Jay-Z seems to keep taking his brand higher and higher. From working with Barack Obama and the Brooklyn Nets to dropping, “Watch The Throne,” with Kanye West. Would you consider him at this point the greatest success story Hip Hop has ever seen? Also would you consider him the G.O.A.T.?
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greatest success story, yes!! the G.O.A.T, hell naw!! thats 3 stacks..
i would say will smith is the greatest success hip hop has seen, cause he was a rapper first before anything else
How long was Will Smiths rapping career? Once 1990 hit I don’t think anyone really considered him to be a rapper anymore. I personally never saw him as one.
People don’t even think of Will Smith as a rapper
i’d have to say its Papoose but yeah, Jay’s up there. top 20 maybe.
@Ronnie
Jay is first and foremost hip-hop though. So yes I’d agree he’s the biggest success story in hip-hop because he’s reached such heights while maintaining his first title, “rapper,” unlike Will Smith who mainly embodies an actor now, not a rapper. He ventured out of hip-hop and never came back. Smith is great, but he really can’t be considered a participant when considering this question.
yea @ronnie coleman its kinda hard to not put will smith in there 1st.
the only thing is like jayz did with rap, while still rapping, etc.
will left rap, became a movie star then went to pop music (no shots) and kept doing blockbuster movies. i’m sure jayz would take that route if he was as talented an actor as will. and i’m sure will wouldve taken the jayz route if he was as talented an emcee.
but this is the county of kings so i’ma go wit that brooklyn boy fuck it. will smith is untouchable to me. jayz feels within my reach of a kid from brooklyn. will smith feels like one of those celebrities u will never see in person ever, but jayz seems real i’ve seen him i’ve said wat up to him etc etc.
In terms of money and selling out… probably. In terms of being the G.O.A.T… that title belongs to NaS
forgot to mention, nicki on american idol, she gettin a reality show on E! network, she has perfume of her own, drake got a clothing line or someshit wit that ovo shit.
those 2 are probably bigger than wayne at this point. nobody on ross or kanye label can say that wit a straight face
Yes and Yes…….. Jay came a long way from selling drugs in VA ( 757 ) then being the BEST MC ALIVE, now he is taking over everything………. Jay can still make anybody record he is on his and nobody is still not seeing his MC skills.
50 Cent easily he showed the way for mixtape rappers and took the mixtapes format and made them into song format and then he got blackballed after being shot and Em and Dre took a chance on him and the rest in history ? if not 50 Royce needs to take a closer look at home for the greatest success story in Hip-Hop, No surprise this is on him soon as someone mentions Jay-Z everyone is on his dick anybody can steal peoples lyrics and claim them as there own people need to stop sucking him off
I think buisness wose jay z has created alot of oppurtunities for people who like hip hop but as far as storytelling and rhyming the title goes to nas. But jay z is the more succesfull because of knowledge of well how to gain revenue and expand and do things outside of hip hop
hypothetical question? That seems to go without saying.
What kinda question is this?? Jay-Z is miles ahead of these other rappers..
GOAT NO DOUBT !
Jay is unquestionably the GOAT, will smith came out with really one album that was considered hip hop and he did not write any of his raps,Nas in my opinion is one of the greatest lyriclist but Jay-Z is the GOAT.
Diddy, 50 cent, eminem, Dre all did really well for themselves as well. But Jay i think has that extra drive and really knows how to diversify his investments and projects.
niggas in here being straight disrespectful (steven a smith voice) jay easily best why?…he put in the work…HE wrote the lyrics..HE made the movies nas…not where jay is…will smith never was where jay is because they on totally different routes lets not be overly anal about these contestants jay is easily the best an what makes it greater is that its n no way looking like its coming to a halt jay hova
FROM 1989 TO 2005 WILL HAS BEEN DROPPIN HOT MUSIC, OVER 20 MILL SOLD, HOW IS HE NOT CONSIDERED A RAPPER? LEAVE YOUR FEELING AS THE DOOR, LOOK AT THE FACTS. BIG WILLY STYLE IS A CLASSIC FUCK WHAT YOU KNOW
So we just going to forget about Diddy because Jay-z is opening up Barclay’s Center this week ???
