Eric shared a room there. Shawn attended P.S. (public school) 168, an elementary school in Brooklyn. He loved playing sports in the afternoon. He joined a Little

Family bond: Shawn puts his arms around his mother (right) and grandmother (left) in 2001. He grew up in a close-knit family. 8 “ · Jay-Z: CEO of Hip-Hop

Super fly: Shawn Carter grew up Dig it: The legendary composer Isaac listening to the music of R & B great Hayes, pictured here in 1995, gained Curtis Mayfield, pictured here in fame with albums such as Hot Buttered 1973. Soul.

League baseball team. He and his friends shot hoops on neighborhood playgrounds and played football in a nearby field. The boys had to be careful when they played football. The field they played in was littered with broken glass. It could cut right through their tennis shoes and into their feet.

Sound Track Shawn’s parents were crazy about music. They loved R & B (rhythm and ) artists such as the Commodores, Curtis Mayfield, Stevie Wonder, the Four Tops, Isaac Hayes, Marvin Gaye, the Temptations, and . A.J. and Gloria kept hundreds of LPs (long-play- ing records) in metal milk crates in their apartment. The crates were Child’s Play · 9 stacked one on top of another, all the way to the ceiling. “My house was the house around the neighborhood that everybody went to be- cause we had all the newest records, and we just had super cool par- ents,” Jay-Z remembered later. “Music filled the house with emotion and joy and feeling.” Every Saturday night, the whole family watched Soul Train. This TV show was a showcase for soul and R & B musicians. The show’s smooth host Don Cornelius introduced viewers to new talents. Watching the performances on TV, Shawn, his sisters, and his cousin B-High danced around the living room. Shawn pretended to be the lead singer while his sisters sang backup. When Shawn was nine, the hip-hop crew the Sugarhill Gang performed on Soul Train. Shawn was thrilled to see rappers on TV.

Rap originals: Shawn’s life changed when he heard “Rapper’s Delight,” a song by the hip-hop group the Sugarhill Gang, pictured here in 1980. 10 4 “ · Jay-Z: CEO of Hip-Hop

ifihavent.wordpress.com, December 2, 2008, http://ifihavent .wordpress.com/2008/12/02/classic-reviews-reasonable-doubt-in- the-source-1996 (May 19, 2012). 38 Jay-Z, Decoded, 12. 39 eNotes, “Jay-Z,” eNotes.com, 2012, http://www.enotes.com/jay-z- reference/jay-z (May 19, 2012). 45 Kris Ex, “Jay-Z, Vol. 3 Life and Times of S. Carter,” , February 3, 2000, http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews /vol-3-life-and-times-of-s-carter-20000203#ixzz1uURrq5py (May 19, 2012). 47 eNotes, “Jay-Z.” 49 Jason Birchmeier, “,” All Music, 2012, http://www .allmusic.com/album/the-blueprint-r549749/review (May 19, 2012). 53 Touré, “Book of Jay,” 94. 57 Greenberg, , 83. 59 Touré, “Book of Jay,” 93. 63 Ibid., 89. 63 Ibid. 65–66 Jay-Z, Decoded, 219–220. 70 Alexandra Olson, “Jay-Z’s Journey to Africa,” CBS News, February 11, 2009, http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-207_162-2195007.html (May 19, 2012). 71 Fresh Air, “Jay-Z: The Fresh Air Interview,” NPR Music, November 16, 2012, http://www.npr.org/2010/11/16/131334322/the-fresh-air- interview-jay-z-decoded (May 19, 2012). 71 Kelefa Sanneh, “Jay-Z Finds Himself at the Movies,” New York Times, November 5, 2007, http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/05/arts /music/05jayz.html?pagewanted=all (May 19, 2012). 71 Rob Sheffield, “Jay-Z, American Gangster,” Rolling Stone Reviews, November 15, 2007, http://www.rollingstone.com/music /albumreviews/american-gangster-20071115 (May 19, 2012). 72 Jeff Leeds, “Jay-Z to Quit His Day Job as President of Def Jam, New York Times, December 25, 2007, http://www.nytimes .com/2007/12/25/business/25music.html (May 19, 2012). 76 Rosie Swash, “Gallagher Brands Jay-Z ‘Wrong for Glasto’,” Guardian, April 14, 2008, http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/apr/14/jayz .urban (May 19, 2012). 76 Jay-Z, Decoded, 163. 105

