Blake Soulet
Walden University
Jay-z, His Upbringing, and Impact on the World For hundreds of years, individuals and our world have always had an impact on others and their respective societies. From artists to world leaders, the world never ceases to create individuals who strive to be the best they can be and impact others. One person that has strived to be the best he could be and impact others is Jay-Z. Jay-Z, a drug dealer, turned rapper, turned businessman, has had an incredible journey to success that is deserving of a movie, depicting the life in times of Jay-Z. The purpose of this manuscript is to decode the life of Jay-Z. He is a person I feel has been very influential on others …show more content…
He is also known by many people throughout the United States and different parts of the world. From hustling in the streets, to hustling to the top of the music charts, and hustling his way into the boardroom, Jay-Z has become “one of the most financially successful hip-hop artists and entrepreneurs in America with an estimated net worth of $500 million” (Jay-Z). While millions of dollars have accumulated in Jay-Z’s bank account over the years, they do not tell the whole story of the person behind the success and impact on others, which is what this manuscript will do. I found that a lot goes into the makeup of Jay-Z, a very complex person, but what I did not know is how he got that way. With the help of Zach O’Malley Greenburg’s biography, Empire State of Mind, I will discuss that in several sections throughout this manuscript. The first section of this manuscript, Jay-Z’s Nature versus Nurture, will discuss the influences of each on his life. The next section, Jay-Z’s Major Domains of Development (e.g., cognitive, physical, and social-emotional), will provide an analysis of how each played a role in his …show more content…
4). It was in that moment that he envisioned himself being able to perform in a cipher (J., 2010, p. 5). The theory that best explains this first milestone is Albert Bandura’s social learning theory, which emphasizes modeling, also known as observational learning (Berk, 2010, p. 18). Pops Leaving A second major milestone in Jay-Z’s life was his father leaving. When he left, Jay-Z took it hard (Greenburg, 2011, p. 20). Actively learning from what was happening in his environment, Jay-Z would fall in line with Jean Piaget’s cognitive-developmental theory. Under Piaget’s stage of concrete operational development, he became emotionally detached (Berk, 2010, p. 20; Greenburg, 2011, p. 16). Role Models Jay-Z’s father taught him to be confident and aware of his surroundings through games that exercised his observational skills (J., 2010, p. 202). The best way that skill was implemented in Jay-Z’s life was by finding mentors and mastering their lessons, so he could improve himself. The best theory to explain the mentors in Jay-Z’s life is Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory. Jay–Z models Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory through social interaction (Berk, 2010, p. 23). He took what he needed to know from each of his mentors and built success from