(Photo: Courtesy of TIME, April 2013)

Jay-Z's influence is finally getting the recognition it deserves. Time magazine nabbed the rap mogul for its coveted 100 Most Influential People in the World cover, making him one of seven public figures featured on the April 29 issue.

Keeping in its tradition, Time chose another high-profile figure to pen the cover story. Hov's feature was written by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who praised the 42-year-old for persevering through adversity.

"Jay Z embodies so much of what makes New York New York," Bloomberg writes. "A kid from a tough neighborhood who grows up in public housing, overcomes lots of bad influences on the street, never lets go of his dream, makes it to the top — and then keeps going, pursuing new outlets for his creativity and ambition."

The billionaire mayor further applauded Jay as a man who "never forgot his roots," sighting his "Empire State of Mind" single as a "love song" to the city of New York.

Landing the cover adds Brooklyn's finest to an elite list of lauded historical figures, like Mahatma Gandhi and Winston Churchill.

Others noted as this year's "Most Influential" include Beyoncé, Michelle Obama, and Justin Timberlake, who were all placed in the "Icon" category.

Get ready for the BET Experience, featuring Beyoncé, Snoop Dogg, R. Kelly, Erykah Badu, Kendrick Lamar and many more. Go here for more details and info on how to buy tickets.

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