Jay Z for Mayor: 5 Reasons Why Jigga Is the Ultimate NYC Candidate

Business magnate. Art collector. Sports agent. Hip-hop legend. These are just a few of the myriad titles your favorite rapper’s favorite rapper, Jay Z, already claims. It’s no secret that Jay’s portfolio is diverse. It’s indisputable that he’s a cultural icon and a tastemaker whose name rings bells from the streets of Bed-Stuy to the nation’s capital. Indeed, there seems to be no ceiling for Jigga's ambition, so what’s next on the quintessential hustler’s plate?

With the mid-term elections heating up soon—politicking on full blast, smear campaigns being devised in dark backrooms and de Blasio still questioning whether or not to move his family into Gracie Mansion—it's interesting to speculate who would make a strong candidate for future Mayor of New York City. The self-proclaimed “ambassador” isn't a far cry from reality. Let’s forget for a second Jay Z, the rapper and consider for a moment Shawn Carter, NYC’s Mayor-elect. Pipe dream? Maybe. But aren’t dreams the stuff this country is made of?

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“I sell ice in the winter, I sell fire in hell/ I am a hustler baby, I’ll sell water to a well.” - Jay Z on “U Don’t Know” (2001)

Business acumen, or the ability to get paper, is certainly a skill all good politicians must have. This is especially true in New York City where the income gap is massive and the rent is too damn high.

Unquestionably, if there’s one thing Jay knows how to do, it’s get money. With an estimated net worth of half a billion dollars (not including his wife, Beyoncé’s, 350 million), Jigga is a resident on Forbes’ plethora of wealthiest lists. His investments are diverse, running the gamut from hair products to truffles, from Basquiat paintings to sports clubs. Whatever the venture, however, one thing remains clear: Jigga has a keen eye for a ripe opportunity.

What’s more, many of his investments have benefited the citizens New York City. A brief owner of the Nets, Hov was instrumental in bringing the NBA team to his birth borough of Brooklyn. Now, as founder of his own sports agency, Roc Nation Sports, more than half of his clients play for New York teams, from CC Sabathia to Geno Smith. Hov brought the hit show, Fela!, to Broadway, sold out Carnegie Hall in support of the United Way of New York City, and performed a free Times Square concert for fans, just because.

Simply put, Jigga reps his hood. A billi in the bank might put him in the upper crust, but we have to give Hov props for remembering where he came from.

"Time's most influential was impressive/'Specially since I wasn't in the artist section/Had me with the builders and the titans, had me right with Rupert Murdoch/Billionaire boys and some dudes you never heard of” - Jay Z on Hot 97 "Grammy Family Freestyle” (2006)

It’s one thing to have money, and Jay’s got it in boatloads, but the true giants of history know how to wield that intangible force—influence—as their greatest weapon. An effective politician must be able to move the crowd, inspire people with competing interests to get behind his initiatives.

And when it comes to worldwide clout, just check the credentials: Jay made Time’s “100 Most Influential” list, not once, but twice. Or maybe you don’t buy into lists created by the corporate machine. Fair enough. You can simply look to the cultural lexicon around you to witness Jigga’s impact, small or large.

He popularized the button-up over the throwback jersey; Ace of Spades over Cristal. He added “Basquiat” to the vernacular of project kids and hustlers, and launched NYC back into the global limelight with “Empire State of Mind.” He even managed to make 30-year-olds feel 20, and marriage seem cool in a rap culture that celebrates misogyny and promiscuity (anyone else notice how many rappers are suddenly taking their vows now that Jay and Bey reign supreme?).

Jay Z is a brand, nay, a force. His tastes influence generations. His business moves inspire. His words carry weight. He already has our ear and our hearts—just imagine what he could do with that influence as mayor of NYC.

“Show them how to move in a room full of vultures/Industry is shady, it needs to be taken over.” - Jay Z on “Izzo (H.O.V.A.)” (2001)

It can’t be taught. It can’t be bought, sold, or even measured. It’s the inner guide that steers us clear of danger, or steers us towards the right opportunity. It helps us decipher right from wrong, truth from lies, friend from foe. Instinct. All of us have it, but politicians need it for survival. And Jay Z is a natural born politico. A quick look at Jay’s career reveals evidence of his shark-like instincts.

