Biography & Autobiography. Music. Young Adult Nonfiction. Themes: Hi-Lo, urban nonfiction, music, entrepreneur, Hip-Hop, celebrities, biographies. Shawn Corey Carter was born in 1969 and raised in Brooklyn's tough Marcy housing projects. The J and Z trains ran by Marcy, so his friends called him Jay-Z. Hearing rap for the first time "... was like watching some kind of combat, but he was alone in the center. All he had were his eyes, taking in everything, and the words inside him. I was dazzled." There's no doubt about it, today's students listen to an average of 2.5 hours of music every day. Guess what they are listening to? Hip-hop is mainstream, continually topping Billboard's Hot 100 charts. These Hi-Lo biographies engage striving readers from the very beginning with blinged-out covers, stunning four-color photographs, modern and graphic page design, and high-interest informational text. Biographies highlight the unique characteristics of each mega-rapper, including childhood struggles, personal style, rivalries, giving back, and more. Each 48-page book includes a timeline and glossary, with vocabulary words highlighted throughout.