Updated and revised in 2021—the story of American rapper Jay-Z's glass-shattering rise from the Brooklyn projects to the top of the business world.

Beyond the award-wining albums and chart-topping hits, Jay-Z’s business savvy has cemented his legacy as one of the most successful artists of our time. Now with new insights into how he recently achieved his Forbes-certified billionaire status, Empire State of Mind reveals the inside story behind the rapper's meteoric rise.

With a sprawling network of investments ranging from fashion, technology, and top-shelf liquor to nightclubs, streaming services, and record labels, it’s possible for Jay-Z to profit at every turn of your day. So how did a kid from the projects turn himself into a one-man conglomerate? Through the eyes of the people who lived it with him—including the childhood friend who got him into the drug trade, the DJ who persuaded him to stop dealing and focus on his music, and industry collaborators like Alicia Keys and J. Cole—we see how Jay-Z not only honed his craft but transformed each setback into an opportunity for more.

For every hustler, mogul, and businessperson who seeks to build something spectacular, this book is the blueprint.

Now updated and revised-from Forbes senior editor, a compelling portrait of American rapper Jay Z and his rise from the Brooklyn projects to the top of the business world.

Only a handful of people embody the legacy of hip-hop and entrepreneurship like Jay Z. A modern-day King Midas, everything he touches-sports bars, streaming services, record labels, and cognac-turns to gold. How exactly did he do it?

Forbes senior editor Zack O'Malley Greenburg reveals the story of Jay Z's legendary rise from the Marcy Projects of Brooklyn to stages and corner offices worldwide. He draws on over 100 interviews with those who knew Jay Z from the beginning: his classmates at George Westinghouse High School; the childhood friend who got him into the drug trade; and the DJ who convinced him to stop dealing and focus on the music. Also bearing witness are the artists who worked alongside him, including J. Cole and Alicia Keys.

Jay Z's life is a blueprint for any hustler, businessperson, and entrepreneur who seeks to build something spectacular.

"Fascinating, well-done biography of one of the most extraordinary entrepreneurs of our era."
—Steve Forbes

"Greenburg has become one of the rare reporters to bring dignified coverage of the hip-hop business into the mainstream. Empire State of Mind is a pure product of Greenburg’s care and insight, an exploration of hip-hop’s most enigmatic mogul."
—Dan Charnas, author of The Big Payback: The History of the Business of Hip-Hop

"Greenburg follows the money and key pieces of the Jay Z puzzle in this insightful,savvy read. This book is like a GPS leading us through the modern urban realityof how Jay Z’s empire was built."
—Fab 5 Freddy, artist, hip-hop pioneer, and former host of Yo! MTV Raps

"A superb guide for your career, even if you are looking to be an investment banker or grocery store manager instead of a hip-hop legend."
—CNN.com