I think its between Diddy & Jay-Z no one else really pass that bar
ahahahahaha
50 Cent is better than Jay Z… Jay Z doesn’t own the Nets… He just rents them to showcase himself
Come on people… step your game up. You want to be the architect or the painter
Definitely Will Smith. From Rap Star, to Tv Star, to one of the Biggest Movie Stars Ever. Not even close. @Infamous says how long was his rap career? He started in 1987 going platinum(before itunes and social media) are you serious? Stopped rapping in about 2005. Why was he not considered a rapper? Cuz he didn’t talk about violence and drugs? Hm First Grammy. You’re ignorant. Who doesn’t know the opening to Fresh Prince of Bel Air? How many black movie stars do we have? Now how many black rap stars do we have? Only actor ever to have 11 consecutive blockbuster(100 Mill) movies in a row. Jay Z is a mogul and legend in his own right but Will Smith is the biggest success in hip hop bar none. Too much to type on this. But if we are talking being an MC, Nas hands down.
ahahahaha you tried way too hard.
Nas is the greatest MC of all time. Greatest Success Story? Like, who would have the best story to write a book about? (Not putting skill into account) Jay-Z, Will Smith, 50 Cent, Eminem
Jay-Z is the greatest rapper of all time, look at what he was 16 years ago and all the shit he predicted he would achieve. He did it all.
fuck that FAKE nigga, PAC IS DA GREATEST
If Jay isnt the best tell me who is realistically and really think about it before u say it cause its other great rappers thats right up there but there career doest measure up or was cut short too soon so who fucking with him
I Dont Understand Why This Is Now A Topic, Of Course He Is, Just Look At All He Did Buisness Wise And Still Remained An Elite Rapper At That, Name Another Rapper That Did All Hes Done, I Mean The Proof’s In The Pudding
most sucessful – Jay, Will Smith, or Diddy
GOAT – Nas, Common, or Em
Best of Boath Worlds – Em, Jay, and Kanye
And Please Dont Mention Diddy Cause He Never Wrote a Rhyme In HIs Life, But He Is Successful Business wise. Jay Accomplished More as A Rapper Than Anyone Else
It’s a tough call between Jay, Diddy, and Will Smith. Jay has come a long way from Marcy. Owns a share of a NBA team and put together it’s branding image, owns his own label, first name basis with the President, 40/40, and smashes Beyonce. Diddy is a self made billionaire and Will Smith is one of if not the most powerful black entertainer in Hollywood.
I don’t consider him the Greatest rapper ever. Yeah he’s a great business man but that isn’t a credential in rap. He’s 2nd behind Pac (the most versatile artist ever).
FUCK NO! without biggie, he wouldn’t have half the lines or songs he’s “written”. Definitely goes to Diddy (love him or hate him) or will smith (if you consider him a rapper)
Hey who ever said that will smith is a rapper is full of shit….people has wrote most of will smith album for him stop it…..
Jay has shitted on every rapper
when it come’s to gettin money and
makin power moves and stayin relevant.
So yes he is in my mind. But he still not
a better mc then Nas.
Jay us definitely the greatest hiphop success story. Personally, he is the GOAT. That is what I believe, but is just my opinion.
Jay-Z is easily “hip-hop’s greatest success story” within this era! Within the past 10 years, Shawn has taken the genre alone to new heights and continues to push the envelope. I still remember when he signed on a deal with Reebok to release the first ever non-athlete shoe deal, now look, every one has stepped outside of the genre to do lucrative deals. Say what you want, but the Mr.Carter continues to be an entrepeneur all while remaining revelant figure in hip hop. Some people may include P. Diddy or Will Smith… Diddy isn’t a respected lyricist or even considered amongst the raps elite in turns of content, lyrical prowess, or subject matter; Diddy is more of what we consider Russell Simmons, I don’t remember him dropping an album every year and people going to school reciting lines from a specific cut. Will Smith on the other hand is arguable; BUT as far as opening avenue’s, if you couldn’t act, didn’t push the lane’s of true entrepreneurship. Whether you like him or not, Jay-Z has opened the gateway for so many young African Americans in our society, proving you don’t have to obtain a education, but remain motivated and eager for knowledge. Jay-Z is nt only respected by corporate America, but still maintains a level of respect from newcomers and pioneers for his lyricism.