Exhibit A: His carefully curated exposure. By cherry picking which media and social outlets he will partake in, Jay has maintained an air of allure that few other celebrities can match. While your favorite rapper is tweeting about his morning bowel movement, Jigga is laying low, never saying too much; giving us just enough to keep us interested, but not enough to make him feel like a peer. Genius.

Exhibit B: His music. If there is one thing that frustrates true hip-hop heads to no end, it’s that Hov always treads the line between art and commercialism, never veering too far off center. We know what he’s capable of lyrically, but if it doesn’t make dollars, then it doesn’t make sense to the King of Rap. Plainly put, Jigga makes hits. And while this instinct for the paper guarantees we won’t be witnessing the true scope of his lyrical prowess anytime soon, it has still led to a track record few can replicate.

Exhibit C: Discretion. To have had a career that has spanned two decades, an awe-inspiring feat in itself, Jay has been the center of few public scandals. And when he has come under fire in the media, as in the case of the Barney’s or Cuba trip fiascoes, he’s been successful at putting out the flames quickly, or even profiting from the publicity by putting his response on wax. Hustlers call it maneuvering, politicians call it spin—whatever you call it, Jay does it well.

“Meanwhile I had Oprah chillin’ in the projects/Had her out in Bed-Stuy, chillin’ on the steps/Drinkin’ quarter waters, I gotta be the best/M.J. at Summer Jam, Obama on the text/Y'all should be afraid of what I'm gon' do next” - Jay Z on “On to the Next One” (2009)

It’s not what you know, it’s who you know. You’ve heard it a million times. Well, if life is a chessboard and people are the pawns, then Jay Z is Bobby Fischer. Pop quiz: how does one man run a 500 million dollar empire with only 24 hours in the day? Answer: he doesn’t. He gets people to do it for him. The very best people, in fact. It’s the wisdom shared by Rockefeller (coincidence? no) and various business titans throughout history: you are only as smart or successful as the people you surround yourself with.

And if you flip through Jay Z’s Rolodex, you’ll surely find him in good company. Whether he is receiving a glowing endorsement from former Mayor Bloomberg, hobnobbing with Bono, or producing a movie with Will Smith, Hova knows how to form alliances with titans in every industry. The ability to socialize strategically, to exchange favors with everyone from Oprah to Obama, is arguably his greatest strength—the reason he’s been able to do in 20 years what most will never accomplish in a lifetime.

Simply put, Hova’s alliances provide him access—to money, exposure, endorsements and even more connections—all the things a formidable politician needs. Check mate.

“So with or without any of your involvement/We coming for all of this, respect my conglomerate/I went from pauper to the President/Every deal I ever made set precedent” - Jay Z on “So Ambitious” (2009)

The American Dream. Is it alive? Is it dead? Did it ever exist at all? It has been a topic of debate between the disenfranchised 99% and the top 1 percent ever since the economy went belly-up in 2008. Fallacy or not, there are few things America loves more than an underdog who pulled himself up by his own bootstraps; who thrived in our bountiful country against all odds.

Enter, Jigga. The quintessential rags-to-riches story. The hero in the American Dream. Jay Z’s unlikely rise to fame and fortune is well documented, his history a part of the zeitgeist. Who hasn’t heard the story of the hardscrabble kid from Marcy Projects who created his own label when the big shops told him no; who went from street corner to corner office, from small-time hustler to business mogul with nothing but determination, persistence, and pure, blind faith?

It’s so good, you couldn’t write it. It’s exactly what this great nation is supposed to be about: opportunity. The opportunity to tap into your talent, share it with the world, and hopefully become rich in the process. Very rich. Still, we can’t ignore the elephants in the room. The mere fact of Jay’s humble beginnings would give opponents plenty of ammunition for his destruction; the references to dope dealing and purse snatching in his music, the alleged stabbing of Un Rivera. Then again, history has shown the American people to be forgiving, especially when it comes to our mainstream talents.