In this episode, The Empire State of Mind of Jay Z - Recited Over NYC you will hear some of the best quotes from Jay Z, who is a legendary rapper, entrepreneur and mogul, Shawn Carter aka Jay Z’s wisdom and insights will help you understand what it takes to be successful. Jay Z's success mindset will inspire you to build your own empire and become a genius-level talent in whatever you are inspired to do. Who is Jay Z? JAY-Z (born December 4, 1969, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.) American rapper and entrepreneur, one of the most influential figures in hip-hop in the 1990s and early 21st century. Shawn Carter grew up in Brooklyn’s often dangerous Marcy Projects, where he was raised mainly by his mother. His firsthand experience with illicit drug dealing would inform his lyrics when he began rapping under the stage name Jazzy, soon shortened to Jay-Z (a name that may also have been derived from the proximity of the J and Z subway lines to the Marcy Projects). Jay-Z and two friends founded their own company, Roc-A-Fella Records, to release his debut album, Reasonable Doubt (1996), which eventually sold more than a million copies in the United States.