Jay-Z’s premiere press shoot.
The year is 1995 and it was live no jive.
It was my sophomore year as a professional photographer and it was the beginning for Jay-Z as he was preparing his first single release on a major label with major distribution deal. None of us where vet’s in the game as we are today, but we both meant business. I was given complete creative freedom and Jay only had one request, that I will share later.
SInce Jay hadn’t released anything yet, I could only relate to the single at hand, and the things that stood out was his entrepreneurial and aspirational spirit. So I thought Wall Street would be the perfect location. With the World Trade Center in the background and surrounded by Yachts and icons of wealth, I couldn’t think of a better location for a true black entrepreneur.