Jay-Z

Jay-Z
Born	Shawn Corey Carter 4 12, 1969
Birthplace	New York City, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Rapper, businessman, record executive
Known for	Co-founding Roc-A-Fella Records, complex lyricism, business empire
Spouse(s)	Beyoncé (m. 2008)
Children	3
Awards	25 Grammy Awards, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee

Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z (currently stylized as JAY-Z), is an American rapper, businessman, and record executive whose career has spanned more than three decades and reshaped both the commercial landscape of hip-hop and the broader entertainment industry. Raised in the Marcy Houses public housing project in Brooklyn, New York, Carter emerged from modest beginnings to become one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with approximately 140 million records sold worldwide. His discography, rooted in East Coast hip-hop, is characterized by intricate wordplay, double entendres, and braggadocio woven into narratives that trace his own trajectory from poverty to extraordinary wealth. He has released 14 number-one albums on the Billboard 200, the joint-third most in chart history, and has won 25 Grammy Awards. Beyond music, Jay-Z has built a vast business portfolio that includes the entertainment agency Roc Nation, the clothing line Rocawear, the luxury bar chain 40/40 Club, and the streaming service Tidal, ventures that collectively made him the first hip-hop artist to attain billionaire status. Billboard and Vibe both named him the greatest rapper of all time in 2023. He was the first rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the first solo living rapper inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Early Life

Shawn Corey Carter was born on December 4, 1969, in New York City. He grew up in the Marcy Houses, a public housing project in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn. His upbringing in the Marcy Houses would become a central motif of his music, informing the rags-to-riches narrative that pervades much of his discography. Carter developed an interest in music at a young age and began freestyle rapping as a teenager, earning the nickname "Jazzy," which he later shortened to "Jay-Z." The moniker is also understood as a reference to his early mentor, the New York City-based rapper Jaz-O, under whose guidance Carter began honing his skills in the late 1980s.

As a protégé of Jaz-O, Carter gained exposure to the recording process and the music industry. He appeared on several of Jaz-O's tracks during this formative period, gradually building a reputation in New York's competitive underground hip-hop scene. Despite the challenges of his environment, Carter channeled his experiences into his art, crafting vivid lyrical depictions of street life, aspiration, and survival that would later define his debut recordings.

Career

Early Career and Roc-A-Fella Records (1994–1997)

After struggling to secure a recording contract with established labels, Carter took an entrepreneurial approach to launching his music career. In 1994, he co-founded Roc-A-Fella Records alongside Damon Dash and Kareem "Biggs" Burke. The independent label served as the vehicle for Carter's debut studio album, Reasonable Doubt, released in 1996. The album, which drew heavily on Carter's experiences and observations from his youth in Brooklyn, received critical acclaim for its sophisticated lyricism and vivid storytelling. Reasonable Doubt is widely considered one of the defining albums of 1990s East Coast hip-hop. In 2026, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the album and his music career, Jay-Z released the original version of "Dead Presidents" — known as "DP1" — on streaming services for the first time, closing a decades-long gap in his digital catalog. He also launched a new website commemorating the milestone.

His second studio album, In My Lifetime, Vol. 1, followed in 1997 and also received acclaim, further establishing Carter as a major force in hip-hop. The album marked a commercial step forward for the rapper and Roc-A-Fella Records, broadening his audience beyond the underground.

Commercial Breakthrough and Mainstream Dominance (1998–2003)

Through the late 1990s and early 2000s, Jay-Z released a succession of commercially successful albums that cemented his status as one of the most prominent figures in hip-hop. His subsequent albums beginning with Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life (1998) debuted atop the Billboard 200, a feat he would replicate consistently throughout his career. By 2002, Jay-Z had become one of the top-selling rap artists in the United States.

In 1999, Jay-Z made his first appearance atop the Billboard Hot 100 as a guest performer on Mariah Carey's single "Heartbreaker." That same year, he co-founded Rocawear, a clothing line that would grow into a multi-million-dollar retail brand and an early demonstration of his capacity for business ventures beyond music.