how u niggas gon leave out WEEZY!!!! smh
smh.. Weezy? really?..lol..
Jay wen its all set n done will def b crown the greatest of all time..biggie only had 2 albums
In terms of the associated theme of rising from poverty to luxury, yes. GOAT is subjective because one could say that biggie was better but its all opinion. So in my opinion yeah, Jay Z is that dude and really cemented himself at the top. Quote from Clique “Who we gon’ tell? We top of the totem pole. We the dream team meets the supreme team.”
been saying it for years now, Hov is the GOAT & that’s that.
yeaah he is the most successful business wise. but he is no 2 G.O.A.T after nas
From selling drugs to having casual convos with THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, every rapper strives to be him, all of them say they wanna be like Jay Z one day
Someone needs to say it…….FUCK NAS
Yall niggas trppin. of course he is
A lot of people are missing the ? When it states the greatest hip hop story, clearly diddy is included whether he writes his rhymes or not. that’s akin to saying that Beiber is not a pop artist or Ciara isn’t an R&B artist cause they don’t write their records, makes no sense. And if you view the question in its proper context, then it’s Diddy and Will Smith, before Jay-Z…they both have achieved more than Jay-Z. You can name his recent forays but none have as much penetration as what Diddy and Will Smith has done. A hit television sitcom, millions of records sold, the first rap grammy, all the countless pop culture movie successes and impact. Diddy was on Forbes before any rapper knew what it was, Ciroc is in every human and rapper’s hands…he still owns Sean John, millions of records sold, started the careers of many artists with millions of records sold, executive produced, broadway actor, movie actor…the list goes on…oh and he’s the richest out of any one on this list. Where’s the competition? Jay has had a great career, made a lot of money, but he only owns like 0.70% of the nets, his duracell deal won’t be seen as much, neither will his NBA 2K deal, all of these are semantic type deals that Diddy and Will make all the time, u just never hear of them. He’s won many grammys and sold millions, sold Rocafella but aside from that there’s nothing else substantial that you can point to that warrants him the title. Sorry.
So Jay didnt own a clothing too that he flipped for 200M and still gets a check for? Oh ok
Oh I forgot 40/40 for Jay
It’s funny how my posts keep getting deleted.
40/40 is a fraud… Jay Z is so scummy it is silly. He would never hang with Kanye if Ye didn’t save Jay Z’s career
50 Cent owns things… Jay Z borrows his name.
Jay Z is a fraud and looks like a camel.
G.O.A.T. Means greatest not best. You can say other rappers are better lyrically… That’s your opinion but how can you argue that Jay Z isn’t the greatest rapper of all time. If you are still confused look up the definition of great and best. Good night kids!
I pretty much have to agree with @likeabite
U niggas seen a couple of post on this site, highlighting new ventures that Jay is involved in and you mf’s are ready to give this man Humanitarian of the decade award… I sometime wonder if u niggas are interns for RocNation Lol… but another note, Salute to all of the hip hop artist who are kicking down doors, I dont think y’all realize how the hip hop genre influences the WORLD from a corporate stand point as well as social.
