Ms. Millennium. Or shall I say, Mrs.?

I love how deliberate, intentional and caculated everything they do is. I used to be annoyed by it because I thought, “no one cares!!” But turns out, EVERYONE cares. EVERYONE thinks they’re entitled to any and all information about their favorite, or not-so-favorite celebrity. Yet, even in the age of blogging, tabloids, paparazzi, and reality TV, the Carters successfully share only what THEY wants us to know. It’s brilliant, really.

Today LIFE + TIMES, Jay-Z’s “blog”, released a nearly 30-minute long mini-doc, ‘Where I’m From’, about the 8 shows Jay did in honor of the opening of Barclays Center, home of the now Brooklyn Nets, formerly of New Jersey, and of which he is part owner. There are some truly endearing moments throughout the feature. Namely the subway ride with Ellen and the moment he reminisces about living across the street from where they broke grounds to start construction of the arena (560 State St. - duly noted on his hit ‘Empire State of Mind’ featuring Alicia Keys). Now, in that very neighborhood where he grew up, he would have a hand in creating thousands of jobs for people who dream of one day making it out of the hood just as he once did.

Beyond how great it is to see what he’s doing in his old neighborhood, I gotta admit, it is kinda dope to get a little inside scoop on all the technicalities behind making his shows work. I’ve seen him live multiple times and the dude never disappoints. True artistry in every aspect of the word. For the most part, I couldn’t care less about the personal lives of celebrities. But every now and then, someone special comes along and changes my mind. Happy Birthday, Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, and congratulations on yet another ground-breaking, game-changing (both can be taken literally and figuratively) accomplishment.

PS~ peep his Jean-Michel Basquiat tee on the train. True artistry on all levels.