the blueprint 3

The year Jay Z became a Billboard chart topper and pop culture superstar.

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Today marks the 48th birthday of one of Brooklyn's Finest, Jay-Z, the hustler-turned-rapper from the Marcy Projects who grew out of the shadows of Jaz-O, Big Daddy Kane and The Notorious B.I.G. to stake a credible claim to being the best rapper alive for more than a decade...

Jay-Z, Eminem and the Black Eyed Peas among iTunes' top selling albums of '09...

Jay-Z is still on top of the charts in his sixth week...

Joey Crack lands at the no. 73 spot in his first week...

Jiggaman loses the no. 1 spot to Pearl Jam this week...

Jiggaman holds onto the no. 1 spot on the charts for the second week in a row...

Jiggaman does it again...

XXL staffers and New Yorkers predict Jay-Z's first week sales...

BET takes Jay-Z to dinner on Food for Thought special tonight...

Jigga gets an unwelcomed guest at last night's MySpace show...