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In 2003, Jay-Z retired from making music. He had made award-winning albums, founded a record label, and had his own line of clothing. He walked away, but he couldn't stop writing songs. Three years later, he was back on the charts with a hit album and the title of greatest MC of all time. Track this hip hop hero as he makes it in the music world and becomes one of the best known rappers in the world.
"This graphic-novel profile spends little time onstage or amid audiences and instead sets scenes in offices and living rooms as Jay-Z wheels and deals, launches business ventures, or boycotts the Grammys. . . .This covers all the important landmarks, hopefully encouraging further inquiry." - Book Links, "Language and Rap"
September 1, 2018
"These new volumes in the American Graphic series look at two of the most influential African American performing artists of the past few decades. Because each book features a different pairing of writer and illustrator, they need to be judged separately, though the overall bar of the series tends to be fairly high. Jay-Z: Hip-Hop Icon sets itself apart by spending very little time on stage or amid fawning crowds. Instead, using the framing conceit of an interview, Gunderson sets most of the scenes in the banal backgrounds of offices and living rooms, as Jay-Z makes deals, founds various business ventures, boycotts the Grammys, and more. The result has a unique insider feel. Kinsella’s work is a bit muddy, but his likeness of Jay-Z is strong. (Beyoncé, not so much.) King of Pop: The Story of Michael Jackson is notable for what it doesn’t include: no mention of the various molestation charges or any hint that his death was anything but natural. Those slights aside, this is anything but a happy-go-lucky tale. Jackson’s father is an omnipresent, threatening force, and Byers’ peach-hued illustrations do a fine job portraying Jackson’s face as it changes throughout the eras. Both titles hit all the important historical points, setting up reluctant researchers for further inquiry." - Booklist
March 15, 2012
"...I think that the American Graphic biographies by Capstone Press may fill two needed niches. The first, and probably the intended purpose is to fill the need for easy reading biographies that will interest older kids. A secondary benefit, however, is that these books can bring complex historical figures to a level where they can be understood by young elementary schoolers who so often express interest in people and things way "beyond their years."" - Shelf Employed blog
July 2, 2012
"You know you have some Jay-Z fans in your classroom, right? They will love this look at this musical icon, and the book’s focus on how Jay-Z not only survived but thrived in a business that devours its artists is a message worth pointing out. Jay-Z followed his vision, and when he came to power, he brought others along with him." - The Graphic Classroom Blog
March 16, 2012
Jessica Gunderson grew up in the small town of Washburn, North Dakota. She has a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Dakota and an MFA in Creative Writing from Minnesota State University, Mankato. She has written more than fifty books for young readers. Her book Ropes of Revolution won the 2008 Moonbeam Award for best graphic novel. She currently lives in Madison, Wisconsin, with her husband and cat.
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