Empire State of Mind: How Jay-Z Went from Street Corner to Corner Office

--Jay-Z

Some people think Jay-Z is just another rapper. Others see him as just another celebrity/mega-star. The reality is, no matter what you think Jay-Z is, he first and foremost a business. And as much as Martha Stewart or Oprah, he has turned himself into a lifestyle.

You can wake up to the local radio station playing Jay-Z's latest hit, spritz yourself with his 9IX cologne, slip on a pair of his Rocawear jeans, lace up your Reebok S. Carter sneakers, catch a Nets basketball game in the afternoon, and grab dinner at The Spotted Pig before heading to an evening performance of the Jay-Z-backed Broadway musical Fela! and a nightcap at his 40/40 Club. He'll profit at every turn of your day.

But despite Jay-Z's success, there are still many Americans whose impressions of him are foggy, outdated, or downright incorrect. Surprisingly to many, he honed his business philosophy not at a fancy B school, but on the streets of Brooklyn, New York and beyond as a drug dealer in the 1980s.

Empire State of Mind tells the story behind Jay-Z's rise to the top as told by the people who lived it with him- from classmates at Brooklyn's George Westinghouse High School; to the childhood friend who got him into the drug trade; to the DJ who convinced him to stop dealing and focus on music. This book explains just how Jay-Z propelled himself from the bleak streets of Brooklyn to the heights of the business world.

Zack O'Malley Greenburg draws on his one-on-one interviews with hip-hop luminaries such as DJ Clark Kent, Questlove of The Roots, Damon Dash, Fred "Fab 5 Freddy" Brathwaite, MC Serch; NBA stars Jamal Crawford and Sebastian Telfair; and recording industry executives including Craig Kallman, CEO of Atlantic Records.

He also includes new information on Jay-Z's various business dealings, such as:

* The feature movie about Jay-Z and his first basketball team that was filmed by Fab 5 Freddy in 2003 but never released.

* The Jay-Z branded Jeep that was scrapped just before going into production.

* The real story behind his association with Armand de Brignac champagne.

* The financial ramifications of his marriage to Beyonce.

Jay-Z's tale is compelling not just because of his celebrity, but because it embodies the rags-to-riches American dream and is a model for any entrepreneur looking to build a commercial empire.

Famous for her avant-garde outfits, over-the-top per­formances, and addictive dance beats, Lady Gaga is one of the most successful pop musicians of all time. But behind her showmanship lies another achievement: her wildly successful strategy for attracting and keeping insanely loyal fans.

Shes one of the most popular social media voices in the world with more than 33 million Twitter followers and 55 million Facebook fans. And she got there by methodically building a grassroots base of what she calls her “Little Monsters”—passionate fans who look to her not just for music but also for joy, inspiration, and a sense of community.

In Monster Loyalty marketing expert Jackie Huba explores Gagas biography and fan philosophy and iso­lates the seven lessons any business can learn from her. For instance…

• Focus on your One Percenters: Lady Gaga is  investing today in the audience she hopes to have twenty-five years from now. She spends most of her efforts on just 1 percent of her base, the highly engaged superfans who spread her message.
• Lead with values: Gaga stands out not just for her music but also for her message that its okay to be yourself and to love others for who they are. When you connect with customers beyond just providing a product or service, you create a lasting bond.
• Give them something to talk about: Whether shes wearing a meat dress or delivering jaw-dropping performances, Lady Gaga knows what will get people talking. Making your business word-of-mouth-worthy cuts down on advertising costs and spreads buzz faster than anything else.

Love her or hate her, you cant ignore Lady Gaga. And while not all businesses want to stand out the way she does, any business can win big by creating monster loyalty.

It's not just crazy outfits, over-the-top performances, and catchy tunes that have made Lady Gaga one of the most successful pop stars of all time.  Marketers have also been awed by her unconventional customer loyalty strategy.

With 31 million Twitter followers and 53 million Facebook fans, she blows away her peers on social media. She has methodically built a grassroots base of what she calls her “Little Monsters”—passionate fans who look to her not just for music but also for joy and inspiration.

Now marketing expert Jackie Huba unpacks the method behind Lady Gagas success and isolates the seven strategies businesses can learn from her.  They include:

• Focus on your 'one percenters.' Gaga spends most of her effort on just 1% of her audience, the highly-engaged superfans who drive word of mouth.
• Lead with values. Gaga is consistent in her message of being yourself and loving others for who they are. That display of values creates a deep emotional connection.
• Give them something to talk about. Whether by wearing a meat dress or 'dying' in a pool of blood onstage, she knows what will get people talking.

Visist www.JackieHuba.com