Jay-Z

Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z (stylized as JAY-Z), is an American rapper, songwriter, record executive, entrepreneur, and media proprietor. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential hip-hop artists in history and is also well known for being the former CEO of Def Jam Recordings, cultivating major industry artists such as Kanye West, Rihanna, and J. Cole.

Born and raised in New York City, Jay-Z first began his musical career in the late 1980s; he co-founded the record label Roc-A-Fella Records in 1995 and released his debut studio album Reasonable Doubt in 1996. The album was released to widespread critical success, and solidified his standing in the music industry. He went on to release twelve additional albums, including the acclaimed albums The Blueprint (2001), The Black Album (2003), American Gangster (2007), and 4:44 (2017). He also released the full-length collaborative albums Watch the Throne (2011) with Kanye West and Everything Is Love (2018) with his wife Beyoncé, respectively.

A billionaire, Jay-Z has attained significant success and media attention for his career as a businessman. In 1999, he founded the clothing retailer Rocawear, and in 2003, he founded the luxury sports bar chain 40/40 Club. Both businesses have grown to become multi-million-dollar corporations, and allowed him to start-up the entertainment company Roc Nation in 2008. In 2015, he acquired the tech company Aspiro and took charge of their media streaming service Tidal. In 2020, he launched "Monogram", a line of cannabis products.

One of the world's best-selling music artists, with over 125 million records sold, Jay-Z has won 23 Grammy Awards, the most by a rapper, and holds the record for the most number-one albums by a solo artist on the Billboard 200 (14). Ranked by Billboard and Rolling Stone as one of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, Jay-Z was the first rapper honored in the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the first solo living rapper inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Early life

Jay-Z was born as Shawn Corey Carter in the Brooklyn borough of New York City on 4 December 1969. He was raised in Marcy Houses, a housing project in Brooklyn's Bedford–Stuyvesant neighborhood. After their father, Adnis Reeves, abandoned the family, Jay-Z and his three siblings were raised by their mother, Gloria Carter. Reeves would later meet and reconcile with Jay-Z shortly before dying in 2003. Jay-Z claims in his lyrics that in 1982, at age 12, he shot his older brother in the shoulder for stealing his jewelry. Along with rapper AZ, he attended Eli Whitney High School in Brooklyn until it was closed. He then attended nearby George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School with rappers The Notorious B.I.G. and Busta Rhymes, followed by a stint at Trenton Central High School in Trenton, New Jersey, though he did not graduate. According to his interviews and lyrics, he sold crack cocaine and was shot at three times during this period.

According to his mother, Jay-Z used to wake up his siblings at night banging out drum patterns on the kitchen table. She bought him a boombox for his birthday, sparking his interest in music, and he began freestyling and writing lyrics. Known as "Jazzy" around the neighborhood, he later adopted the stage name "Jay-Z" in homage to his mentor Jaz-O. Jay-Z can be briefly heard on several of Jaz-O's early recordings in the late 1980s and early 1990s, including "H. P. Gets Busy", "The Originators" and "Hawaiian Sophie". Jay-Z became embroiled in several battles with rapper LL Cool J in the early 1990s. He first became known to a wide audience on the posse cut "Show and Prove" on the 1994 Big Daddy Kane album Daddy's Home. Jay-Z has been referred to as Big Daddy Kane's hype man during this period, although Kane explains that he didn't fill the traditional hype man role, and was instead basically making cameo appearances on stage. "When I would leave the stage to go change outfits, I would bring out Jay-Z and Positive K and let them freestyle until I came back to the stage." The young Jay-Z appeared on a popular song by Big L, "Da Graveyard", and on Mic Geronimo's "Time to Build", which also featured early appearances by DMX and Ja Rule in 1995. His first official rap single was called "In My Lifetime", for which he released a music video in 1995. An unreleased music video was also produced for the B-side "I Can't Get with That."

In 1997, Notorious B.I.G. was killed. Jay's close friend. This event made the rapper think about things more serious than bluster. And he filled two albums (In my life time vol.1 and vol.2… Hard Knock Life) with bright personal spaces and sincere stories about street life. It turned out what has now been called conscious hip-hop. But time heals, and already in 1999, Sean, having smelled the eternal rapper's hedonism, moved into a more commercial implementation. Volume 3... The Life and Times of S. Carter was the artist's miserable record of life's hardships and marked his return to a more lucrative (and lucrative) track. Jay started from the image of a street ragamuffin aside and the life of hard-to-reach women, which he reads about in the tracks Girls, Girls, Girls and Big Pimpin'.

Commercial

Since the early 2000s, Sean has been making money, not only for himself, but also for a handful of very young artists who collaborated with Roc-A-Fella Records, including Kanye West, Pharrell Williams and many others. Each album by Jay was a hit, the production became more and more epic, and the cars in the videos became more and more expensive. At the same time, the rapper did not flirt with rock music for long (rap was not always the number one genre). From the experiments came the hit 99 problems and a joint recording with Linkin Park, which also achieved great success. For six years, Jay generally managed a lot, even ended his career once.

