Jay-Z • May/June 2009
Features
The Music Mogul
Shawn Carter—best known to the world at large as Jay-Z, rap megastar and reigning monarch of hip-hop—extracts a Zino Platinum Crown Series Rocket from its sci-fi-sleek metal tube. …
The PGA Tour's Party Central
As players enter the portal that leads them to the 16th tee of the TPC Scottsdale, they take a deep breath, steeling themselves for what lies ahead. It's a 50-foot walk …
Shortcut to Gambling Nirvana
Spend enough time reading this magazine and you will encounter stories about incredibly bright men with astonishing skills. Some of them seem like sleight-of-hand artists or mind …
Choice Brews
When the extreme-beer pioneer Sam Calagione and the Philadelphia sommelier Marnie Old debuted their book He Said Beer, She Said Wine , a debate in print on which of the two …
Cigars
A Smoker's Guide to New York City
Despite not one but two smoking bans, you can still smoke in Manhattan—if you know where to go.
Business Isn't Always Business
Sitting in Havana, smoking a cigar and watching the world go by can quickly make you forget that there's a lot of business involved in the handful of leaves rolled up as the …
An Interview with Ruben Ysidron
Ysidron created the first branded cigar for Savinelli 15 years ago, and the standards have been high ever since.
Ratings from this Issue
Up Front
Getting Through
How many times in the last six months have you heard this phrase: "I've never seen anything like this in my life." There is no other way to look at this time in our history. If …
Out of the Humidor
Dear Marvin, I have been a reader of your magazine since the beginning. In fact, I believe I have every single issue. I compliment you on your accomplishments and fine …
The Good Life
TaylorMade R9 Driver
It was a marketer's dream come true. When Pat Perez won the 50th Bob Hope Classic in late January with a score of 33-under par, he hit 75 percent of his fairways, with a driving …
Flavored Vodkas
Whoever defined vodka as tasteless, odorless and colorless apparently forgot a widening mélange of the flavored kind. We've picked a selection of unusual tastes that take you …
Go to Barbecue School
Never trust a skinny barbecue guy," says Myron Mixon, eight-time national BBQ champion. He's poking fun at Chris Lilly, 10-time world champion, who is notably more slender than …
Palm Pre
The iPhone may be the hottest phone on the planet, but it does have flaws that keep holdouts like myself still searching for something better. Our wait may soon be over thanks to …
Coeur d'Alene Golf & Spa Resort
So here's the thing. There's this floating green and they say it's the only one in the world. If you don't play golf, you might not see the big deal. But a big deal it is at the …
Clambake
Not in any way to demean the experience of dining in a fine seafood restaurant, but if you have friendly weather, a place to do it and the makings, nothing quite matches the …
Ralph Lauren
Design and fashion mogul Ralph Lauren tells it straight: "I have always had a sensibility to the consumer, because I am the consumer." Of course, he is speaking about all things …
Making a Case for Cigars
It is not at all uncommon for a young man to inherit his grandfather's or even great-grandfather's charmingly distressed cigar case, seeing how finely crafted leather goods can …
Bow Ties
The man who tied the best bow-tie knots I ever saw was someone who rarely wore a tie of any kind. My brother Bill fit none of the most enduring stereotypes of the bow-tie wearer. …
Honda Fury
By delivering 95 percent of the outlaw biker experience but without most of the compromises, the 2010 Honda Fury makes entry into the chopper bike realm easier than ever. No …