Over the past few years I've seen some fans say Beyonce made Jay-Z who he is & made him a bigger star. Well, lets go back to the time when he was recording his double album The Blueprint 2 around 2002. This is when insiders discovered (Reported) he was dating Beyonce. In 2002, Jay-Z was releasing his 7th album. Not sure how many of you know how impressive an aritst is to complete 7 albums but that's a lot of work. By this time he owned the clubs, radio & album sales. Jigga had also released his highest selling album to date, The Hardknock Life which sold over 5 million copies. This is not including World Tours, Clothing Line and other ventures. This short thread is no knock on Beyonce. Obviously their marriage opened several doors for them individually and as a "team". Also, we know Beyonce is an amazing artist & legend so it's not going to hurt that she's your partner. In Corporate America, a business guy is respected more when he has a family. A man with a family is looked at as a man who will more than likely think through situations better. Why? Because he has a family that depend on his decisions. I do think that Shawn Carter is taken more serious as a result of this personal stability. Jay-Z is not Reasonable Doubt Jay-Z. Jigga is a father & husband but as an artist, he was at his apex during The Blueprint 1 Era & was raps biggest artist pre-Beyonce. - Peace