While the list of best rappers is long, New York City-born Jay-Z may just be on top. Certainly, he is the most successful businessman to be part of the hip-hop scene. The first hip-hop billionaire is known for seminal albums like The Blueprint and The Black Album.
Videos by American Songwriter
But Jay-Z has also impacted the world of movies too, whether through documentary work or soundtracks. Here below, we wanted to dive into three movies that every fan should see to fully understand Jigga’s impact on popular culture.
[RELATED: The Meaning Behind John Denver’s Iconic Love Song, “Annie’s Song”]
Fade to Black (2004)
This 2004 documentary highlights the life and music career of Jay-Z (born Shawn Carter). The doc, which also features a number of interviews form some of music’s biggest stars, showcases a concert at Madison Square Garden that was meant to be his final show after his retirement announcement. (Though, of course, he did come back to release more albums.) The documentary also explains the making of Jay’s seminal “final” album, The Black Album. Check out a trailer here below.
Made in America (2013)
Nearly a decade after Fade to Black, Jay released Made in America. Directed by Ron Howard, the movie is about the festival of the same name, which was founded by Jay-Z. The film includes performances by a collection of bands ranging from Pearl Jam to Run-DMC. It’s as inspiring as it is entertaining. Check out the trailer here below.
American Gangster (2007)
While Jay-Z isn’t the star of this film, his music is. And while fans could just listen to the 2007 album of the same name, the full effect comes when combining the too. While the trailer featured an already released Jay song, “Heart of the City (Ain’t No Love),” watching an advanced screening inspired Jay-Z to write the entire soundtrack. “It immediately clicked with me,” he said, talking about his connection to the movie. Check out a trailer for the film here below.
Photo by Unique Nicole/FilmMagic
