Zack O'Malley Greenburg is a staff writer at Forbes, where he has covered finance and music since 2005. Along the way he's profiled the likes of Akon, 50 Cent and Afrika Bambaataa; his stories have taken him from the casinos of Macau to the diamond mines of Sierra Leone. He has also written for The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, and Dan's Papers. He lives in New York City.
"Jay-Z's rise to fame has as many lessons for would-be moguls as
for budding rappers ... All these lessons are clear from "Empire
State of Mind: How Jay-Z Went From Street Corner to Corner Office,
" by Zack O'Malley Greenburg (Portfolio, $25.95), one of the year's
best rock books."
-"Bloomberg News"
"Well told ... the heart of "Empire State of Mind" is its
depiction, helped by some good shoe-leather reporting, of the
commercial deals that have enabled Jay-Z to profit from exploiting
his prestige and personality."
-"The Financial Times"
"In his debut book, Greenburg hits the mark. "Empire State of Mind"
is an easy read that packs an informative, motivational punch for
anyone who is trying to improve their situation, land a job, or
advance their career." - "AOL/Huffington Post"
"Zack O'Malley Greenburg has become one of the rare reporters to
bring dignified coverage of the hip-hop business into the
mainstream. "Empire State of Mind" is a pure product of Greenburg's
care and insight, an exploration of hip-hop's most enigmatic mogul,
Jay-Z."
-Dan Charnas, author of "The Big Payback: The History of the
Business of Hip-Hop"
""Empire State Of Mind" follows the money and key pieces of the
Jay-Z puzzle in this insightful, savvy read...this book is like a
GPS leading us through the modern urban reality of how Jay-Z's
empire was built."
-Fred "Fab 5 Freddy" Brathwaite, hip-hop artist and pioneer
"Lively and often surprising, "Empire State Of Mind" analyzes one
of the greatest assets of the hip-hop generation: the business mind
of Jay-Z. In capturing Jay-Z's refuse to lose mentality, Zack
O'Malley Greenburg tells an important, instructive American story
of our time."
-Jeff Chang, author of "Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the
Hip-Hop Generation"
"Business savvy is really what sets Jay-Z apart, and that's the
subject of Zack O'Malley Greenburg's enlightening, engaging, and
excellent new book ... Greenburg zeroes in on Jay-Z's ability to
hustle in the studio and in the boardroom, creating a fascinating
look at the businessman behind the man. In addition, he writes with
a rapid-fire prose that makes Empire State of Mind flow like an
novel or film."
-ArtistDirect
"Every person with an iota of entrepreneurial inclination should
read "Empire State of Mind .".. [Greenburg's] understanding of
hip-hop and his familiarity with the world of high finance make him
uniquely suited to pen such a smart, informative and entertaining
work. Excellence!"
-"Hip-Hop Weekly"
"Before Diddy and his missing Mercedes-Benz S-Class, before Eminem
and his imported-from-Detroit Chrysler 200, even before Funkmaster
Flex and his special-edition Ford Expedition, there was the Jay-Z
Jeep Commander. You would be forgiven, however, for not remembering
the commercials ... the Jay-Z Jeep never rolled deep. Mr. Greenburg
dissects how the collaboration went awry." -The "New York
Times"
"Greenburg writes of Jay-Z's rocky beginnings in the Brooklyn
projects and his detour into street-corner dealing, but mainly
focuses on Jay-Z the mogul, whose reach extends beyond music to the
NBA, apparel, restaurants, endorsements and Broadway. Check it
out." "
"-"USA Today"
"O'Malley Greenburg is easily the world's foremost authority on the
subject of the finance of hip-hop ... Acting often as investigative
reporter, he travels thousands of miles to hunt down insider
information on Jay's various ventures, from the Jay-Z Jeep that
never came to be, to the hush-hush details of the rapper's
partnership with champagne Armand de Brignac ... Greenburg does a
great job of unpacking the rapper's business mentality, and the
steps he's taken to earn his half-billion."
-Crawdaddy
"The biography by journalist Zack O'Malley Greenburg, out this
month, provides a colorful reminder of the rapper's dark
roots."
-"New York"" Post"
"After reading Greenburg's book, I have to admit I understand why
[Jay-Z] makes a superb guide for your career, even if you are
looking to be an investment banker or grocery store manager instead
of a hip hop legend."
-Anthony Balderrama, "CNN.com""
""["Empire State of Mind"] has some interesting sources and
revelations that may shock even the biggest super-fan."
-"HipHopDX"
"The new biography of the rap mogul lavishes praise on Jay-Z but
also depicts a businessman with Antarctica for a heart."
-"Bloomberg BusinessWeek"
""Empire State of Mind" tells the story of rapper Jay-Z (aka Shawn
Carter) and his rise from drug slinger to tape slinger and, later,
to corporation runner."
-"NPR"
"Zack O'Malley Greenburg's book take us comfortably through the
story of Jay-Z's background, hard start, challenges, opportunities,
talents, success, and choices. This is an easy and comfortable
read."
-"New York"" Journal of Books"
"If Jay-Z's collective body of work was 'Food For Thought' ...
Greenburg does this dishes in his literary debut. Greenburg uses
his extensive resources (perhaps garnered as the crafter of the
famous "Forbes Hip-Hop Cash Kings" list) to unravel the business
acumen Jay-Z has used to catapult himself to financial
prosperity."
-Mog.com
"To learn more about how Jay-Z changed many people's taste in
Champagne and so many other things, be sure to check out "Empire
State of Mind" ... Until now, all those interested begrudgingly had
to buy into the story spun by Jay-Z's camp that Armand de Brignac
was just a bubbly that HOVA discovered in a New York wine
shop."
-"Bottlenotes""
"[Empire State of Mind] ... "fill(s) in many of the blanks
surrounding the rapper's business dealings, pulling from interviews
with some of Hov's colleagues and business partners willing to dish
the dirt on how he rose to fame and fortune."
-"The Boombox"
"A fascinating, unauthorized story, which decodes the Jay-Z myth as
much as it reinforces it.""
"-"ABCDrDurson"
"Fascinating, well-done biography of one of the most extraordinary
entrepreneurs of our era."
-Steve Forbes
"Zack O'Malley Greenburg has become one of the rare reporters to
bring dignified coverage of the hip-hop business into the
mainstream. "Empire State of Mind" is a pure product of Greenburg's
care and insight, an exploration of hip-hop's most enigmatic mogul,
Jay-Z."
-Dan Charnas, author of "The Big Payback: The History of the
Business of Hip- Hop"
""Empire State Of Mind" follows the money and key pieces of the
Jay-Z puzzle in this insightful, savvy read. From Jay's humble
Bed-Stuy Brooklyn roots as Shawn Carter into street crime and the
drug game, to his rocket rise to the heights of hip-hop and the
music business as one of entertainments most successful
players...this book is like a GPS leading us through the modern
urban reality of how Jay-Z's empire was built."
-Fred "Fab 5 Freddy" Brathwaite, hip-hop pioneer, artist, and
longtime host of "Yo! MTV Raps"
"Lively and often surprising, "Empire State Of Mind" analyzes one
of the greatest assets of the hip-hop generation: the business mind
of Jay-Z. In capturing Jay-Z's refuse to lose mentality, Zack
O'Malley Greenburg tells an important, instructive American story
of our time."
-Jeff Chang, author of "Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the
Hip-Hop Generation"
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