Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter is a famous person in music, business, and culture. He says he can’t believe how successful he has become some days. In the 1990s, the mega-mogul became famous for his music. He went on to become a billionaire through a job that included many business and record deals.

He talked about all the things he does and said that the most important thing to him is “being a beacon and helping out my culture, people of color.”

His co-host on “CBS Mornings,” Gayle King, asked him about it and he said, “That gives me the most satisfaction.”

Carter has been a strong supporter of changing the way police handle crimes. They started the Reform Alliance a few years ago to help milliоns of people who are on probation or parole. They were joined by Michael Rubin, owner of the Philadelphia 76ers, Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots, rapper Meek Mill, and other donors.

He said that even though making music was his first love and something that used to consume him, “the idea of taking that platform and reproducing it for others or doing something like Reform… I think I derive the most joy from that.”

At the Brooklyn Public Library, Carter’s work is now on display in “The Book of HOV” exhibit, which takes fans on a trip through his life and career. For Carter, the site of the exhibit in Brooklyn is very important because he was born and raised there. Carter told him that Brooklyn means “everything.”

Carter and his team also liked that the show, which was made by JAY-Z’s company Roc Nation, was in a public library and that anyone could see it for free. 

The installation’s deep look into JAY-Z’s 13 studio albums is one of its most important parts. Carter first came up in the rap scene as a solo act. In the early 2000s, he signed with Def Jam Records. 

“Reasonable Doubt,” his first record, is very important to him. It came out in 1996 on Roc-A-Fella Records, his own record company.

He told King, “I had to grow into this album.” “And had I gone to a label, I don’t think I would’ve been able to fully explore what was really happening, because I had the freedom and the independence to really talk about the real stuff that was happening in the streets, and happening for me and my friends at the time.”

There was also a story about The Notorious B.I.G., another rapper from Brooklyn that JAY-Z told. From his record “In My Lifetime, Vol. 1,” “Streets is Watching” was the last song he played for the late rapper, according to him. Biggie told him over and over to “play it again.”

But the artist who won a Grammy said that “Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life” was his “most important album.” He stated, “it was the album where I honed my craft as a songwriter, and that balance of creating exactly what I want and just as a writer, a technical song-maker, song-making skills with real stories is when it all came together on this album.”

Carter’s business move of reclaiming his songs almost ten years ago is also shown in the exhibit.

“It was the figҺt of my life, you know, from the start when we were our own company.” Then going through the Def Jam system, which I don’t really get how it works. They got my master’s degree and then I became president of Def Jam.

“Then saying, ‘Okay, I’ll do this job.'” And as part of my job, I have to give my master’s back to me, he said.

Carter said that his kids should see his work. He wants to keep them before giving them to his three kids, whom he has with singer Beyoncé.

“You know, if they decide to sell it, then it’s up to them,” stated Carter.