What about master P lol he earned more money in hip hop than Diddy, jay n will
rap wise, jay might not have been in the game for as long as he has if it wasn’t for kanye
nas nas nas nas nas nas
THE QUESTION IS WHO IS JAY Z HES MYSTERIOUS SNEAKY HE HAS HIDDEN AGENDAS WHAT DOES HE AND OBAMA HAVE IN COMMON IF HE WAS A BIG TIME DRUG DEALER FROM MARCY THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT JAY Z THAT I DON’T LIKE AND NEVER DID AS FAR AS HIS MUSIC GOES ITS THE SAME OLD SONG OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN HES A HUSTLER THAT’S IT HE A BETTER VERSION OF OFFICER RICKY IT WILL ALWAYS BE THE PERSON WHO STANDS FOR NOTHING THAT PEOPLE WILL FALL FOR.
He’s the best without a doubt, noone has accomplished as much as him. Everybody wants to bring up nas, who for the record worked for jay not too long ago. also nas doesnt have as muh credentials as jay to say he’s better. jay is more consistent n freestyles better than nas. nas is a ill writer but sucks at freestyling, thats why it takes him years to drop a album. Ether was without a doubt a tuff song but there was alot of fabrication in it, jays takeover n super ugly was all facts.
jay is the only rapper to beat elvis for the most number 1 albums. Jay = G.O.A.T.
Jay z one of my fav, but 50 got this. How many times do we here about a drug dealer nearly getting shot to death, becoming a multi millionaire doing business ventures, acting,and does damage on the mic. But ima give Jay the benefit of the doubt, dude got a hustle we ain’t gone see ever again.
Rap has been good and has shown to be the most powerful music for the last twenty plus years. It has spawned many entrepreneurs during this time. Just glad to see so many young men benefit from the culture. Jay-Z Hands down is that guy. But the list of success stories is huge . When talking diverse money only few in the same lane as Jay. (Will Smith, Ice Cube, Diddy) But there is many to pay respect to. Master P, 50, Dr Dre, Ice T, Nelly etc…
Tupac probably would have to be on the same magnitude.
JAY Z DONT EVEN OWN THE NETS
HE INVESTED IN IT BUT NOT THAT MUCH
Wait Are You Guys Serious Lol Just Respect What This Man Has Done For The City , His Hometown Started In 96 Now Look At Him You Will Never See Another Rapper Do It Like Him He Went From A Corner To A Corner Office His Bestfriend Is Kanye West , His Wife Is Beyonce Like His Music Is Getting Broken Down In Class Rooms Now Nas I Never Take Anything Away From Him But Jay Will Always Be Better Than Him Comercially Now Will I Mean Yes His Story Is Amazing But Most Of His Song Was Written But Jay Put A Team In Brooklyn
Jay is the G.O.A.T. Diddy has not achieved more than Jay you see 40/40, 2k, selling the roc, and live nation deal he also have hotels, Advertising company, restaurants, nets, etc. 50 is not fuckin with Jay he has not even withstood his relevance in music no one listen to him Jay is still going, Nas and Jay both are lyrically G.O.A.T, but Jay is hip hops G.O.A.T, Please tell me who raps he has stollen or copied? He wrote for will smith, dr. Dre, snoop dogg, and even Buggs bunny(space jam). The most hatted but still prevail u hatters go listen to ‘You only a customer’.
jay is top 3 dead or alive that nigga use to live in the projects if you from the projects you know its hard as fuck to get out that negative people with no dreams or drive or ambition and these are your friends thats always around you jay is hip hops elivis presly only person fuckin with him in rapping skills is nas and eminem
He is the greatest success story in hip hop. He has done a lot for himself and for hip hop. U can come from selling drugs to round table. Problem is u have to have extra drive in you. Jay didnt stop at just rap he went beyond.
Some of you clowns strayed away from the question. SMH. Jay-Z is the greatest success story in Hip Hop as well as being The G.O.A.T. You say he stole rhymes from B.I.G., when he really only stole “ONE LINERS” One liners don’t make an entire 16 bars you morons. This is my most unbiased opinion because Nas is my favorite rapper ever. No rapper has or maybe ever will have the longevity that Jay has had, built the empire he has, rapped AFTER 40 and sold records, marketed and sold a great clothing line. With HELP he built a ROC-A-FELLA. Are you kidding me??? BTW for the first guy who commented 3 Stacks puts out one verse every year or two, idc what his past achievements when you weigh their success side by side its not even comparable. Not to mention Jay is worth 500+ million off of being a rapper and no one better not say well Diddy is worth more than him. He is but he’s a business mogul FIRST and not a rapper. Use your minds when you speak. Most of you are two simple minded to even grasp that concept.