The release of The Blueprint in 2001 was a defining moment in Jay-Z's career. The album, which featured production from a then-emerging Kanye West, received widespread critical praise and is regarded as one of the greatest hip-hop albums ever recorded. It solidified Jay-Z's reputation for lyrical complexity and artistic ambition.

However, this period also brought legal difficulties. In 1999, Jay-Z was involved in the stabbing of record executive Lance "Un" Rivera at a nightclub in New York City. He pleaded guilty to the assault charge in 2001 and was sentenced to three years' probation.

In 2003, Jay-Z released The Black Album, which he initially presented as his final studio album before retirement. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and produced major singles. That same year, he topped the Hot 100 for the second time as a featured artist on Beyoncé's "Crazy in Love." He also founded the 40/40 Club, a luxury sports bar and lounge, which opened in New York City and later expanded to additional locations.

Def Jam Presidency and Return to Recording (2004–2008)

Despite his announced retirement from recording, Jay-Z took on a significant executive role in 2004 when he was appointed president and chief executive officer of Def Jam Recordings, one of the most storied labels in hip-hop history. During his tenure at Def Jam, which lasted until 2007, Jay-Z was instrumental in guiding the careers of several artists who would go on to achieve major commercial and critical success, including Kanye West, Rihanna, and Ne-Yo. His role at Def Jam demonstrated his abilities as a talent scout and executive, extending his influence over the broader direction of hip-hop and popular music during the mid-2000s.

In 2006, Jay-Z ended his brief retirement from recording with the release of Kingdom Come. The album continued his streak of number-one debuts on the Billboard 200. His next album, American Gangster (2007), was inspired by the Ridley Scott film of the same name and received strong critical reviews, with commentators praising it as a return to the gritty, narrative-driven style of his earlier work.

Also in 2007, Jay-Z again reached number one on the Hot 100 through his featured appearance on Rihanna's global hit "Umbrella." His collaboration with Rihanna, whom he had signed to Def Jam, underscored his dual influence as both performer and executive. He stepped down from the presidency of Def Jam in late 2007.

Roc Nation, Business Expansion, and Continued Recording (2008–2017)

In 2008, Jay-Z launched Roc Nation, a multi-disciplinary entertainment agency encompassing artist management, music publishing, touring, and sports management. Roc Nation grew rapidly into one of the most prominent agencies in the entertainment industry, representing a diverse roster of musicians, athletes, and other talent.

Jay-Z's 2009 single "Empire State of Mind," featuring Alicia Keys, became his first number-one hit on the Hot 100 as a lead artist. The song, an anthemic tribute to New York City, became one of his most recognizable recordings and a cultural touchstone.

Throughout the 2010s, Jay-Z continued to record and release music while simultaneously expanding his business interests. He surpassed Elvis Presley's record for the most number-one albums by a solo artist on the Billboard 200.

In 2015, Jay-Z acquired Aspiro, a Swedish technology company, and led the expansion of its media streaming service, Tidal. Positioned as an artist-owned alternative to dominant streaming platforms, Tidal emphasized high-fidelity audio quality and exclusive content. The service generated considerable media attention at its launch, which featured a roster of prominent musicians as stakeholders.

His 2017 album 4:44 was released exclusively on Tidal and received critical acclaim for its introspective lyrics, which addressed themes of marital infidelity, family, and personal accountability. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, continuing his remarkable chart streak.

Through his accumulated business ventures — including Roc Nation, Rocawear, the 40/40 Club, Tidal, and various investments — Jay-Z became the first hip-hop artist to attain billionaire status in 2019, a milestone that underscored his transformation from recording artist to diversified business mogul.

Legacy Projects and 30th Anniversary (2020s)

In the 2020s, Jay-Z has continued to be active both in music and business. In February 2026, he marked the 30th anniversary of his debut recordings by releasing the long-unavailable original version of "Dead Presidents" (known as "DP1") on streaming platforms for the first time. The track had been absent from digital services for decades due to sample clearance issues, and its release was accompanied by the launch of a dedicated anniversary website celebrating Jay-Z's three decades in the music industry.

