Jay-Z is the world’s first hip-hop billionaire

Jay-Z once rapped, “I’m not a businessman — I’m a business, man!” It turns out he was right.

He is already known for being one of the world’s best rappers. Now, he will go down in history as hip-hop’s first billionaire.

According to the magazine Forbes, Jay-Z has made around $75 million from his music. This includes 14 number-one albums.

The rest of his money comes from the businesses he owns. These include the streaming company Tidal, gold bottles of champagne, and a stake in the taxi service Uber.

Jay-Z’s success is amazing considering where he came from.

He grew up in one of the poorest neighbourhoods in New York City. Before he was a rapper, he sold drugs and got into fights.

Now, he is a billionaire. Is hip-hop the most exciting music?

No. It is loud, angry and not very easy to listen to. Jay-Z’s lyrics mostly involve boasting about how rich he is. He may be right — but that does not make it good music.

This misses the point. Unlike most “easy” pop songs, hip-hop is all about the lyrics. The best rappers fill their songs with complex rhymes and double-meanings. It is musical poetry.