

It was hardly predictable when the boy from the Brooklyn projects became the world's first billionaire hip-hop star, Jay-Z. He turned his pain into passion and used the suffering to influence the words and lyrics in his music.
Writing
Lyric analysis that finally explains what '99 Problems' really means.
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Jay-Z reportedly turned down multiple documentary offers before this; the 'authorized' angle means his team had final cut.
Released during hip-hop's 50th anniversary, this joins a crowded field of legacy docs competing to define rap history.