Held

By the 200th, Jay had already become an unshakable figure, revealed Rihanna to the world, left the stage, returned and began to wear a jacket more often. A year later, he married Beyoncé and began to get more involved in business, but out of inertia released 3 more albums and a collaboration with Kanye. At first it turned out well, but by 2013, it seems that interest has completely dried up. Magna Carter's Holy Grail album impressed few people, but by that time Jay was already a bird of such a high flight that the taunts of critics simply did not reach him.

Legend

Few rappers who started in the 80s managed to remain relevant to this day and also earn $ 900 million (none). By 2018, Jay has already become a completely mythical figure in rap. He is the personification of everything that any young artist aspires to - fame, recognition, money and an ideal wife. And the album 4:44, released last year, is the best proof that, despite all the success in business, he is primarily a musician. Jay no longer tries to please anyone, does not try to please anyone, and he does not care about money - this is exactly the freedom that every artist strives for. Jay achieved it and recorded the most raw, unkempt and honest album of his career, it turned out, as you know, cool.

Social activity

Jay-Z devotes a lot of time to charity. For example, he founded a foundation with his mother to help students who are facing financial difficulties. Also during one of his world tours, the rapper promoted the idea of ​​​​supporting the environment and preserving clean natural water.

In 2006, Sean Carter acted as an ardent fighter against racism and anti-Semitism, and later he was involved in politics to some extent: the singer agitated the people of Illinois not to ignore the presidential elections, but to more actively express their life and political positions. During this campaign, JAY-Z met US President Barack Obama, who, after their conversation, repeatedly spoke of him as a person with whom it is incredibly interesting to communicate.

In 2018, US President Donald Trump himself turned to the performer, but not as a musician, but as a human rights activist. In a tweet, the president asked users of the service to tell Jay-Z that, thanks to the policies of the new head of state, unemployment among the black population of America has reached an all-time low.

This statement was the president's response to criticism from the rapper. JAY-Z publicly condemned Trump's words when he called the countries of Africa and Haiti "dirty holes."

Personal life

Now Jay-Z and r'n'b singer Beyoncé name different dates of acquaintance and the beginning of a romantic relationship. At first, the artists were "friends", but in 2004 they officially confirmed the couple's status at the MTV Video Music Awards.

In 2008, the artists got married, and 4 years later, Sean Carter and Beyoncé had a daughter, who was named Blue Ivy Carter. The couple try not to discuss private relationships with fans and journalists, as they believe that such behavior speaks of playing in public.

In 2017, a replenishment happened in the family of musicians: Beyoncé gave birth to twins. The singer's pregnancy became known back in February: she starred in a nude photo shoot with a noticeably rounded belly, and also stated that she now has three hearts. The pop diva continued to communicate with fans throughout her pregnancy and regularly posted photos on her Instagram page, not embarrassed by changes in her own body.

The stars responsibly prepared for the replenishment in the family. Jay-Z bought a new house - a huge mansion worth $ 120 million, so that no one in a large family would be crowded.

Shortly after the news of the birth of the twins, journalists learned the names of the children. The newborns were named by the star parents in an unusual way - Rumi and Sir. Rumi is a favorite poet of both Jay-Z and Beyoncé, so the parents named their daughter in honor of such a creative personality. And the boy received the name Sir, which goes back to the British title. The parents decided that the son was behaving nobly, like a high-ranking Briton.

Musicians did not appear at social events for a long time. For the first time since the birth of the twins, the stars came out only at Rihanna's traditional Diamond Ball.

At the end of 2017, Jay-Z again drew the attention of fans to his own personal life. But this time the news was not so pleasant: the rapper publicly admitted for the first time that he had cheated on his wife.

JAY-Z cheating was not such a secret for fans of the musical couple. Beyoncé talked about it in a creative way on her Lemonade album. But in a new interview, Jay-Z openly said that the marriage was on the verge of divorce, but the couple were able to find a common language and endure problems together. The rapper also linked his own infidelity to childhood problems. The artist shared that life in a dysfunctional area made him emotionally closed, and this eventually resulted in family problems.

In addition to music, the rapper promotes his clothing and footwear line. Among his possessions are film production, a club, sports bars. The musician is a certified sports agent and co-owns the New Jersey Nets basketball team.

In 2021, Jay-Z's fortune reached $1.4 billion, and the total capital of the spouses, according to Forbes, is almost $2 billion. special order of artists. According to media reports, the cost of this unprecedentedly expensive vehicle was $ 28 million.

In 1997, Notorious B.I.G. was killed. Jay's close friend. This event made the rapper think about things more serious than bluster. And he filled two albums (In my life time vol.1 and vol.2… Hard Knock Life) with bright personal spaces and sincere stories about street life. It turned out what has now been called conscious hip-hop. But time heals, and already in 1999, Sean, having smelled the eternal rapper's hedonism, moved into a more commercial implementation. Volume 3... The Life and Times of S. Carter was the artist's miserable record of life's hardships and marked his return to a more lucrative (and lucrative) track. Jay started from the image of a street ragamuffin aside and the life of hard-to-reach women, which he reads about in the tracks Girls, Girls, Girls and Big Pimpin'.

