Byron Lee's Writing Blog

PASSING THE TORCH: Callie Herd with noted historian Dr. John Hope Franklin. To read interesting summary on "the meeting of the minds" please click on the following link:












HELPING OTHERS HELP THEMSELVES: Callie Herds' blog http://www.ctherd.blogspot.com/ has been recognized for connecting people with information regarding scholarships, internships, and jobs.

Callie Herd is a blessed woman who believes in maximizing the quality of life. In speaking, the FedEx Information Technology Specialist repeatedly says that life is more than living "3 scores and 10" (70 years). She was inspired by the example of her World War II veteran father ("Even though he went through a lot of racism and prejudice, he still had that smiling face") and the mother who tirelessly took care of said father (along with Herd's five siblings) when he came back from the war severely disabled.


Her inspiration led her to get actively involved in community service, first through the Memphis Civil Rights Museum (there was a vast need for volunteers in the wake of author Alex Haley's death in 1992) and then through work with the Memphis Food Bank, where her citywide "Hunger Hurts" activities led to an exponential rise in the number of volunteers for the charity.




ANOTHER SUCCESS: Callie Herd with Memphis radio personality Marlon "Nappy" Wilson at Herd's "Why Community Service?" banquet. Please click on the following link to read summary of "Why Community Service?" event:
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2006/11/why-community-service-event-serves.html

The 2-time FedEx Volunteer of the Year eventually decided to turn her attention to the plight of single parents trying to find scholarship money for their children after she was able to obtain 1 million dollars in scholarships and offers for her own children. "It would not be right for me not to share this information," says Herd, "I am my brother's keeper." Her efforts resulted in the blog http://www.ctherd.blogspot.com/, a blog that has become so well known that it has been mentioned by syndicated writer Stanley Crouch, added to the blog roll of many national websites, and voted as a finalist for "Best Site for Single Parents" by Black Web Awards.

The busy Herd views Christmas as not only a time to relax, but as a time to reflect. "My father passed in August. We usually had Christmas dinner at his house. We're still going to have dinner at his house, and reminisce about the people we have lost and be thankful that we are blessed to still be here."

As for the future, Herd believes that volunteering may provide a silver lining in the overcast skies brought on by the recent Michigan State decision that has gradually scaled back the use of race-based scholarship awards. "[The children] will be looking for volunteer hours, but they will find hope and peace in helping that elderly person who doesn't have someone to read for them, or waiting with that person as they wait for someone to feed them. Our children will learn what it means to give back to their community, and, when they get into college, they can say, 'I'm not a quota, I'm a person, and I got in here because I was just as good as everyone else.'"


Like Ms. Herd, Tedarrell Muhammad also knows the value of giving. The fellow Tennessee native, born to a hard working mother, always had a knack for selling. "I used to cut people's lawns. The housing project I lived in had a lawn cutting service, but they would only cut lawns every three weeks. People in my project wanted their lawns to look clean." His desire to make more money led him to notice the large income his manager at one of his jobs always seemed to pull down. He found out the money came from drug dealing, and he was soon working under his boss.

The fast life came to an end when one of his partners was arrested, and, as a result, Tedarrell was indicted and ended up serving time. While in prison, he made a discovery that changed his life. He heard a recording of a speech made by Minister Louis Farrakhan of the Nation of Islam. "I had never heard anyone speak like that."

The Nation would continue to play a role in his life once he was released. After being disillusioned with his first post-prison work experience, he worked for a plumbing company ("I used to scuba dive into swimming pools and change their pipes.") One day, he unexpectedly walked into a new occupation: "I changed a pipe, and I thought that it was a sewage pipe. I showed it to my boss, and he said 'People drink out of that.'" His boss also told Tedarrell about Everlasting Spring Water (www.everlastingspring.com) a bottle water company affiliated with the Nation. Tedarrell was skeptical, but he later agreed to learn more about it. He soon started his own branch of the company and, with the help of his wife, Deidre, who holds a MBA, and the assistance of former NBA player Larry Johnson,






SUCCESS THROUGH SUPPORT: Tedarrell Muhammad says, "We should empower each other and support each other."



REFRESHING: Larry Johnson having a drink of
Everlasting Spring water.

he was able to make it grow to a multi-million dollar operation. He now has warehouses in Memphis, Chicago, and Dallas, and he is looking to soon have plants in Baltimore and California. (He also plans to start distribution here in the St. Louis Area. "I'm looking for people who are willing and able to work to be successful," says Muhammad.)

