10 of Jay-Z’s Best Protégées and Associates

Jay-Z has been a driving force in the careers of many of today's top rap and R&B artists. From Beanie Sigel to Rihanna, Jay-Z has had a share of talented and accomplished protégés. Like a Jedi master, Jay has held their hands through the maze that we know as the music business. Jay-Z and his Roc-a-Fella associates greatly influenced the industry and established many of the trends that pervaded during the late '90s and early 2000s hip-hop and R&B. Here are Jay's most accomplished protégées and associates:

10. Memphis Bleek

No other Jay-Z associate has been name dropped as much as Bleek. It seems like it’s been forever since Jay declared that Bleek was “one hit away” because he’s really come a long way. Just like Foxy Brown, Bleek got his start as a guest MC on Reasonable Doubt. Following his exposure on early Jay-Z albums, Bleek would become one of the first artists on the Roc-A-Fella roster. The label released his debut LP, Coming of Age, which peaked at #7 with 118,000 units sold in its first week.

9. Peedi Peedi

There must be something in that Philly water, because 3 of the artists on this list (including Peedi) all hail from the City of Brotherly Love. Peedi's flow is deadly, his talent undeniable. Peedi first signed to Roc-A-Fella Records in 2001 and later became a core member of the State Property crew. Here he is ripping a mean beat alongside fellow Philly heads The Roots and DJ Jazzy Jeff.

8. J Cole

J Cole may be the least known on the list, but the rookie MC "has a glow like a little light-saber" if he says so himself. He first proved his worth by becoming the first artist to sign with Jay’s Roc Nation imprint, distributed by Live Nation. His latest mixtape, The Warm Up, is one of 2009’s best. And to crown it all, J Cole turned it up a notch and held his own alongside Jay on Blueprint 3’s “A Star Is Born.”

7. Just Blaze

Just Blaze is one of the best hip-hop producers of our time. Just has the rare ability to make even the most mundane rapper sound exciting on his beat. Many recall that his big break arrived on Jay's Blueprint in 2001. He would go on to produce countless hit singles, including this one here:

6. Foxy Brown

Sorry, wrong picture.

Foxy Brown had no demo. All she had was a mean guest verse on Jay-Z’s “Ain’t No N---a,” off the classic Reasonable Doubt LP. After numerous collaborations with Jay-Z, Foxy’s writing skills improved and she was ready for the solo spotlight. Brown’s first album Ill Na Na went on to go platinum selling over 3 million records in the US, six million world wide and launched two hit singles: "Get Me Home" (featuring Blackstreet) and "I'll Be" (featuring Jay-Z). Fox Boogie would eventually become one of the top selling female rappers of all time. Oh, and did you forget about the other tracks Jay and Foxy had together? Well, here's a reminder.

5. Freeway

Freeway is one of the most unique figures in hip-hop today, and we’re not just talking about his gigantic beard. Free has a boa constrictor flow that’s all his. After releasing two successful albums on Roc-A-Fella, the Philly rapper now has a cult-like following of his own.


4. Beanie Sigel

Beans is among a handful of hip-hop artists who have somehow managed to attain both fame and respect in the game. Sig is one of the greatest lyricists in the game and the stark honesty in his music strikes a connection with fans. Watch the clip below to witness Sigel's descriptive flow at work:

3. Ne-Yo

After years of grinding in the music industry and writing hit singles for the likes of Mario, Christina Milian and Mary J Blige, Ne-Yo wanted to trade in his pen for a mic. Following a successful audition at Def Jam, Jay-Z used his position as Def Jam president to facilitate Ne-Yo's rise to the top. Today Ne-Yo has scored 5 Top 10 singles and sold millions of records. His first two albums debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 Albums chart.

2. Rihanna

When Rihanna walked into the Def Jam offices and belted out a cover of Whitney Houston’s “For the Love of Me,” Jay-Z wouldn’t let her leave without signing with the label. She recalls, "The audition definitely went well. They (Def Jam) locked me into the office - till 3am. And Jay Z said, 'There's only two ways out. Out the door after you sign this deal. Or through this window' and we were on the 29th floor. Very flattering.” All three of Rih Rih’s albums have debuted in the Top 10 of the U.S. Billboard 200 and have all been certified platinum. Maybe Jay knew something we didn’t.

1. Kanye West

Though it was Dame Dash who first gave Kanye West a shot at Roc-a-Fella Records, Jay-Z has always played the Obi-Wan Kenobi to Ye’s Anakin Skywalker. The two sometimes take different artistic routes, but they always make great music together. Kanye’s production was instrumental to the success of Jay’s classic Blueprint album. In return, Jay gave Ye a platform to share his passion with the world. Kanye is one of the most sought after artists in the world today, with three multi-platinum albums, 11 Top 10 singles, and 10 Grammy awards.