Commercial

Since the early 2000s, Sean has been making money, not only for himself, but also for a handful of very young artists who collaborated with Roc-A-Fella Records, including Kanye West, Pharrell Williams and many others. Each album by Jay was a hit, the production became more and more epic, and the cars in the videos became more and more expensive. At the same time, the rapper did not flirt with rock music for long (rap was not always the number one genre). From the experiments came the hit 99 problems and a joint recording with Linkin Park, which also achieved great success. For six years, Jay generally managed a lot, even ended his career once.

Held

By the 200th, Jay had already become an unshakable figure, revealed Rihanna to the world, left the stage, returned and began to wear a jacket more often. A year later, he married Beyoncé and began to get more involved in business, but out of inertia released 3 more albums and a collaboration with Kanye. At first it turned out well, but by 2013, it seems that interest has completely dried up. Magna Carter's Holy Grail album impressed few people, but by that time Jay was already a bird of such a high flight that the taunts of critics simply did not reach him.

Legend

Few rappers who started in the 80s managed to remain relevant to this day and also earn $ 900 million (none). By 2018, Jay has already become a completely mythical figure in rap. He is the personification of everything that any young artist aspires to - fame, recognition, money and an ideal wife. And the album 4:44, released last year, is the best proof that, despite all the success in business, he is primarily a musician. Jay no longer tries to please anyone, does not try to please anyone, and he does not care about money - this is exactly the freedom that every artist strives for. Jay achieved it and recorded the most raw, unkempt and honest album of his career, it turned out, as you know, cool.

Social activity

Jay-Z devotes a lot of time to charity. For example, he founded a foundation with his mother to help students who are facing financial difficulties. Also during one of his world tours, the rapper promoted the idea of ​​​​supporting the environment and preserving clean natural water.

In 2006, Sean Carter acted as an ardent fighter against racism and anti-Semitism, and later he was involved in politics to some extent: the singer agitated the people of Illinois not to ignore the presidential elections, but to more actively express their life and political positions. During this campaign, JAY-Z met US President Barack Obama, who, after their conversation, repeatedly spoke of him as a person with whom it is incredibly interesting to communicate.

In 2018, US President Donald Trump himself turned to the performer, but not as a musician, but as a human rights activist. In a tweet, the president asked users of the service to tell Jay-Z that, thanks to the policies of the new head of state, unemployment among the black population of America has reached an all-time low.

This statement was the president's response to criticism from the rapper. JAY-Z publicly condemned Trump's words when he called the countries of Africa and Haiti "dirty holes."

Personal life

Now Jay-Z and r'n'b singer Beyoncé name different dates of acquaintance and the beginning of a romantic relationship. At first, the artists were "friends", but in 2004 they officially confirmed the couple's status at the MTV Video Music Awards.

In 2008, the artists got married, and 4 years later, Sean Carter and Beyoncé had a daughter, who was named Blue Ivy Carter. The couple try not to discuss private relationships with fans and journalists, as they believe that such behavior speaks of playing in public.

In 2017, a replenishment happened in the family of musicians: Beyoncé gave birth to twins. The singer's pregnancy became known back in February: she starred in a nude photo shoot with a noticeably rounded belly, and also stated that she now has three hearts. The pop diva continued to communicate with fans throughout her pregnancy and regularly posted photos on her Instagram page, not embarrassed by changes in her own body.

The stars responsibly prepared for the replenishment in the family. Jay-Z bought a new house - a huge mansion worth $ 120 million, so that no one in a large family would be crowded.

Shortly after the news of the birth of the twins, journalists learned the names of the children. The newborns were named by the star parents in an unusual way - Rumi and Sir. Rumi is a favorite poet of both Jay-Z and Beyoncé, so the parents named their daughter in honor of such a creative personality. And the boy received the name Sir, which goes back to the British title. The parents decided that the son was behaving nobly, like a high-ranking Briton.

Musicians did not appear at social events for a long time. For the first time since the birth of the twins, the stars came out only at Rihanna's traditional Diamond Ball.

At the end of 2017, Jay-Z again drew the attention of fans to his own personal life. But this time the news was not so pleasant: the rapper publicly admitted for the first time that he had cheated on his wife.

JAY-Z cheating was not such a secret for fans of the musical couple. Beyoncé talked about it in a creative way on her Lemonade album. But in a new interview, Jay-Z openly said that the marriage was on the verge of divorce, but the couple were able to find a common language and endure problems together. The rapper also linked his own infidelity to childhood problems. The artist shared that life in a dysfunctional area made him emotionally closed, and this eventually resulted in family problems.

In addition to music, the rapper promotes his clothing and footwear line. Among his possessions are film production, a club, sports bars. The musician is a certified sports agent and co-owns the New Jersey Nets basketball team.

In 2021, Jay-Z's fortune reached $1.4 billion, and the total capital of the spouses, according to Forbes, is almost $2 billion. special order of artists. According to media reports, the cost of this unprecedentedly expensive vehicle was $ 28 million.