Shawn Corey Carter

Jay Z

My definition of a hero is someone who has made himself successful from the worst of circumstances, and is giving back to the community. My hero is Shawn Corey Carter, better known as Jay Z. He was born on December 4, 1969. He was raised in a Brooklyn, New York City community called Bed Stuy, which is home to Marcy housing projects.

He attended three different high schools. He attended Eli Whitney and George Westing House in Brooklyn. He also attended Trenton Central High in New Jersey. He went to school with Notorious BIG and Busta Rhymes. He didn’t graduate high school. Jay Z hustled until he got his first recording contract with Def Jam. From there, he has made a name for himself.

He has become president of Rocafella records, and CEO of Def Jam records. Jay Z is also an actor acting in a movie called 'State Property.' Shawn Carter is a very philanthropic man. He has numerous organizations giving back to the community. Team Roc benefits underprivileged children in New York City. The Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation awards scholarships to outstanding students. Jay Z also has an annual Santa Claus toy drive, where he gives toys to inner city youth. Jay Z was the first hip-hop artist to be featured on the television show '60 Minutes.' Jay Z is part owner of the New Jersey Mets.

Jay Z recently teamed up with Kofi Annan of the United Nations, and Christina Norman, President of MTV. He traveled to Turkey, South Africa and other areas. He filmed a show called 'Diary of Jay Z – Water for Life.' He wanted to make Americans aware of the water crisis in these countries. The statistics said that 2.6 billion people don’t have access to running water. They also don't have good sanitation facilities. The team also looked for solutions for this problem.

Shawn Carter may be seen by many different people as a hero, first of all, by the people that grew up with him in Marcy Projects. He also can be a hero to the youth who live there now. They can look at him and say, "He came from the same situation I am in, and he made it." He could be admired by the South Africans, for helping them in their water crisis. I look up to Jay Z because he is a very philanthropic man who cares more about the public than he does himself. Now, YOU decide if he is a hero or not.