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On November 6, Roc-A-Fella Records and JAY-Z will release the new album AMERICAN GANGSTER. Separatefrom the official motion picture soundtrack, this collection of all-new original material is a musical journeyand lyrical interpretation of snapshots from the upcoming motion picture American Gangster, whichpairs Oscar® winners Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe. Based on the true story of criminal mastermind FrankLucas, who came up from the streets of New York in the ’70s, the film is produced by Academy Award®-winningproducer Brian Grazer and directed and produced by Ridley Scott. It opens on November 2.
The conceptual, full body of work from the new album balances the line between pure entertainment and reallife. JAY-Z draws upon past experiences, speaking to the harsh reality of the drug trade still taking place inour nation's cities. While not glorifying the Frank Lucas story, JAY-Z articulates the lure of a gangster'slife and stands as an example of one who chose to leave those streets behind to go on and become one of themost successful entrepreneurs of our time.
Throughout AMERICAN GANGSTER, JAY-Z brings the audience into a world rich in familial relationships,hustling and the lasting effects of drugs on a community. Through its musical tone, the album complements thestory as told in the major motion picture release.
Since 1995, Jay-Z has dominated the rap industry and set the trends for a generation. Ten summers later,Shawn “Jay-Z†Carter has come to personify the new “American Dream†for millions the world over. NamedPresident and CEO of Def Jam Recordings, in 2005, he is the founder and chairman of Rocawear, co-owner of the NJ Nets, 40/40 Sports Clubs and co-owner of skin care and beauty line Carol’sDaughter. Jay-Z became the first non-athlete to enter into a major footwear co-venture with his S.Carter line for Reebok and in addition, continues his philanthropic work through his Water For Lifeinitiative Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation. Over his career, the multiple award winner has soldover 40 million albums and sold out arenas the world over.
Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Brian Grazer, Steven Zaillian and Ridley Scott team to tell the truejuggernaut success story of a cult figure from the streets of 1970s Harlem in American Gangster.Washington stars as Frank Lucas, a brilliant entrepreneur and self-made embodiment of the American Dream whocomes from nowhere to rule the inner-city drug trade, and Crowe is Richie Roberts, an outcast cop zeroing in onwho is outfoxing and outplaying all the familiar Mafia families as he closes in on this unexpected newstreetwise superstar.