Muhammad credits his faith in Islam, especially the tenets of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, with his success, professionally and personally. "I don't take anything for granted anymore. I realize the power of God. Without him, we are nothing; with him, we are everything. I know that if you work for God, he is duly bound to bless you."

Muhammad also views black entrepreneurship and black support as the keys to the advancement of both the black community and of society as a whole. "We should empower each other and support each other. That is what we are here to do: empower ourselves, our families, our people, and then, the world."



ON TOP: Tedarrell Muhammad has thrived through his
work with Everlasting Spring Water
http://www.everlastingspring.com/

With regard to this holiday season, Muhammad, whose company donated water to a Native American reservation in Louisiana in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, says, "We believe in giving all year round. We donate and help people out all year round. I view [the season] mainly as an opportunity to spend time with family."

Andre Anderson also cherishes time with family. Anderson is known for his fashionable wardrobe, his effortless way of making lasting impressions with strangers, and his occasionally ribald sense of humor (which always contains heartfelt advice). Very few people know, however, what this man has been though.

His demeanor had roots in his childhood identity as the class clown. He was always able to draw attention to himself quickly. However, he was soon engaging in drug abuse, which led to criminal activity to feed his habit, which led to incarceration.

At his sentencing, Anderson had a thought that forced him to see the error of his ways. "I thought of my mother being in a casket before I got released. As me and the other guys were getting loaded into the bullpen, I prayed and asked 'Lord, please don't let that happen.'"

From the moment he entered prison, Anderson was a model citizen. The road to making the institution see the method behind his madness was rather difficult: "The facility that I was in did not have anger management or drug rehabilitation programs. I did not want to leave that institution not knowing anything more than I did when I went in, so I wrote grievances to state representatives. I would get a violation and get locked into solitary confinement for 30, 60, 90 days, but I got so many positive responses from the representatives that [the prison staff] had to respect me." Anderson eventually received recognition for doing work to unite prisoners across racial and gang affiliation lines.

Anderson credits his Christian faith for bringing him through his incarceration. "By me realizing that Jesus died in order for me to live, I realized that there was a better way. I started studying and educating myself."

Anderson says that this time of year gives him the opportunity to spend time with his large, loving, extended family. "Even when I was doing wrong, they never turned their back on me. I can't let them know enough how much I appreciate their love." Giving his mother special acknowledgement, he says, "My mother is a women who is strong. When I was chemically dependent, I was not only bringing myself down, I was bringing her down, as well. But when I was out in the streets, she was praying for me. God took all of those prayers and saved me. I give my mother her flowers today, while she's living."

To find more insightful and well written articles from the cultural analyst Mr. Byron Lee a.k.a. Bleebus please check out his official blog @ http://www.bleebus.blogspot.com

Last month, we profiled two of rap's major power players: Nelly and Jay-Z. This month, we turn the spotlight towards the industry's two most successful and polarizing figures: Sean "Diddy" Combs and Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson.

FLAUNTING IT: Diddy styles and profiles in the sun.
No one has taken Russell Simmons's blueprint of brand diversification to more successful heights than Sean Combs, who was recently listed by Fortune Magazine as the most wealthy person in rap. He embarked on his career by dropping out of Howard University and working as an intern at Uptown Records under then President Andre Harrell. The polite, professional Combs worked hard and was eventually, at the age of 19, named Division Director, which put him in a position to develop acts. He would quickly make a name for himself by exposing the public to talented R&B acts with a hip-hop edge, such as Jodeci (which contained K-Ci and JoJo Hailey, who would eventually become a superstar duo on their own) and Mary J. Blige.

