JAY-Z
Photograph by Jeff Riedel
Aug. 17, 2006
New York City

Riedel shot the rapper on a rooftop near the Brooklyn housing projects where he grew up. ''We really wanted to depart from the casual sportswear look,'' says Riedel. ''He just picked things that he liked and put them all together, coming up with a sort of polished blue-collar look. He's charismatic enough to pull just about anything off.'' But don't mistake the relaxed attitude for apathy. ''There were some funny moments, like him refusing to be photographed touching a ladder. He speaks his mind directly. I can only respect that.''