Jay-Z
Author and protagonist Jay-Z tells his own story. He traces his life in pieces from childhood to the present, interpreting past events as they transpired to influence his accomplishments. He's a man who transcended the adversity of his early circumstances and adapted to new environments skillfully; that's Jay-Z's secret to success. Add to that a life full of interesting events and adventurous choices. His experiences inspired Jay-Z to turn to music to express himself. He desires for people to both relate to him if they can and to empathize with him if they cannot. More than anything, he's relating a personal narrative, one which he hopes will help people to understand and know him better, in all his strengths and weaknesses.
Puff Daddy
A childhood acquaintance of Jay-Z's turned business partner of sorts plays a major role in the story. He was Jay-Z's partner in crime in the music industry, but that relationship turned nearly literal when the two were tried for assault in 1999. Although they were both later exonerated, the dramatic circumstances of their trial served to draw the two men closer together. Both of their careers struggled for sometime after the accusations because the news media had covered the trial in a frenzy of accusation.
Barack Obama
Jay-Z explains more in-depth his relationship to former President Obama. As a staunch liberal, Jay-Z had forged a longterm friendship with Obama long before his bid for the presidential election. In fact the two really came together during the Hurricane Katrina crisis in Louisiana. They both shared a common drive to help low income communities which historically have been ignored by the government. When Obama was elected president, he continued to kindle his relationship with Jay-Z. Jay-Z became more politically active, encouraged by the involvement of people who shared his values.