The success soon went to Combs's head, and his arrogance alienated his co-workers to the extent that he was fired from Uptown. After sulking in his apartment for a weekend, he plugged his phone back in and found a message from Arista Records. Industry legend Clive Davis was impressed by Combs's work and wanted Combs to operate a new urban music imprint being started through Arista. Combs agreed and christened the imprint "Bad Boy."
Bad Boy would find its flagship artist when DJ luminary Mr. Cee introduced him to a charismatic, rotund, lyrically gifted MC from Brooklyn. His given name was Christopher Wallace, but he rapped under the name Biggie Smalls. Combs would give him the iconic moniker The Notorious B.I.G. Along with energetic lyricist Craig Mack, of "Flava in Ya Ear" fame,B.I.G. helped put Bad Boy in the public eye. It was not long before Biggie's presence, personality, and Billboard track record ("Juicy," "Big Poppa," and "One More Chance (Remix)" were massive hits) overshadowed Mack, a point that was made clear when Biggie was chosen to be the first person to rap on Mack's landmark, star-studded "Flava In Ya Ear (Remix)." B.I.G.'s first album, "Ready to Die," sold 4 million copies, while the follow-up, the double album "Life After Death" achieved diamond status (10 million copies sold).
However, after Biggie Smalls was gunned down in early 1997, after the murder of rival Tupac Shakur a few months earlier, Combs would be accused of milking Biggie's death in order to better shape his own public image (many people felt that while Biggie was alive, the two complemented each other perfectly, Biggie being the "Ghetto" to Diddy's "Fabulous".) The release of "I'll Be Missing You" which featured a prominent sample of the Police's "Every Breath You Take" and an accompanying video that featured Combs dancing through rain puddles, only furthered the criticism. (The track was from 1997's "No Way Out," Diddy's first solo album, which boasted the hits "Been Around the World" and "All About The Benjamins" and sold 7 million copies domestically.)
It was in 1998, at the height of his musical power, that he wisely decided to branch out his empire into the fashion arena. The "Sean John" clothing line, named after his first and middle name, became a wildly successful urban clothing line. Combs went on to win the fashion equivalent of the Oscar in 2004 when he won the CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America) Menswear Designer of the Year award.

POWER COUPLE: Sean Combs and Jennifer Lopez provided fodder for urban, fashion, and tabloid journals during their courtship.
While his clothing line got off the ground, his romantic life became more public. Combs struck up a rapport with pop culture hyphenate Jennifer Lopez while the two worked together on the video for Diddy's single "Been Around The World." Soon, the two were inseparable, making headlines with their public appearances at award shows, particularly Jennifer Lopez's iconic green dress at the 2000 Grammys. (It is also rumored that Combs gave Lopez the boost she needed in order to take the step towards a recording career.)
The relationship encountered rocky waters in December of 1999, when a shooting occurred at a nightclub where Diddy, Lopez and then-Bad Boy artist Jamal "Shyne" Barrow were celebrating. The resulting negative publicity (both Combs and Barrow faced charges, while Lopez was not charged) created a fissure that never truly closed. The couple announced their break up on Valentine's Day 2001.

Combs, with the aid of his own, separate defense team, which featured Johnnie Cochran, was acquitted of charges of weapons possession and bribery (the latter stemming from allegations made by Combs's former driver), while Barrow was convicted of first-degree assault, gun possession, and reckless endangerment. Barrow is currently still serving a ten year jail term for this conviction. The belief that Combs turned his back on Barrow, thus setting up Barrow to be the fall guy, has badly hurt Combs's image.

ON THEIR OWN: Feeling neglected by Combs, acclaimed R&B quartet 112 eventually started their own independent record label.
The public's perception of Combs is rooted in a concern over how he treats his artists as a whole. Carl Thomas and Black Rob, who were, at one point, two of the most popular artists on the Bad Boy label, went 4 years and 6 years, respectively, without releasing albums. However, when Combs released one of his own albums, the LP seemed to receive all of the attention of Bad Boy's promotions department. 112, another staple of the label's glory years, were so disenchanted with how they were been handled that they tried to leave the label. (Eventually, an agreement was made to split professional interest in the group equally between Bad Boy and Island Def Jam. 112 is now presiding over their own independent label.) Finally, veteran group New Edition, who released their 2004 album "One Love" through Bad Boy, severed ties with the label over Combs's refusal to release a track produced by hitmakers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.
While his label struggled, Combs found some success in another area: acting. He won raves for turns as a hot headed record mogul in the Jon Favreau/Vince Vaughn film "Made" and as Halle Berry's doomed, estranged husband in "Monster's Ball." Combs also brought a new audience to the theater, while receiving mixed reviews, with his role as Walter Lee Younger in the 2004 stage revival of Lorraine Hansberry's "Raisin in the Sun"
Combs, no doubt inspired by Simmons, also tried his hand at social activism. He raised 2 million dollars for New York City schools by participating in the New York City marathon, and spearheaded 2004's "Vote or Die" campaign, an effort to get young people interested in voting. While most people respected his efforts, some felt that the marathon was more about drawing attention to himself and that the "Vote or Die" campaign was awkward and politically-biased in favor of the left wing.

