31. He tricked his mother into lending her voice to “December 4th” from 2003’s The Black Album. “I told her I was going to meet her at the studio and go to lunch,” he wrote in Decoded. “She came into the studio, and I brought the track and said, ‘I just want you to talk about it,’ because I knew that if I told her[that I was going to be on this song]she would be very nervous.[She said]’What do you want me to say?’ and the rest is history.” ”
32. He announced his (ultimately temporary) retirement in 2003 with a concert at Madison Square Garden, featuring the Roots, Missy Elliott, Mary J. Blige, Beyoncé and Pharrell Williams. All proceeds were donated to charity.
33. His next act began with selling Roc-A-Fella and being named president of Def Jam Records.
34. His far-reaching empire includes clothing (retailer Rocawear), liquor brands (Armand de Brignac Champagne and Duce Cognac), a stake in the Brooklyn Nets, streaming service Tidal, and Roc Nation, which represents some of the top names in entertainment (pronounced Rihanna) and sports (Kevin Durant, Todd Gurley).
35. The musician also has lucrative sponsorship deals with Reebok, Budweiser, and watchmaker Audemars Piguet.