77 Ibid. 79 Lisa Taddeo, “Jay-Z: It Takes a Harmless, Hand-Built Gangster to ,” Esquire, February 2010, http://www.esquire.com /features/people-who-matter-2010/jay-z-business-0210 (May 4, 2012). 80 Jay-Z, Decoded, 168. 80 “Obama Brushes the Dirt Off,” YouTube video, 0:60, from CNN footage and Jay-Z music, posted by ninja5py, April 17, 2008, http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZJex9Ge2-Q (May 19, 2012). 82 Jay-Z, Decoded, 153. 83 Ibid., 168. 88 New York Public Library, “Decoded.” 88–89 Jay-Z, Decoded, 311. 92 Beyoncé, “Joint Statement from Beyoncé and Jay-Z,” Beyoncé Online, January 9, 2012, http://www.beyonceonline.com/us/news/joint- statement-beyonc%C3%A9-jay-z%E2%80%A6 (May 19, 2012). 93 Daily Beast, “Jay-Z Backs Obama on Gay Marriage,” May 15, 2012, http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheats/2012/05/15/jay-z-backs- obama-on-gay-marriage.html (June 11, 2012). 94–95 Emmanuel Brown, “NY-Z: Jay-Z,” Vimeo, 2012, http://vimeo .com/10372136 (May 19, 2012). 95 Jay-Z, Decoded, 308. 106 “ · Jay-Z: CEO of Hip-Hop

Selected Bibliography

Fine, Marshall. “The Music Mogul.” Cigar Aficionado, May–June 2009. 2012. http://www.cigaraficionado.com/webfeatures/show/id/6238/p/1 (May 17, 2012). Greenberg, Zach O’Malley. Empire State of Mind: How Jay-Z Went from Street Corner to Corner Office. New York: Portfolio, 2011. Harrington, Richard. “Jay-Z’s Rhymes of Passion.” Washington Post, January 2, 2000. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPcap/2000- 01/02/058r-010200-idx.html (May 5, 2012). Jay-Z. Decoded. New York: Spiegel & Grau, 2011. O, the Oprah Magazine. “Oprah Talks to Jay-Z.” October 2009. http://www .oprah.com/omagazine/Oprah-Interviews-Jay-Z-October-2009-Issue-of- O-Magazine (April 26, 2012). Pappademas, Alex. “Jay-Z: King.” GQ, November 2011. http://www.gq.com /moty/2011/jay-z-gq-men-of-the-year-issue (April 27, 2012). Seliger, Mark. “King of America: From Coachella to the White House, How Jay-Z Runs .” Rolling Stone, June 24, 2010, 44–47. Stoute, Steve. The Tanning of America: How Hip-Hop Created a Culture That Rewrote the Rules of the New Economy. New York: Gotham Books, 2011. Taddeo, Lisa. “Jay-Z: It Takes a Harmless, Hand-Built Gangster to Run This Town.” Esquire, February 2010. http://www.esquire.com/features /people-who-matter-2010/jay-z-business-0210 (May 4, 2012). Touré. “The Book of Jay.” Rolling Stone, December 15, 2005. 107

F uRTHER Reading and Websites

Books Barnes, Geoffrey. Jay-Z. Broomall, PA: Mason Crest Publishers, 2007. Golus, Carrie. : From Def Jam to Super Rich. Minneapolis: Twenty-First Century Books, 2012. ———. : Hip-Hop Idol. Minneapolis: Twenty-First Century Books, 2010. Heos, Bridget. Jay-Z. New York: Rosen Classroom, 2009. Morgan, Kayla. : Soul-Fired Hip-Hop. Minneapolis: Twenty-First Century Books, 2012. Roberts, Russell. : Singer, , Musician, Actress, and Producer. Broomhall, PA: Mason Crest Publishers, 2009. Sacks, Nathan. American Hip-Hop: Rappers, DJs, and Hard Beats. Minneapolis: Twenty-First Century Books, 2012. Waters, Rosa. Beyoncé. Broomall, PA: Mason Crest Publishers, 2007. ———. : A Short History. Broomall, PA: Mason Crest Publishers, 2007.

Websites Beyoncé http://www.beyonceonline.com/us/home Beyoncé’s official website offers videos, photos, and biographical information, plus all the latest news about Beyoncé. Grammy.com http://www.grammy.com The Grammys are prestigious music awards given yearly since 1959 by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. At this site, you can learn about Grammy winners past and present. The site also includes videos, photos, and music news. Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/hiphop/index.htm This website explores issues in hip-hop culture including violence and racial identity. The site is a companion piece to a film of the same name. The site includes a timeline of hip-hop history and a glossary of terms. 108 “ · Jay-Z: CEO of Hip-Hop

Rap http://www.allmusic.com/genre/rap-ma0000002816 This website introduces hip-hop music and its various styles, such as old-school rap and pop-rap. Visitors can click on links to a specific styles, artists, and songs to learn more. Roc-A-Fella Records http://www.islanddefjam.com/default.aspx?labelID=75 Visitors to this website can learn about the latest releases and goings-on at Roc-A-Fella Records, the company that Jay-Z founded in 1996. http://www.rocnation.com Roc Nation is Jay-Z’s music label and management business. On the website, you can learn about Roc Nation artists such as J. Cole and . Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation http://www.shawncarter.com Jay-Z’s charitable foundation gives scholarship money to deserving students from low-income families. The website offers information on scholarships, an application form, and additional resources for students. 109

