Jay-Z Entr. Paper

In the world we live in today, success does not come easy. Success is something that must be achieved through hard work, determination, and ambition. One man who has captured success in such a manner is Shawn Corey Carter, better known by his stage name Jay-Z. Carter is not an immensely prosperous and influential figure by mistake. He attained his fame by a prodigious desire to achieve success by any means necessary. He took nothing for granted while expecting nothing out of anyone besides himself. This is why Jay-Z now finds himself as one of the richest celebrities in the world with an estimated net worth of over $450 million according to Forbes.com. Carter used his street smarts, ambition and his desire for success to branch off his Hip Hop career and become an ingenious entrepreneur in a world where nothing is a given. Jay-Z was born and raised in the rough and gritty Marcy Projects of Brooklyn, New York. He was the last of four children and the only one not to give his mom pain at birth, leading her to say “that’s how I knew he was a special child” (bio.com). A special child he was indeed. He started his entrepreneurial ways at a young age by selling drugs in the streets. This is where Jay-Z the hustler and businessman was formed. He strongly believed in his ability to sell a certain product (for example, drugs) to customers. This is clearly demonstrated in his song You Don’t Know in which he raps “I sell ice in the winter, fire in hell; I am a hustler baby I’ll sell water to a well” (Killer Hip Hop). Jay-Z has a level of self-confidence, an arrogant way about him that allowed him to become fearless in the business world. He knows that the only thing that will ever stop him is death, and he has said himself “I’m not afraid of dying, I’m afraid of not trying” (Killer Hip Hop). He realizes the importance of reaching for the stars and realizing your dreams, your desires. He did not sit around keeping his dreams to himself, but instead he acted on his dreams,