Well, just in case you didn't already see this story making the rounds the past 24-36 hours ... the video of Jay-Z (plus entourage and security and fans) riding the R train to the Barclay's Center... and being asked by the kindly woman, Are you famous? (Gawker has more here.)
As The New York Times noted, the woman is Ellen Grossman, an East Village-based artist who lives on St. Mark's Place.
And given the world we live in, she is an instant celebrity of sorts. Per the Times:
To what does she attribute this new found celebrity? Given the economy, the wars and talk of the end of the world, “I think the world is in the mood for a sweet, old lady,” she said.
You can see the exchange between Jay-Z and Grossman at the 19:30 mark of the video ...
h/t The Wall Street Journal