BEST FOOT FORWARD: Diddy finishes the New York
Marathon.
Diddy would soon have an incentive to return to his first love. Bad Boy received a new lease on life last year when Warner Music Group purchased a large minority stake in the label and bought out the remainder of the agreement between Bad Boy and Universal Music Group. New artists such as Cassie (whose "Me and You" has dominated R&B charts), Danity Kane (the multicultural singing group comprised of winners of Diddy's second installment of MTV's "Making The Band") and Atlanta rapper Yung Joc have put the label back on top of the charts. Soon the head honcho will be back in stores when Diddy's new album "Press Play" arrives in mid-October. It seems that, regardless of what people may think of him, Sean Combs cannot be stopped.

THE NEW SCARFACE?: 50 Cent has often drawn lyrical parallels between his rise to power and that of Tony Montana, Al Pacino's character from the cult film "Scarface."
Another powerful force in the rap industry in recent years has been Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson. Jackson was born in Jamaica, Queens, N.Y. to a drug-dealing single mother. (After his mother was gunned down, he went to live with his grandmother). His mother's friends introduced him to drug running, and a series of plea bargains on drug charges would lead him to stints in both rehab and a military style boot camp. He eventually poured his bravado and his hunger for a better life into rhyme. DJ Jam Master Jay, of the pivotal group Run-DMC, took 50 under his wing and signed him to Columbia Records, where 50 recorded the satirical song "How To Rob," in which the rapper deliberated as to which successful rappers he should rob and how he should go about it. Suffice it to say that many of the real-life rappers mentioned in the song did not find the track to be all that humorous, and the struggling rapper found his name on the lips of many rap heavyweights (Jay-Z famously mentioned 50 on "It's Hot (Some Like It Hot)" from Jay's 4th album "Vol. 3".)

POINT BLANK: This photo, from the album jacket of 50's Shady/Aftermath debut, "Get Rich Or Die Tryin'," made his image perfectly clear.
In 2000, an event would forever change his life. He was shot nine times outside of his grandmother's house by a rival (the rival was murdered several weeks later). Jackson miraculously drove himself to the hospital. While convalescing, he was dropped by his record label.
Struggling to get back to recording, he was aided by producer Sha Money XL, who allowed 50 recording space to make songs for mixtapes (In the rap world, mixtapes are compilations of new songs, or of new freestyles performed over the beats of popular songs, that are released to the streets in order to create, or continue, buzz on a certain artist.). It was during this time that 50 took a major step in building his empire: he recruited rappers who were more skillful than he was, chief among them lyrical monster Lloyd Banks, in order to strengthen his crew.
Learning from his experience in his previous profession, ("Consistency is the key" he said in a 2003 interview with Rolling Stone.) his crew, G-Unit, flooded New York with high quality mixtapes that kept the streets talking. The recordings were bolstered by 50's new gruff, mumbled delivery, a result of a shot he took to the face during the attempt on his life. The buzz became so deafening that it drew the attention of Shady/Aftermath Records, the label run by Dr. Dre and Eminem. The duo flew 50 out to Los Angeles and, impressed with his demeanor, signed him to a recording deal worth 1 million dollars, and gave him his own imprint, G-Unit Records, in order for him to make money off of the artists he brought to the label.
Jackson immediately started securing trademarks for G-Unit, while industry veteran Chris Lighty, who signed on as 50's manager, started looking for endorsement deals. The rapper now has his own shoe deal (through Reebok), his own video game (50 Cent: Bulletproof), his own clothing line (G-Unit), and his own Vitamin Water (Vitamin 50). 50's 2003 Shady/Aftermath debut, "Get Rich Or Die Tryin," sold 6 million copies, bolstered by the irresistible pop anthem "In Da Club," and the public disclosure of what 50 referred to as "street beef" with then-chart reigning pop rapper Ja Rule. Releases from G-Unit members Lloyd Banks and Young Buck appeared shortly thereafter. Furthermore, in what was an inevitable move, 50 appeared in a movie loosely based on his life, "Get Rich or Die Tryin'," last year. While the film did not fulfill expectations at the box office (it was noticeably released in far fewer theaters than Eminem's 2002 flick "8 Mile," the success of which "Get Rich" was clearly patterned to mimic), 50 seems undaunted.

