The last rapper from New York City to rise to rap stardom and have longevity is Jay Z. Business moves definitely helped keep Jay Z in the spotlight. His initial popularity has helped the likes of J. Cole gain footing in the industry.
Jay Z, especially over the past five years, has focused more on business than music. However, situations from early in his music career are coming back to bite him. One of Jay Z’s biggest hits, while he was still rising, was “Big Pimpin,'” featuring UGK.
Back in 2008, a sampling issue was made out of the record and Timbaland was brought into court. Initially, Jay Z thought he would not be called into court, but he was and they have battled it out for some time. In court, Jay Z asked the courts to overlook his massive net worth and his criminal history in handling his current case.
Source: Hip-Hop Wired
