Jay-Z Is Officially The First Hip-Hop Billionaire

The race to become the first hip-hop billionaire has officially come to an end. Today, a report from Forbes has confirmed that Jay-Z has hit an impressive milestone. As the publication tells it, his net worth “conservatively totals $1 billion, making him one of only a handful of entertainers to become a billionaire—and the first hip-hop artist to do so.”

It’s no surprise, given his track record both within and beyond the music industry; Hov has 14 number one albums to his name, with at least four of them going down as hip-hop classics. He also launched the fashion company Rocawear in 1999, built D’Ussé cognac alongside Bacardi, and moved forward with the launch of streaming giant Tidal. 

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In the Forbes article, longtime Jay-Z collaborator Swizz Beatz offered a few thoughts on the accomplishment. “It’s bigger than hip-hop,” he explains. “It’s the blueprint for our culture. A guy that looks like us, sounds like us, loves us, made it to something that we always felt that was above us. If he’s a billionaire now, imagine what he’s about to be. Because he’s only just starting.”

The article also breaks down the makeup of Jay’s fortune, which includes a $70 million dollar art collection, $50 million in real estate, a music catalog worth $75 million (he owns his own masters), and more. Check it out in full below, and congratulations to the almighty Jay-Z! Is this man the GOAT?

[via]