Jay-Z has been known to call himself the "Michael Jordan of rap."
The comparison is hard to argue with. Like Jordan, Jay-Z turned himself into a household name with a diverse résumé that extends far beyond his primary profession.
Jay-Z (real name: Shawn Carter, 39) is an executive, an entrepreneur and an A-list celebrity -- in addition to being the most successful hip-hop artist ever.
Simply put: Jay-Z is not your average rapper.
"It's just like basketball," says rapper J. Cole, Jay-Z's latest protege and an opening act on his concert tour, which stops at Save Mart Center on Saturday night.
"Everybody wanted to be Michael Jordan. There wasn't one kid on the basketball court who didn't want to be Michael Jordan. It was because he was the best and he took the game serious. It's the same way with Jay-Z. This guy is the best rapwise and businesswise."
Here's a look at what's made Jay-Z a superstar:
The chart topper
When Jay-Z's latest album, "The Blueprint 3," hit No. 1 on Billboard, it made history.
It was his 11th No. 1 album, which passed Elvis Presley for most ever by a solo artist. Only the Beatles, with 19 No. 1 albums, have more than Jay-Z.
He's had 29 songs make Billboard's Hot 100, including hits such as "Izzo," "Excuse Me Miss," "Dirt Off Your Shoulder" and " '03 Bonnie & Clyde."
It was this track record that allowed Jay-Z to expand his reach far beyond hip-hop.
The mogul
As part of his ascension into hip-hop's upper class, Jay-Z co-founded Roc-A-Fella Records and turned it into a hotbed of hip-hop talent, releasing music from the likes of Kanye West, Beanie Sigel, Freeway and Cam'ron.
The success of Roc-A-Fella led to Jay-Z eventually being named the president of iconic hip-hop label Def Jam Records. Under his reign, successful artists such as Ne-Yo and Rihanna made their debut.
In 2009, Jay-Z topped Forbes' list of "Hip-Hop Cash Kings" by pulling in an estimated $35 million, down from $82 million the previous year.
The entrepreneur
Like Michael Jordan with sneakers and Gatorade, Jay-Z has his fair share of brands attached to his name.
The biggest is Rocawear, a clothing line launched in 1999 that remains popular to this day.
Jay-Z sold the rights to the brand in 2007 for more than $200 million, and he still holds a stake in the business.
In addition to the clothes, Jay-Z is the owner and public face of The 40/40 Club, a sports bar with locations in New York City and Atlantic City. At one point, he also had his own brand of vodka.
The husband
You can't talk about Jay-Z without talking about his A-list relationship.
He married popular R&B singer Beyoncé in 2008. The pair had dated for years, though rarely acknowledged it publicly.
Getting hitched was only the latest collaboration for the pair -- they had worked on many songs together including "Crazy in Love" and "Deja Vu."
The sports enthusiast
If you've been watching The World Series, chances are you've seen Jay-Z. He's a loyal New York Yankees fan who recently performed his latest song "Empire State of Mind" before Game 2. But his sport of choice is basketball. Just look at his investments and friends.
He is part owner of the the NBA's New Jersey Nets with hopes of moving the team to his hometown, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Team loyalties aside, Jay-Z is also a close friend to NBA star LeBron James.
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