Jay-Z becomes first hip-hop artist to headline Glastonbury :: Music News :: Articles

From the Merriam-Webster online dictionary:

Main Entry: retired
Function: adjective

1 : secluded
2 : withdrawn from one's position or occupation : having concluded one's working or professional career

If artists understood the meaning of that word, the past few years might have gone like this: in 2003, Jay-Z announces his retirement and plays his final show at Madison Square Garden. He ceases to make studio albums, leaving a large void in the world of mainstream hip-hop. He marries longtime girlfriend Beyoncé Knowles, and together they have a baby. As soon as the baby can talk, it collaborates with Young Jeezy, Bow Wow and Lil Wayne. Backed by Def Jam, the album goes triple platinum, and makes Yung Z-Knowles the richest three-year-old in the known universe.

However, since dear old Hova (along with many of his professional peers) stubbornly refuses to obey the proper definition of the word, the past five years went more like this:

Jay-Z announces his retirement, plays Madison Square Garden and becomes CEO of Def Jam. He does rather unpredictable side projects with the likes of Linkin Park and jams on stage with Phish. He also executive produces Fort Minor's debut album. In late 2005, he headlines the annual festival of NYC radio station Power 105.1, and publicly ends his rivalry with Nas. Rumors swirl that he and Beyoncé have broken up, all of which are later proven false. In 2006, he releases Kingdom Come, and is named the number one greatest MC of all time by MTV. Just under a year later, releases yet another album, entitled American Gangster, inspired by the Oscar-nominated film of same name. He gets engaged to Beyoncé.

And now, in his latest move to make it known to the world that he will not be held down by silly things like dictionaries, it's been announced that Jay-Z will headline the Glastonbury Festival, making him the first major hip-hop act to do so in the festival's long and storied history.

All of which likely makes the "retired" rapper busier than approximately 98% of the rest of show business.

For more on how to keep busy in retirement, have a look at this David Letterman clip, where Jay-Z discusses his not-really-farewell tour: