Empire State of Mind Audiobook By Zack O'Malley Greenburg cover art

Empire State of Mind

How Jay-Z Went from Street Corner to Corner Office

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Empire State of Mind

By: Zack O'Malley Greenburg
Narrated by: Sean Pratt
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About this listen

"I'm not a businessman. I'm a business, man."
—Jay-Z

Some people think Jay-Z is just another rapper. Others see him as just another celebrity/mega-star. The reality is, no matter what you think Jay-Z is, he is first and foremost a business. And as much as Martha Stewart or Oprah, he has turned himself into a lifestyle. You can wake up to the local radio station playing Jay-Z's latest hit, spritz yourself with his 9IX cologne, slip on a pair of his Rocawear jeans, lace up your Reebok S. Carter sneakers, catch a Nets basketball game in the afternoon, and grab dinner at The Spotted Pig before heading to an evening performance of the Jay-Z-backed Broadway musical Fela! and a nightcap at his 40/40 Club. He'll profit at every turn of your day.

But despite Jay-Z's success, there are still many Americans whose impressions of him are foggy, outdated, or downright incorrect. Surprisingly to many, he honed his business philosophy not at a fancy B school but on the streets of Brooklyn, New York, and beyond as a drug dealer in the 1980s.

Empire State of Mind tells the story behind Jay-Z's rise to the top as told by the people who lived it with him. This audiobook explains just how Jay-Z propelled himself from the bleak streets of Brooklyn to the heights of the business world. He also includes new information on Jay-Z's various business dealings, such as:

  • The feature movie about Jay-Z and his first basketball team that was filmed by Fab 5 Freddy in 2003 but never released
  • The Jay-Z branded Jeep that was scrapped just before going into production
  • The real story behind his association with Armand de Brignac champagne
  • The financial ramifications of his marriage to Beyonce

Jay-Z's tale is compelling, not just because of his celebrity, but because it embodies the rags-to-riches American dream and is a model for any entrepreneur looking to build a commercial empire.

©2011 Zack O'Malley Greenburg (P)2011 Gildan Media Corp
Business Cultural & Regional Entertainment & Celebrities Music Celebrity Funny Inspiring
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Critic reviews

"[A] fascinating, well-done biography of one of the most extraordinary entrepreneurs of our era." (Steve Forbes)

Featured Article: Big Ideas in Business and Tech


Even the most successful entrepreneurs had to start somewhere. When it comes to groundbreaking technology, the people who became leading business executives often began as lone visionaries with nothing but an idea. Now that they’re global industry leaders, many of them have shared their amazing stories in memoirs. These tales of heartbreak and triumph will bring you along on the roller-coaster of success, all the while showing you the secrets of how business greats transformed their dreams into reality. Read on to find your next great inspiration!

What listeners say about Empire State of Mind

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

A little biased

I think Jay Z's refusal to get behind this author's project caused this book to be slightly, but clearly, slanted against Jay Z. Not quite a smear job, but far more critical than I expected.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

He's not just a businessman. He's a business, man.

Fascinating story about Jay-Z's business approach. He truly has a 360 degree mentality, meaning that he incorporates his friends with his business with his interests with his home life and then capitalizes on it all. It tells you how Jay-Z intertwined all the important things in his life and still made crazy amounts of money.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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Great Read

I really enjoyed the book. It gave me a lot of background knowledge of Jay Z and helped me understand some of the people he speaks about in his songs. Also, how intelligent he is without any formal secondary education. It’s ya boy!

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Liked it

There's always a different side to the same coin jay z is that kind of an example and many more

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Amazing book

ThisBook offers amazing insight into the life of one of the greatest artists and business person of our era... And maybe the best ever at being both simultaneously...

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Nourishing your Shift.

In order to transform there has to be a termination, when you terminate you must then provide nourishment to the seed of greatness within. This book will aid in the process and will enlightened you on who Shawn Carter is as a entrepreneur. Great to listen to on long Road trips or take a chapters a day. Enjoy. #LegacyMindset

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very informative

I enjoyed this story. There is a lot of behind the scenes stuff that I didn't know. It was helpful to listen to the audio book after seeing the artist preform live. I have a better appreciation for his talent and business acumen.

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Great content

This book has inspired and encouraged me to never give up on my dream and work, work, work, work...

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Not a first hand acccount by j-z. himself

It was okay but if you have no knowledge about SC himself you will just have.to.take the authors word at everything he says opinion and otherwise. I would have liked to hear it from Shawn himself!

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jay z mogul

worth the story of rise to success. would recommend to anyone who can enjoy a biography

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