5 Lessons from The Jay-Z School of Success

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He’s worth over $500 million. He holds the record for #1 Billboard solo albums. He rocked Glastonbury and married Beyoncé – one of the sexiest, most successful women on earth.

Jay-Z – real name Shawn Carter – has everything a man could dream of.

But things weren’t always this easy. In the ‘90’s, no record label wanted to sign him. Like most self-made successes, Jay-Z made it through lots of hard work and brilliant decision-making.

Here’s what you can learn from the Marcy Projects boy who became a success symbol.

1. Believe In Yourself

Jay-Z started rapping as a teenager and performed in his mentor’s music video as early as 1989. Why did his first album (Reasonable Doubt) come out much later – in 1996?

The answer is simple – the man couldn’t get a record deal. No label wanted to invest in him. At this point, most would’ve given up, not seeing any other options – but Mr. Carter believed in himself too much to do that.

Instead, he co-founded his own fucking record label and started releasing music through it.

The result? Jay-Z became a superstar; his business (Rocafella) was wildly successful; Rocawear (the affiliated clothing line) ended up bringing in $700 million in annual revenue.

Lesson: None of that would’ve been possible if a young guy named Shawn doubted himself and his vision. The lesson is simple – don’t limit yourself with doubt. Start believing and watch the magic happen.

2. No Defeat is Final

In 2001, Jay-Z released a diss track calling out, amongst other people, Nas. Nas had been a rap heavyweight but hadn’t released anything in a while – most people expected him to stay out of sight or get steamrolled.

Instead, he surprised everyone with a devastating track that destroyed Jay-Z’s reputation and confidence. Jay sounded lost and confused in his interviews that year. To make matters worse, The Blueprint 2 was panned by critics (despite selling well).

Some men would’ve accepted defeat – but Jay-Z didn’t stay down. The men settled their differences and Jay went back to making smart smart decisions. A few years later, Nas signed to Def Jam – and guess who happened to be the label’s president? (Hint: it was a guy named Shawn)

Lesson: If you ever feel bested, remember that defeat is temporary. You only truly lose when you stay down.

3. Forget The Rules

Jay-Z was 26 when he released his first album. Other rappers popular at the time – Tupac, Nas, Biggie – had all released classic albums by their early 20’s. Rap had always been a young man’s game and everyone knew it.

But like he did with many other rules, Jay-Z ignored this one. And now, as a 42-year old rapper, he rewrote another rule: that nobody would ever listen to a middle-aged MC. Even today, he’s a rockstar rapper.

Lesson: Each field has its own rules – but sometimes it’s alright to ignore them. The bigger your vision, the more comfortable you need to be with disobeying, disregarding and refusing. Get comfortable with ignoring rules.

4. Know How to Sell Yourself

In 2003, Jay-Z announced his retirement; The Black Album would be his 9^th and last.

Immediately, everyone was scrambling to see him live. Sure, he’d lost a rap battle to Nas and The Blueprint 2 wasn’t great – but he was still a living legend! Throughout the year, nostalgia and hype fuelled interest in Jay-Z’s performances.

Only he never retired. After the album’s release, Jay went on a tour; collaborated with Linkin Park; rapped on other artists’ songs; did everything to stay in the public eye. Instead of disappearing, he basically went on a publicity tour.

By the time he released his 10^th album – just 3 years after “leaving rap” – he was bigger than ever. Some called the whole thing a scam but I call it genius!

Jay-Z sold himself perfectly. He made a great product; promoted it non-stop; made it exclusive and unavailable (by retiring). When he released the tension by coming back, listeners were desperate for new music.

Lesson: I’m all about honesty, but don’t feel shy about selling yourself. Be relentless about creating and promoting personal value. It worked for Jay-Z, it worked for countless other people and it’ll work for you.

5. Final Thoughts – Why Work Trumps Talent

Notorious B.I.G. had a unique, irresistible voice.

Nas had a gift: a true poet, he rhymed like nobody before him.

Tupac had creativity: he recorded hundreds of tracks before dying at 25.

 

Jay-Z had none of those things – and still doesn’t. He has a weak voice and poor breath control, incredible rhymes or wild creativity. He was never a particularly talented rapper; he came across as awkward and meek in interviews.

On paper, Jay-Z had none of the talents a superstar should have (which is probably why no label would sign him). But he did have something else.

What he had was a relentless work ethic and the 4 things I already mentioned: a dream, the ability to sell, a disregard for the rules and confidence. In the end, that gave him the edge over hundreds and thousands of better rappers.

If there’s only one lesson we should learn from men like Shawn Carter, it’s that hard work trumps talent. Champions aren’t born; they’re made by overcoming difficulties and doing what others won’t.