Jay-Z struggled to kick start his career because he wasn't "ghetto" enough, his former record producer has claimed.
Damon Dash, who released Jay-Z's first tracks when he was still an aspiring rapper, says the now global star didn't have much street credibility in his earlier days.
He said: "Everybody thought he was too old. They didn't like the way he dressed - like a Harlem dude.
"The Brooklyn cats who were more dominant were known for doing things like gold teeth, much more ghetto."
The music mogul also revealed he was very impressed by Jay-Z's determination to succeed.
He said: "I was shocked. Here was a guy with the aspirations I had. We wanted to be known for making money. All we talked about was making money and how to spend it, what the best of everything was and how bad we wanted it."
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