At millennium's end, the hottest rapper in this hip hop game is Jay-Z. He modestly explains his lyrical motivation as something that just comes to him. "It's just there," he says. "I don't write songs, they just form. I could be riding around, i'll think of a particular topic, rehearse it and immediately come up with the song." Since the release of his quadruple-platinum Vol. II "Hard Knock Life", Jay-Z has had a phat string of radio hits: "Can I Get a �", "Hard Knock Life", "Jigga What Jigga Who", "Money, Cash, Hoes" and the list goes on and on.

His penchant for knockin' out flavor joints first became noticable when he burst onto the scene on "The Originators" with his man, The Jaz, in 1990. His buzz soon spread when he went on to collaborate with Original Flavor on the notable cut "Can I Get Open?" Reflecting on those days of scrambling and seeking a deal, Jay-Z has this to offer: "My man Jaz introduced me to this whole thing as a business. And through seeing all the things that happened to him, I learned a lot." He continues "after going to a couple of A&Rs, I soon realized they couldn't understand where I was coming from. But I knew there was an audience of people who understood and really felt what I was going through, 'cause it was real!"

Before that, he was Sean Carter, a young man from Brooklyn's Marcy Projects. Though Carter was a promising student, his wild behavior led him to a vocational high school in Brooklyn, where he met future stars Christopher Wallace (the Notorious B.I.G.) and Trevor Smith (Busta Rhymes). As a young MC, Jay-Z appeared on several underground mix tapes, and his work with the Jaz appeared promising. But with bills to pay, Jay-Z found himself in the criminal underworld, a life he had known since the age of 16. It wasn't until 1992 that he found the courage to leave the life of a drug dealer behind him.

Fate (and the streets) would lead Jay within the circle of young Harlem music entrepreneur Damon Dash, from which an immediate alliance between the two was made and then there was, Roc-A-Fella Records. "Being that I gained that experience with Jaz, I felt that we could put together Roc-A-Fella. With my partners Damon Dash and (third partner) Kareem 'Biggs' Burke, we make the whole unit tighter."
��

Jay-Z released his first single through Roc-A-Fella in 1995, "In My Lifetime". It proved to be a hit in New York's hip-hop scene, and helped Dash and Jay-Z secure a distribution deal for Jay-Z's 1996 debut, Reasonable Doubt. Jay-Z was soon to become a household name driven by the hot singles "Can't Knock The Hustle", "Feelin' It", "Brooklyn's Finest" f/ the late Notorius B.I.G, a vicious response to the late Tupac's "Hit 'Em Up", and the gold single "Ain't No Nigga" f/ Foxy Brown which founds it's way on The Nutty Professor soundtrack.

Although Reasonable Doubt has been said to be a certified classic by fans and critics, the humble Brooklyn MC is very quick to place his successful debut in its proper perspective. "I view the first album as like an introduction," he explains. "Not to take away from it in any way, but it wasn't too detailed. Whereas, with Vol I "In My Lifetime", I really took it there. "I think 85 percent of it is solid, and that 85 percent was better than everybody else's album at the time."
�

That winter, Jay-Z was one of several opening acts on Puff Daddy's 1997 "No Way Out" tour. But conflicts with the tour's promoters led him to abandon ship soon after it started; instead, he decided to focus his energy on the fledging Roc-A-Fella label and a straight-to-video film, Streets Is Watching. A short film about a group of hustlers in Brooklyn, Streets also served as a showcase for Roc-A-Fella artists like rapper Memphis Bleek, R&B duo Christion, and mix-tape star DJ Clue.
�

Vol II "Hard Knock Life" went platinum the first week out. Jay-Z was on a roll. By the time he finished the Hard Knock Life tour he was certified 4x's platinum. Also he was nominated for three Grammies. He won for "Best Rap Album". For Murder Dog magazine Jay-Z was named Best Male Solo 1998. Vol III "... Life & Times of S. Carter" 2x's platinum. It 's only one thing to be said is you no what to expect from the God MC, the Jay-Hovah. He never fails.

And for those who think that Jay doesn't care about his people, half the proceeds from the Hard Knock Life Tour were donated to the Columbine tragedy and $1,000 from "Do It Again" promo tour (12 cities) went to TEAM ROC. All Sean Carter wanted to do is reach his people. "So all Jay-Hova witnesses keep believing, ya heard?!