YES, I AGREE THAT JAY-Z IS THE GREATEST STORY IN THE HISTORY OF HIP-HOP. I would not consider Will Smith the greatest story because he doesn’t have that story of struggle that hip-hop was founded upon. I’m not saying he’s not hip-hop, and I’m not saying he didn’t have anything to overcome, but his story does not compare to Jay-Z’s. AND LIKE IT OR NOT DIDDY IS STILL CONSIDERED HIP HOP!!!!! JUST BECAUSE HIS RAPPING SKILLS AREN’T TOP NOTCH DOESN’T ME HE’S NOT HIP HOP. DIDDY is a close second to Jay in relation to the question. STOP TAKING THESE QUESTIONS OUT OF CONTEXT
I wouldn’t go as far to not consider will smith a rapper, but the biggest reason he’s not a consideration in most of these conversations is that he left rap a LONG time ago, and never even flirted with it successfully after that. If he was to drop an album tomorrow would any of y’all take it serious? Probably not. Jay already retired once, and came back to more fanfare. And that’s in a climate where Wayne was essentially taking his spot. As far as GOAT, if it ain’t BIG it’s Jay period. I love Nas, but he’s been too inconsistent musically to be considered as the greatest. Album sales aren’t everything, but I’d venture to say his last album got less downloads then some of the artists who outsold him legally as well…that doesn’t sound like something the greatest would do. No disrespect tho, cuz he’s still top 3 lyrically in my book. Diddy is a consideration if you’re just talking about hip-hop culture in general, but then so is Russell. 50′s also an honorable mention
The Reason why Jay-Z Is The Greatest Success Story In Hip-Hop Ever Cause He Was Able To Bring A Basketball Team Worth Millions To His Hood Of Brooklyn. And Too K Man He Is Part Owner Of Team What Is Yo Boy 50 Part Owner Of
Plus He Producing NBA 2k13 Which All Yall Niggas Bout To Play He Is The Greatest Rapper Alive. !2 Number 1 Albums Period!!!!!
Greatest success story from a business perspective…yes. Greatest rapper of all time? Not even close. Verdict = Great businessman, skilled rapper. Top 15 greatest rappers for sure, but nowhere near GOAT status in my opinion. But being top 15 and a great business (multi-millionaire) is a hell of a achievement in my opinion…so I respect that. 1
Yes
I say yes. I would put Jay-Z ahead of Will Smith because Jay-Z came from the projects, while Will Smith was middle class basically (with both his parents). Jay-Z came from way worse and is still on (or close to) Will Smith’s level.
Plus, Will Smith hasn’t been “hip hop” in DECADES. I don’t think he should even be considered.
Hey Guys are we forgetting Diddy? U can say what you want about Diddy but you can’t knock what this man has done for the last 20 plus yrs. Yes Jay might have the best hip hop story if your referring to artist but lets not forget Diddy is hip hop as well. Diddy is this generations Russell Simmons as far as paving the way for future moguls including Jay & 50. Let’s break this down. There’s no denying Diddy’s skills for discovering talent. From Mary J. Blige to taking Jocedi career to new heights…. to working with a young Usher, Biggie, Faith Evans, Total, Mase, Danity Kane, Day 26 and I’m only listing the artist that went plat. As far as businesses, he put Jay on to so many ventures like Sean John (which came out before Roca Wear), Unforgettable (came out before Jay’s fran.), Executive Producing Making the Band. And his critically acclaimed acting performances in both Monster Ball and A Rasin in the Sun (remake). Do I have to remind you Circoc? While both Jay, Cam and a bunch of other rappers tried to come out with a beverage Diddy has done it successfully. Also, lets not forget who gave Jay a chance by allowing him to open on his Bad Boy Tour in ’97???? Let’s not forget who Executive Produced Jay’s second album which also was the first album that Jay went Platinum????? And finally to cap off this debate, It’s been reported by Forbes last year that Diddy will become the first ever Billionaire….so if that’s the case then how can Jay be the most successful hip-hop story???? CASE CLOSED!!!!!