A POOR SHOWING: Plagued by poor distribution, 50 Cent's film debut, "Get Rich or Die Tryin'" failed to find box office fortune.
Perhaps the performance of the film is a sign of declined public interest in Jackson. There seems to be a feeling amongst many that the rapper is overexposed, rimarily due to the products he released in 2005 (his sophomore LP, "The Massacre," the aforementioned film, the soundtrack to said film, and an autobiography, "From Pieces To Weight".)

Furthermore, his immaturity, as evidenced by both his insults toward actress Vivica A. Fox soon after he escorted her to the MTV Video Awards and his abrupt dismissal of Compton-bred G-Unit affiliate The Game, has become rather tiresome. (He even had a very brief feud with Diddy over Diddy's refusal to release MA$E from his contract with Bad Boy in order to allow MA$E to fully join G-Unit.)

THE BEGINNING OF THE END: Music lovers seem to think that the poor commercial performance of G-Unit albums, such as Tony Yayo's "Thoughts of a Predicate Felon", signal the end of G-Unit's reign on top of the charts.
It seems as if one could set their watch according to his latest publicity stunt. Finally, even though he has a talented stable of performers on his label, few of them could be marketed as superstars. The infectious energy of Tony Yayo couldn't power "Thoughts of a Predicate Felon" to commercial success, and even rap stalwarts Mobb Deep failed to move units with the release of the album "Blood Money."

THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY: Many feel that The Game's dismissal from G-Unit was fueled by 50 Cent's fears that the Game might overshadow him.
Regardless of how many setbacks they face, today's Hip-Hop Moguls will find a way to be triumphant.

To view more writings, articles and perspectives from the cultural analyst known as Mr. Byron Lee please visit his official blog @ http://www.bleebus.blogspot.com/

Times change, and with them, so do attitudes. It was not long ago that artists such as Young MC, Kid N Play, MC Hammer, and even Kurtis Blow were labeled sellouts for signing endorsement deals and appearing in movies. Phrases such as "Keep It Real" and "Be True to the Game" were still the order of the day in the hip-hop community, with Def Jam founder (and one-time owner) Russell Simmons being accused of watering down hip-hop and marketing it to the masses.
After seeing many of rap's pioneers struggle after their years of glory, however, many of today's stars have, to use investment terminology, "diversified their portfolio", building upon the monumental hip quotient currently being enjoyed by rap stars and branding their names for use in clothing lines, label management, partial sports team ownership, and other business ventures. In this edition of the Limelight, we will profile two of the biggest names in this arena: Cornell "Nelly" Haynes, Jr. and Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter. We will highlight their achievements while also demonstrating that money does not always work magic.

CHANGING THE FACE OF RAP: The most important aspect of Nelly's success, from an industry standpoint, is that he was able to provide the same hard-edged rhymes found in most of commercial rap while matching the impact of the content with catchy choruses and a photogenic look.
Throughout the 90's, St. Louis struggled to have a local urban artist breakthrough nationally, although acts such as Sylk Smoov ("Wit' A Good Rap") and Billy Lawrence ("Happiness") came close. In early 2000, a song started getting rotation on St. Louis airwaves. It was a catchy song, with a light bounce, irresistible rhymes, a singsongy delivery, and an overpowering chorus.

STAYING PUT: Defying naysayers who said that he would fade away, Nelly released the successful 2002 sophomore effort "Nellyville" spawning the hits "Hot in Herre," "Dilemma," "Air Force Ones," and "#1" and selling 6 million copies.
The song was "Country Grammar", by a handsome University City rapper born Cornel Haynes, Jr., but known to the recording world as Nelly. Soon after, the former standout athlete was making sold out in-store appearances, and it was not long before his debut album, which shared its name with the breakout single, was outpacing "Notorious K.I.M.," the more heavily-hyped sophomore release from New York female rapper Lil' Kim. Boasting additional hits, such as "E.I.," "Ride With Me," and "Batter Up," the album went on to sell 9 Million Copies, making it the most successful rap solo debut of all time. In an industry where fanbases are constantly looking for the next new face, Nelly's pop savvy, down-to-earth personality, and heartthrob status have made him a mainstream mainstay, allowing him to enjoy the success of 2001's "Free City" (an album he released with The St. Lunatics, a group in which he is a member), 2002's "Nellyville", and 2004's "Sweat" and "Suit" LPs. He has also used his fame to branch out into clothing (the "Vokal" and "Apple Bottom" Lines), sports drinks ("Pimp Juice") and music management (with the Derrty Entertainment Label). He is also part owner of the NBA franchise the Charlotte Bobcats. Due to these endeavors, Mr. Haynes recently tied with So So Def head Jermaine Dupri as Fortune Magazine's 10th most wealthy person in rap music. (Both performers grossed $60 million the previous year).