Index Carter, Blue Ivy, 92–93 Carter, Eric, 6 Abbott, Abdul Malik, 31 Carter, Gloria, 6, 17, 22, 50, 53–54 American Gangster (), 71, 86 Carter, Michelle “Mickey,” 6 American Gangster (film), 71 Carter, Shawn Corey. See Jay-Z Annie, 39, 47 “City Is Mine, The,” 37 , 27 Collision Course, 58, 86 Columbia Records, 5, 24 Babyface, 37, 78 Combs, Sean “Puff Daddy,” “Diddy,” Backstage, 41, 47 37, 42, 71, 81 B-High, 9, 16, 31 “Coming of Age,” 34 , 23, 26 “,” 52 Biggie Smalls. See Notorious B.I.G. “Big Pimpin’,” 45 Dash, Damon, 5, 28–29, 33, 36, 41, Billboard magazine, 20, 35, 38, 46, 43, 61, 69, 95 57, 69, 72, 84 “Dead Presidents,” 33, 68 Black Album, The, 53–54, 55, 57–58, “December 4th,” 54 69, 80 Decoded, 19, 88–89, 90–91, 95 Bleek, Memphis, 34, 45, 47, 48, 69 , 5, 28, 36–37, Blige, Mary J., 34, 58, 81 43, 59, 61, 62–63, 68–69, 72, Blow, Kurtis, 12 76, 95 Blueprint, The, 48–49, 56 Destiny’s Child, 50, 74, 75 Blueprint 3, The, 84–85, 86 “D’Evils,” 34 Blueprint 3 Tour, 86 Diary of Jay-Z: Water for Life, 70 Blueprint 2, The: The Gift and the “”, 80, 94 Curse, 50–51 DMX, 24, 41, 69 Brooklyn, New York, 6, 7, 17, 23, 47, “D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune),” 52, 84 53, 58, 60, 91, 94 Dynasty, The: Roc La Familia, 45–46 “Brooklyn’s Finest,” 33 Brown, Foxy, 37, 58 Eli Whitney High School, 21 Burke, Kareem “Biggs,” 5, 29, 31, 33, EMI, 23, 26, 29 36, 41, 61, 69 , 49 Burks, Jonathan “Jaz-O,” 17–19, 23, “Empire State of Mind,” 52, 85, 94 29, 35 , 24, 55 “Can I Get A . . .,” 47 40/40 Club, 55, 56, 90 “Can’t Knock the Hustle,” 34 Franklin, Rodolfo. See Kent, Clark Carter, Andrea “Annie,” 6, 64 Funkmaster Flex, 33 110 “ · Jay-Z: CEO of Hip-Hop , 20 18; and politics, 77, 79–83; as George Westinghouse High School, president of Def Jam, 59, 61, 21, 33 62–64, 68–69, 72; rapping, “Girls’ Best Friend”, 47 13, 17–19, 23, 26–27, 28–29, “Glory”, 93, 94 38, 46–47, 54; recordings, 23, Grammy Award, 40, 42, 51, 52, 57, 24, 26, 31, 33–35, 36–40, 44, 75 45–46, 48–49, 50–51, 53–54, Grandmaster Flash, 12 55, 57–58, 66, 67, 68, 69, 71, 80, 84–85, 87, 89, 93; retirement, “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem),” 55, 57–58, 69; reviews of, 39–40, 47, 93 34–35, 38, 45, 49, 69, 71; school, “Hawaiian Sophie,” 23 7–8, 13, 17, 21–22; tours, 41, 55, hip-hop, 12, 14, 24–25, 26, 38, 57–58, 76–77, 81, 89, 94 42–43, 49, 63, 64, 68, 76 , 54

“I Can’t Get with That,” 5, 31 Kelly, R., 58, 86 I Declare War concert, 66–68 Kent, Clark, 19, 26, 28, 31, 33, 35 “If I Ruled the World,” 94 Keys, Alicia, 52, 85, 94 “I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)”, Kingdom Come, 69, 71 46 Knowles, Beyoncé, 50–51, 52, 56, “In My Lifetime,” 31–32, 67 58, 64, 73–74, 75, 78, 81, 89, 92 In My Lifetime, Vol. 1, 37–38, 86 “ (H.O.V.A.),” 49, 93 Lil’ Kim, 37 , 58, 86 Jay-Z: awards, 5, 40, 51, 52; birth, , England, 23, 26, 63, 94 6, 54; as businessman, 5, 30–33, 41, 54–55, 56, 58–59, 60, 61, Marcy Houses, 4–5, 12, 13, 17, 62–64, 66, 77, 79–80, 87–88, 18–19, 31, 47, 80, 91 91; charitable work, 50, 65–66, “Minority Report,” 66 70, 87–88, 93; childhood, mixtapes, 23, 24–25, 27 4–5, 6–7, 8–12, 13, 16–19, “Moment of Clarity,” 53, 54 54, 57; and drugs, 5, 19–22, “ (Is Black),” 81 23, 26–27, 32, 71, 91; family, 6, 8–9, 16–17, 51–53, 64, 91; , 49, 67–69, 94 father, 6, 16–17, 51–53, 54, 57, Nets (, Brooklyn), 21, 56, 91; marriage, 73–74; mother, 58, 60, 66, 90 6, 17, 22, 50, 51–53, 54; name, , 4, 6, 16, 21, 31, 34, 5; photographic memory, 13, 57, 77, 85, 86, 92, 93, 95 111

