Shawn Corey Carter, better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper and entrepreneur who is one of the most well-known figures in the genre of hip-hop. He is not only a renowned rapper, but also a successful entrepreneur, as the owner of the Roc Nation entertainment organization. His records have sold more than 50 million copies worldwide, and he has won numerous honors. Many of his CDs have charted on notable lists, including the infamous ‘Billboard 200.’ His extensive discography says volumes about his dedication and merciless, aspirational quality. He is also a qualified NBA sports representative and owns the 40/40 Club, Def Jam Records, Roc Nation Sports, and Roc-A-Fella. Jay-Z was been named one of the most successful artists of the millennium, among legendary rappers such as 50 Cent, Nelly, and Eminem. The majority of his paintings are fragments of his turbulent, drug-addled upbringing. Despite coming from a humble beginning, Jay-Z is now a multi-millionaire artist who continues to dazzle audiences with his captivating music. Aside from work, he has been exceedingly private about his personal life and has kept his relationship with singer/actress Beyonce Knowles a secret. He is married to her and they have a daughter together.
Childhood and Adolescence
Shawn Corey Carter was born in Brooklyn, New York City, to Gloria Carter and Adnes Reeves. He is the fourth of the couple’s four children. His father abandoned the family when he was just 11 years old, and he was raised by his mother on his own.
The family lived in the drug-infested ‘Marcy Projects,’ which were also known for their violence and gun culture. He was also raised in an area like this.
He quickly became a crack dealer and ingested the gun culture that dominated his neighborhood at the time, to the point where he shot his older brother in the shoulder for stealing his jewelry.
George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School, Eli Whitney High School, and Trenton Central High School were among his educational institutions. He was in the same class as future entertainers Busta Rhymes and The Notorious B.I.G.
His passion in music began at a young age, when his mother gave him a boom box for his birthday. He began free styling, scripting lyrics, and tailing the music of many of the time’s popular performers.
In 1989, he began working with Jaz-O, a rapper who became his mentor and taught him the fundamentals of rhyming. Because he was known as ‘Jazzy’ in his neighborhood, he changed his name to Jay-Z forever to pay honor to his mentor.
Career of Jay-Z
Despite the fact that he went unnoticed for the first few years of his career, he quickly climbed to prominence thanks to his collaborations with Kareem Burke and Damon Dash. The group went on to form their own record label, Roc-A-Fella Records.
In 1996, he published his debut album, ‘Reasonable Doubt.’ Despite the fact that it was not well accepted by the public, it is largely regarded as one of the best albums of all time, with singles like ‘Can’t Knock the Hustle’ and ‘Brooklyn’s Finest.’
With the album ‘Vol.2… Hard Knock Life’ in 1998, he had even more popularity. The album’s title track, ‘Hard Knock Life,’ is considered Jay-most Z’s commercially successful hit to date. This was the beginning of his success and career in the music industry.
In 1999, he released ‘Vol.3… Life and Times of S. Carter,’ which was another commercial hit. He released ‘The Dynasty: Roc La Familia’ in the new millennium, which was planned to feature a variety of musicians but ended up containing only Jay-Z. In the same year, he created the Rocawear clothing line.
He sold millions of copies of his notable albums, including ‘The Blueprint,’ ‘The Blueprint2: The Gift & the Curse,’ and ‘The Black Album,’ between 2001 and 2005.
He revealed that he will be leaving the music industry during this time. He was also named ‘President’ of Def Jam Records and gave a performance at Madison Square Garden.
He also started a network of sports pubs and lounges known as the ’40/40 Club,’ which was named after baseball terminology.
He promoted the annual Power 105.1 performance, ‘Powerhouse,’ in New York in 2005. The following year, he released the album ‘Kingdom Come,’ one of the tracks from which was leaked ahead of the album’s release, sparking a lot of controversy.
He bought the urban clothing business Rocawear in 2006, which he eventually sold for $204 million to the Iconix Brand Group. In 2007, he released his tenth album, ‘American Gangster,’ which went on to sell one million copies in the United States alone. He resigned from his role as ‘President’ of Def Jam Records the following year.
He promoted several music festivals throughout 2008, including the O2 Wireless Festival, the Hove Festival, and the Roskilde Festival. The next year, he departed Def Jam and inked a multi-million dollar deal with ‘Live Nation,’ with whom he launched his Roc Nation imprint, a music publishing and production company.
His album ‘The Blueprint 3’ was published on September 8, 2009, and it was featured on a lot of famous music charts. In the same year, he went on tour in support of his album.
In 2010, he released the track ‘Stranded’ with Rihanna, Bono, and The Edge for the ‘Hope for Haiti Now’ fund-raiser.
In the same year, he published ‘Decoded,’ a memoir.
He worked with ‘M.I.A’ on the single ‘XXXO’ in 2012.
In July of 2013, he released his studio album, ‘Magna Carta Holy Grail.’ Jay-Z also stated that he would be launching a sports agency called ‘Roc Nation Sports’ in the near future.
Major Projects of Jay-Z
Roc-A-Fella Records published ‘Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life’ in 1998. The RIAA awarded him a 5X Platinum certification for this album, which launched him to superstardom. The album was so well-known that it was nominated for a coveted ‘Grammy Award’ for ‘Best Rap Album,’ and it also charted at number one on the Billboard 200. The album’s tracks ‘Can I Get A…’ and ‘Hard Knock Life’ are two of his most commercially successful singles to date. The album sold over 350,000 copies in its first week of release.
One of his most successful albums, ‘The Blueprint,’ was published in 2001 and included the hit singles ‘Jigga That Nigga,’ ‘Girls, Girls, Girls,’ and ‘Song Cry.’ Despite the fact that the album was released on September 11th, it sold over 420,000 copies in its first week and once again reached the top of the Billboard 200. Pitchfork Media has placed the album at number 5 on their list of the “Top 200 Albums of the 2000s.”
Achievements & Awards
He was named Billboard Music Award’s ‘R&B Albums Artist of the Year’ in 1998.
From 1999 to 2013, Jay-Z received 51 Grammy Award nominations and won 17 Grammy Awards over his musical career. From 2001 through 2012, he won six BET Awards.
In 2009, he received an American Music Award for ‘The Blueprint 3’ in the category of ‘Favorite Rap/Hip Hop Album.’
Time Magazine named Jay-Z and Beyoncé as Hollywood’s highest-paid pair in 2009.
He was named ‘Favorite Male Singer’ at the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards in 2010.
Personal History and Legacy
In April 2008, he married singer/actress Beyonce Knowles in a private ceremony. He worked with her on a number of singles and albums before they married, including ‘Crazy in Love,’ ’03 Bonnie & Clyde,’ ‘Deja vu,’ and ‘That’s How You Like It.’
Blue Ivy Carter, the couple’s daughter, was born in 2012.
He has been involved in a lot of charitable endeavors. Following Hurricane Katrina, he donated roughly $1 million to the American Red Cross. He was active in the 2008 presidential campaign and is a strong supporter of Obama’s administration, in addition to his musical career and commercial pursuits.
Estimated Net Worth
Jay-Z’s net worth is $1.4 billion.
Trivia
This well-known American rapper and business mogul owns roughly $4.5 million in Brooklyn Nets NBA club stock.
This renowned American rapper’s daughter’s cries were recorded at the end of the song, ‘Glory’, which was ascribed in the song. This rapper’s baby became the youngest person ever to appear on a Billboard charted song when he was just two days old.