A SUPERSTAR IN OUR MIDST: Nelly's pop savvy, down-to-earth personality, and heartthrob status have made him a mainstream mainstay. Despite his success, he has never forgotten about St. Louis.
What is most important about Nelly, geographically speaking, is the fact that he has never forgotten St. Louis. Since he first landed on the national scene, he has always recognized St. Louis as his hometown, whether in his manner of dress (Cardinals and Rams uniforms were omnipresent in his early videos) or in his rhymes. Furthermore, whenever his burgeoning acting career has provided on-screen opportunities to flex his talent (such as in the little-seen thriller "Snipes" or in 2005's big budget remake "The Longest Yard"), he has always had special, St. Louis premieres for the films, bringing a taste of Tinseltown to the Lou.
Nelly's affection for his hometown has also led him into the philanthropic arena. He founded both 4 Sho 4 Kids (http://www.4sho4kids.org/), a organization to benefit children with developmental disabilities, and Jes Us 4 Jackie (http://www.jesus4jackie.com/), a entity dedicated to finding bone marrow matches for those suffering from Leukemia (Nelly was inspired to start this organization after his sister, Jackie Donahue, was diagnosed with the disease; she passed away in March of 2005.)
Nelly has not always been embraced with open arms. After the success of his first album, Mr. Haynes was denied a proclamation from the city by then-Mayor Clarence Harmon. (Nelly eventually received one from Harmon's successor, Francis Slay, as one of Slay's first initiatives as mayor). Furthermore, in the spring of 2004, Nelly was forced to cancel a bone-marrow drive on the campus of Atlanta's Spellman College because of a planned protest of his video for the song "Tip Drill" to be held during the drive. (To be fair, the video is quite over the top, but it is not worse that any other videos that have been made in support of songs recorded by other rappers, such as "Poppin'", a similarly graphic video featuring Atlanta native Ludacris.)

In what is, perhaps, a true symbol of how far Nelly has come, he was recently trusted with the task of reintroducing pop singer Janet Jackson to the public via their collaboration "Call On Me," from Ms. Jackson's forthcoming album, "20 Years Old." The kid from St. Louis has hit it big, and, in his own way, taken us with him.
Another artist who has taken full advantage of hip-hop's new influx of entrepreneurship is Shawn Carter, better known to the world as Jay-Z. Carter, born the youngest child and second boy of 4 children, has a gift for composing rhymes in his head (a gift that was cultivated as a child when his best ideas would come to him while he was riding his bike). Jay also had a tenacity with which he tackled life, a drive that would lead him to try to acquire large amounts of money while still in his late teens. When he tired of the life that provided this income (drug dealing), he decided to pursue rapping as a legitimate hustle. After meeting a brash, Harlem-bred, loud mouthed young business man named Damon Dash, the two, along with third member Kareem "Biggs" Burke, started releasing records independently.

The two eventually made a joint deal with preeminent rap label Def Jam Records (with Dash fighting for part-ownership of the music) and the sales for Jay-Z's third album "Vol. 2: Hard Knock Life" (bolstered by the monster hits "Hard Knock Life," (which ingeniously sampled the song of the same name from the broadway musical "Annie") , "Can I Get A..."( which introduced
the world to gravelly-voiced rapper Ja Rule) and "Jigga What, Jigga Who") made Jay-Z a mainstream superstar. (The album sold 5 million copies.) Also, during this time, Rocawear, a clothing extension of the Roc-A-Fella brand formed in 1999, developed into the brand of choice in urban casual wear. It is now worth 500 million.