I think we’re missing something. Royce said the greatest story in Hip Hop. That does’t necessarily mean the greatest rapper. In the truest sense, we can’t leave out Russell Simmons. He changed the trajectory of hip hop and turned it into an enterprise…using his own family, Run/RUN-DMC, who became agruably the first superstars in the game. Not to mention the countless stars that came out of that movement (LL Cool J, etc…hell Rick Ross is under Def Jam). So from a whollistic and “Greatest Story in Hop Hip” point of view, you can’t the fuck with the brotherly combination of Russell (BUSINESS – the creation of the super label Def Jam) and Run/RUN-DMC (ARTISTRY – mega hip hop stars). Those brothers took Hip Hop out of the burros of New York and made it into a worldwide, billion dollar industry, solidly built on the some of the most genious talents the world has seen….AND THE STORY IS STILL CONTINUING!!
These guys crossed hip hop into rock (RUN-DMC and Aerosmith) and RUN-DMC made the Adidas brand. Russell realized this created Phat Farm..then cash in on it. In doing so, he gave these guys the insight into the power of the branding as well as the blueprint on how to break into the $100+ million club. Russell and the Simmons family (as well as their founding contributors) have been the greatest story in Hip Hop as we know it…..but, the story continues….
NOW, with that said. It should be understood that every generation should stand on the shoulders of those who came before them and achieve even more. In the words of Jigga, each new great superstar “should stand as a monument to the ones that came before”…Black Album. So in that light, these artists, leaders, moguls, SHOULD climb to new heights, understanding that they’ve had the luxury of studying the moves of the previous GOAT.
I completely agree that Jay-Z has definitely grown to inconceivable heights is the greatest SUCCESS STORY that has come out of Hip Hop, however the Simmons family set the path from which Jigga came out of….
Lil Wayne!!! He evolved the rap game, when Hip Hop was “dead” and high selling albums was over who came back and sold a million then almost did it again. Wayne has taken Rap to a new level!!
well put True Dat, Russell Simmons and/or Diddy have just as much or more a claim of greatest success in hip hop as jay-z. Russell helped push hip hop into main stream America and world wide, you have to acknowledge Russell laying the foundation by which jay/diddy and all other rappers built their success on. IMO- Russell, then Diddy, then Jay
SHOUOUT to @True dat!!!
jays a great rapper, its all subjective, but IMO greatest rappers of all time
1-Nas
2-Rakim
3-Biggie
4-Jay
Greatest HipHop Success Story
1. JayZ
2. Will Smith
4 Diddy
5. Ice Cube (NWA, Boys in the Hood, Friday, Commercials)
6. Dre Dre (Death Row, Aftermath, 50, Eminem, beats by dre)
Honorable mention: #Snoop #Tupac
Jay > Diddy
Jay only owns a small part of the Nets but he gets a cut of the stadium profits and there is a 40/40 club in the stadium. Roc-a-wear , Aramadale, Ace of Spades, Live Nation Contract, Roc Nation (Rhianna alone is more successful than any artist from Diddy not named Biggie)… musically hes performed at Rock Concerts where no other Rapper has ever performed. Madison Square Garden Made a mash up album with Linkin Park has more number 1 albums than Elvis and is still able to sell out a concert more than 10 years into his career. Diddy could not sell out Barclays Arena let alone 6 nights.
Musically he is way past diddy its not even close. business wise he is neck and neck. He is greater than Diddy success wise overall.
Not to mention all the rappers hes influenced including Wayne.
yes, the greatest hip hop success story, by far. overall impact, of course! best emcee??? debateble.