"Jay-Z has been one of the most influential figures in Black American music since the mid-nineties. Initially as a performer racking up an incredibly successful string of hit singles and albums and latterly as an executive, having taken on the presidency of Def Jam Records in 2004. Reasonable Doubt was his debut album and is still considered by many to be his finest achievement. A much harder hitting and edgy record than his later more polished and pop orientated releases it announced to the world that a new rap star had arrived."