HOV and B: Here, Jay-Z and pop songstress Beyonce Knowles arrive at a basketball game. Although the two continue to be secretive about their relationship, Ms. Knowles's elegant, good girl image, and Carter's silent depth make them a perfect fit for public admiration and speculation.
Around the time Carter was recording "Blueprint 2: The Gift and The Curse" (the sequel to his commercially and critically successful, soul-infused sixth album "The Blueprint") rumors began circulating that the M.C. was dating R&B bombshell Beyonce Knowles of multi-platinum group Destiny's Child. Although the two were, and continue to be, secretive about their relationship, it was clear that they were an item. The contrast of Ms. Knowles's elegant, good girl image, and Carter's silent depth made them a perfect fit for public admiration and speculation.
However, the same unshakeable cool that infuses both his demeanor and his delivery with a powerful authority seems to be the same attribute that puts him at a distance from others. The effect of this attribute was suggested during a time when a meeting of two superstars was supposed to take place. In the spring of 2001, a press conference heavy on starpower (Sean Combs, Russell Simmons, and Johnnie Cochran were all in attendance) announced that Jay-Z and R&B hitmaker R. Kelly were going to record an album together. (The idea was spawned by the mammoth success of their collaboration on the remix of the R. Kelly
single "Fiesta.")

Soon, however, salacious allegations involving underage girls were leveled against R. Kelly, intensified by a widely accessible video recording. Not long after, it was announced that there would be no videos filmed for any song from the album and that a planned tour had been scrapped. It was rumored that Jay asked the people at VIBE magazine to remove him from a planned cover promoting the album, which received lackluster reviews based on the widely held
belief that both performers phoned it in. (When asked in interviews about the belief that he abandoned Kelly, Jay would become defensive. The two eventually agreed to tour a year later, but the tour ended in disaster with R. Kelly filing a lawsuit against Jay, alleging that Jay failed to provide proper security and sabotaged his performance set.)

A belief that Jay had few qualms with severing ties was strengthened by the recent split between Carter and longtime business partner Damon Dash. There had long been rumors of conflict within the Roc-A-Fella camp, starting with Damon Dash's appointment of rapper Cam'ron (who Dash managed) as Vice President of Roc-A-Fella Records when Mr. Carter
took a long deserved vacation. When Jay returned from his sabbatical, Jay vetoed Cam'ron's appointment. Furthermore, long simmering tension between Dash and Record Excutive Lyor Cohen (who was then head of Island Def Jam) had gotten worse, while talk of Jay's disenchantment with Dash's aggressive persona grew stronger.

CHANGE CLOTHES: After reigning supreme over rap, Shawn 'Jay-Z' Carter took over as President of Island Def Jam in January of 2005.
In 2004, it was announced that Jay-Z would become the new President of Island Def Jam in January of 2005. What was also disclosed was that not only was Dash no longer involved with Roc-A-Fella Records, but that Jay-Z had retained the rights to the name that he had built with two other people (it has since been discovered that Jay offered the name to Dash and Burke in exchange for full ownership of the masters of "Reasonable Doubt" (Jay's classic first album); Dash said yes; Burke said no). Additionally, Kanye West, the only artist on the old Roc-A-Fella roster who consistently moved units, decided to sign with Jay-Z's new incarnation of the label, even though Dash is credited with both discovering him and convincing Jay to sign him.

Dash eventually sold his stake in Rocawear for 20 million, severing all business ties to his former
partner. (Dash, for his part, is struggling to regain his footing in the music industry; he has, however, gained some recognition as a producer of films. He had a hand in producing the provocative Kevin Bacon drama, "The Woodsman" and the thought-provoking documentary
"The N Word.")
For now, Jay, who is part owner of the New Jersey (soon to be Brooklyn) Nets, has not yet had a
successful artist that he can truly claim as his own. In a very telling development, it was recently
announced that the self-proclaimed "God M.C." will come out of retirement to release a new album entitled "Kingdon Come" in November. Some view this decision as the result of a thirsty MC itching to get back in the game, while others view it as a tacit admission that Def Jam needs a new Jay-Z album just to be in the black this year.
Whatever the motivation behind this occurrence, Jay's quote from his 2001 hit single "Hova (IZZO)" has proven to be prophetic: "Can't leave rap alone/the game needs me."

To view more writings, articles and perspectives from the cultural analyst known as Mr. Byron Lee please visit his official blog @ http://www.bleebus.blogspot.com