At the 2026 Grammy Awards, Kendrick Lamar surpassed Jay-Z's total of 25 Grammy wins to become the most-awarded rapper in Grammy history. Jay-Z had held that distinction for several years prior.

Personal Life

Jay-Z married singer and entertainer Beyoncé on April 4, 2008. The couple's relationship, which began several years prior to their marriage, has been one of the most prominent partnerships in the entertainment industry. They have three children together: daughter Blue Ivy Carter, born in January 2012, and twins Rumi and Sir Carter, born in June 2017.

The couple's personal lives have occasionally intersected with their art in notable ways. Jay-Z's 2017 album 4:44 addressed marital difficulties, including his infidelity, in an unusually candid manner. Beyoncé's 2016 album Lemonade explored similar themes from her perspective. In 2018, the couple released the joint album Everything Is Love under the name The Carters.

Jay-Z has been a recipient of the NAACP's President's Award in recognition of his philanthropic and social justice efforts. He has spoken publicly on issues of criminal justice reform and social inequality.

Recognition

Jay-Z's career has been recognized through numerous awards and institutional honors. He has won 25 Grammy Awards, which was the most by any hip-hop artist until Kendrick Lamar surpassed that total at the 2026 ceremony. His Grammy total ranks eighth-most of all time across all genres.

He is the recipient of three Emmy Awards, including two Primetime Emmy Awards, and has been nominated for a Tony Award. He was also honored with the NAACP's President's Award for his contributions to public discourse and philanthropy.

In institutional terms, Jay-Z holds several historic distinctions. In 2017, he became the first rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, a milestone that recognized his contributions to American songwriting. He was subsequently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, becoming the first solo living rapper to receive that honor.

Billboard has ranked Jay-Z among its 100 greatest artists of all time, and both Billboard and Vibe named him the greatest rapper of all time in 2023. Time magazine included him in its list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2013.

As one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with approximately 140 million records sold worldwide, Jay-Z has accumulated a total of 14 number-one albums on the Billboard 200, the joint-third most in chart history. He has topped the Billboard Hot 100 four times: once as a lead artist with "Empire State of Mind" (2009) and three times as a featured artist on "Heartbreaker" (1999) by Mariah Carey, "Crazy in Love" (2003) by Beyoncé, and "Umbrella" (2007) by Rihanna.

Legacy

Jay-Z's influence extends across the intertwined worlds of hip-hop, business, and popular culture. His career established a template for the rapper-as-entrepreneur, demonstrating that success in music could be leveraged into a diversified portfolio of business interests spanning fashion, nightlife, sports management, technology, and media. The founding of Roc-A-Fella Records in the mid-1990s, born out of necessity when major labels declined to sign him, became an origin story that resonated with subsequent generations of independent artists seeking to control their own commercial destinies.

As a recording artist, Jay-Z's lyrical style — built on complex wordplay, double entendres, and a narrative arc tracing his journey from the Marcy Houses to the upper echelons of American wealth — has influenced countless hip-hop artists. His role as president of Def Jam Recordings helped shape the careers of artists including Kanye West and Rihanna, both of whom went on to become among the most commercially successful musicians of their era.

His business acumen reshaped the relationship between artists and the music industry. Through ventures like Roc Nation and Tidal, Jay-Z advocated for greater artist ownership and control over creative output and distribution. His attainment of billionaire status in 2019, the first for a hip-hop artist, marked a symbolic threshold in the genre's evolution from a marginalized art form to a dominant cultural and economic force.

His inductions into both the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame represented formal recognition of hip-hop's place within the broader canon of American music. The 30th anniversary celebrations of his career in 2026, including the long-awaited streaming release of the original "Dead Presidents," demonstrated the enduring interest in his catalog and its continued cultural relevance.