Jay-Z Juggles Careers During Musical Comeback

Nov. 21, 2006 — -- It was not that long ago that 36-year-old Jay-Z retired amid a symbolic cascade of bullets in his song "99 Problems." With the release of his final CD in 2004, Jay-Z's "Black" album was heralded as an explosive, daring and provocative compilation of "instant classics."

Now, after three years away from the stage, he's back with a new album, "Kingdom Come." He launched the album this past weekend in a whirlwind one-day, 22-hour tour with seven 30-minute concerts in Atlanta, Philadelphia, D.C., New York, Chicago, L.A. and Las Vegas.

"Jay-Z has said this is a mature album," said Associated Press reporter Nekesa Mumbi Moody. "Even if he doesn't do well, he wants to take hip-hop in a new direction."

Often comparing his career to basketball legend Michael Jordan's, Jay-Z, like M.J., is used to dominating the hip-hop arena and being the key player, the "hustler" as many call him, whether behind the scenes or on the mic.

Even his title, "Kingdom Come," a reference to a comic book about Superman's return from retirement, reflects Jay-Z's intention to reinvent his music and "save" hip-hop.

However, even supporters of his attempt to avoid imitating his past success admit that a repeat of the "Black" album's overwhelming success would be difficult to pull off. "''Kingdom Come's' not the overwhelming 'Oh my God, Jay-Z's back,'" admits Moody.

After 12 years and eight albums since his debut with "Reasonable Doubt," Jay-Z and his music have been transformed; from the street smart, edgy beats of Brooklyn's Marcy Projects to more sleek and savvy rhymes that reflect his status as a successful entrepreneur and the leader of the hip-hop movement. In the process, he transformed hip-hop.

In his retirement -- if you can even call it that -- Jay-Z became a rap mogul by assuming the role of president at DefJam Records, becoming a partial owner of the New Jersey Nets, and continuing to perform, never able to fully turn his back on the music.

But now, many wonder whether Jay-Z can handle the pressure of writing, recording and touring, on top of the responsibility of running a record label, a professional basketball team and other business ventures.