Ne-Yo, 63, 67 sampling, 34, 38, 39, 49, 54, 71 “,” 52, 54, 57, 77, 94 S. Carter Collection, 54, 56 Notorious B.I.G., 33, 43, 67 Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation, 50, 93–94 Obama, Barack, 77, 79–83 Sigel, Beanie, 41, 45, 46, 47, 48, 72 “”, 52 Soul Train, 9, 10–11 Original Flavor, 29 “Stranded (Haiti Mon Amour),” 87 “Streets Is Watching,” 37 Payday, 32 Streets Is Watching, 41, 47 “Politics as Usual,” 34 Sugarhill Gang, 9, 14, 42 Priority, 34 “Supa Ugly,” 50 , 52 , 26 “Takeover”, 49 “Rap Game/Crack Game,” 37 “This Can’t Be Life”, 45 Reasonable Doubt, 34–35, 36–38, 86 Trenton, New Jersey, 21, 23 Reebok, 54, 56 Reeves, Adnis, Sr., 6 UGK, 45 Reeves, Adnis “A. J.,” 6, 16–17, , 59, 61, 72 51–53, 91 Reeves, Ruby, 6 Video Music Box, 31 (R & B), 8–9, 16, Vol. 2 . . . Hard Knock Life, 38–40, 46 34, 37, 42, 51, 54, 58, 63, 81 Vol. 3 . . . The Life and Times of S. , 52, 63–64, 68, 72, 85, 87 Carter, 44, 45, 46 Rivera, Lance “Un,” 44 Roc-A-Fella Films, 41, 50, 56 Wallace, Christopher. See Notorious Roc-A-Fella Records, 5, 30–33, B.I.G. 34–35, 36, 45, 47, 48, 50, 59, 64, , 86, 89 69, 95 West, Kanye, 45, 48, 52, 64, 65–66, , 41, 47, 50, 56, 61, 69, 72, 67, 68, 69, 72, 78, 85, 86, 89, 94 86–87 “Where I’m From,” 67 Rock-A-Fella Films, 47 Williams, Pharrell, 46 Rock-A-Fella Records, 43 Rock the Mic Tour, 55 Young , 63, 67, 68, 69, 81 Roc Nation, 74, 76, 84, 91 Rolling Stone magazine, 35, 45, 71 “’03 Bonnie & Clyde,” 50–51, 56, 75 Run-D.M.C., 12 “Run This Town,” 52, 84 112 “ · Jay-Z: CEO of Hip-Hop pHOTO ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen G. Gordon was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and graduated from Kent State University. He makes his home in northern New Mexico, where he writes about sports, history, and music. This Page Left Blank Intentionally 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 within himself. He began to make up rhymes nonstop—and made his way from financial hardship to the throne of a music empire.

Lifeline BIOGRAPHIES titles: Adele: ’s Magical Voice : Conquering Hip-Hop Alex Rodriguez: Hot Corner, Hot Shot Oprah Winfrey: Global Media Leader : A Leader in a Time of Change Queen Latifah: From Jersey Girl to Superstar : Music Revolutionaries Russell Simmons: From Def Jam to Super Rich Bill Gates: Entrepreneur and Philanthropist Sergey Brin and Larry page: Founders of Google : Racing’s Trailblazer Stephenie Meyer: Dreaming of Twilight Derek Jeter: Spectacular Shortstop Suzanne Collins: Words on Fire The Cast: Inspiring Gleek Mania Tiger Woods: Golf’s Master Hillary Rodham Clinton: Secretary of State Tim Berners-Lee: Inventor of the World Wide Web Jay-Z: CEO of Hip-Hop Tim Tebow: Quarterback with Conviction Johnny Depp: Hollywood Rebel Tom Brady: Unlikely Champion Kanye West: Soul-Fired Hip-Hop Tupac Shakur: Hip-Hop Idol : Pop’s Glam Queen Vera Wang: Enduring Style LeBron James: King of Shots : Box Office Superstar