By Gigi Abrantes
Since he first dropped his debut album in 1996, Jay-Z became an instant classic on the hip-hop scene. Now that he is about to drop his 11th album The Blueprint 3, MTV News takes a look back at the history of one of the greatest artists in rap history with The J to Z of Jay-Z.
During his career, Jay-Z has often rapped about the pricey champagne Cristal. But in recent years, Jay-Z has been toasting water: Water for Life, the United Nations' campaign to bring sanitary water to the 2.6 billion people who don't have adequate access to one of the most basic necessities of life.
In 2006, Jay-Z and MTV teamed with the UN and their Water for Life action plan to raise awareness that water is neither endless nor plentiful. According to the UN, one-third of the world's population is suffering from a scarcity of water. In "The Diary of Jay-Z: Water for Life," MTV documented Jigga's personal interactions with the people who endure this water crisis every day.
Jay-Z first arrived in Luanda, Angola to a horde of screaming fans outside the airport. He visited Bela and her family who live in a shanty with no sinks, toilets, shower or running water. Bela took Jay-Z on her more than half-mile trip to the nearest water source, where she filled one 20-liter bottle with unsanitary water. She returns on a second trip every day just to provide for her household of six. On this trip, Jay-Z carried the water back for Bela, but even he struggled to carry it.
On another leg of his trip in Durban, South Africa, Jay-Z visited Mid-Illovo Primary School where the students have endured similar tribulations. He arrived again to a crowd screaming fans school children chanting his name and holding up the Roc-A-Fella diamond with their hands. Thanks to Jay-Z's donation, the school was able to build a water tower, where clean water is pumped by a merry-go-round that the students can play on every day.
Want to help out with the Water for Life campaign? Check out more information here and here.