31. He tricked his mother into lending her voice to “December 4th” off 2003’s The Black Album. “I told her to meet me down at the studio and we were going to go to lunch,” he wrote in Decoded. “She came down to the studio, and I just brought the track up and I said, ‘I just want you to talk on it.’ Because I knew if I told her [she was going to be on the song], she’d get really nervous. [She said], ‘What do you want me to say?’ And the rest is history.”
32. He introduced his (finally short-term) retirement with a 2003 live performance at Madison Sq. Backyard, that includes the Roots, Missy Elliott, Mary J. Blige, Beyoncé and Pharrell Williams. All proceeds went to charity.
33. His subsequent act started with the sale of Roc-A-Fella and being named the president of Def Jam Information.
34. His far-reaching empire has included clothes (retailer Rocawear), liquor manufacturers (Armand de Brignac champagne and D’Ussé cognac), a stake within the Brooklyn Nets, streaming service Tidal and Roc Nation, which represents prime names in leisure (learn: Rihanna) and sports activities (Kevin Durant, Todd Gurley).
35. The musician has additionally inked profitable endorsement offers with Reebok, Budweiser and watchmaker Audemars-Piguet.
