Today, anything Jay touches instantly turns to gold, including champagne. In all cases, his restraint pays dividends. Guest features on songs from other artists are increasingly rare. He judiciously selects his media appearances. Although he appears to be everywhere at once, he’s actually more exclusive than he’s been in years. The secret to Jay’s influence is his omnipresence. As a pop culture institution, he’s an icon that towers over everyone not named Beyoncé.
As a businessman, he’s routinely mentioned in the same breath as visionary tech leaders. As a rapper, he’s top-shelf, viewed as the Greatest of All Time by many. Today, Jay Z is known as a master of all those things. On “Can’t Knock The Hustle,” for instance, the Brooklynite buys three full-loaded BMWs, boasts that his Vitamin D is on Don Juan DeMarco levels, spells out his plans to acquire assets and brags about his Godfather flow. When he entered the rap game in earnest in ’96, Jay fancied himself spending money and living lavishly, while simultaneously presenting himself as a superhero on the mic. Introduced through his mentor Jaz in 1989, Jay Z was willing a future for himself with his cashmere thoughts. It’s as true today as it was when Hova came of age in the ‘80s and ‘90s. Both literally and figuratively, LVMH represents the aspirations of rappers. Each one represents class, wealth, prestige and exclusivity in its own way. LVMH is comprised of 75 houses including Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Dior and Givenchy. – “U Don’t Know” from 2001’s The Blueprint “Put me anywhere on God’s green Earth/I triple my worth”
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