Jay-Z

Shawn Corey Carter, known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, businessman, and record executive from New York City. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he is known for his complex lyricism, wordplay, and double entendres. In 2023, Billboard and Vibe ranked him as the greatest rapper of all time. According to Forbes, he is the wealthiest music artist in history, with an estimated net worth of 2.8 billion dollars as of 2026.

Jay-Z was born on December 4, 1969, in Brooklyn, New York City, and was raised in the Marcy Houses public housing project in Bedford–Stuyvesant. Following his father's departure when Jay-Z was 11 years old, he and his three older siblings were raised by their mother, Gloria Carter. He attended Eli Whitney High School, George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School, and Trenton Central High School before dropping out. During his youth, he engaged in selling crack cocaine and survived being shot at three times. Known locally as Jazzy, he later adopted the stage name Jay-Z in homage to his mentor, the rapper Jaz-O.

Jay-Z began recording music in the late 1980s, appearing on early tracks alongside Jaz-O and later performing with artists such as Big Daddy Kane, Big L, and Mic Geronimo. In 1995, he released his first official single, In My Lifetime. Operating without a major record deal, Jay-Z co-founded the independent label Roc-A-Fella Records in 1995 alongside Damon Dash and Kareem Burke. He released his debut studio album, Reasonable Doubt, in 1996, followed by In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 in 1997.

Over his career, Jay-Z has accumulated 14 number-one albums on the Billboard 200 chart, the third-most in history. His major studio releases include Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life, The Blueprint, The Black Album, American Gangster, and 4:44. He has topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart four times, leading with the 2009 single Empire State of Mind featuring Alicia Keys, and appearing as a featured artist on hits by Mariah Carey, Beyoncé, and Rihanna. In 2019, his 2001 album The Blueprint was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry.

Jay-Z has also developed extensive corporate and business ventures. He co-founded the clothing retailer Rocawear in 1999 and the 40/40 Club luxury bar chain in 2003. Between 2004 and 2007, he served as president and chief executive officer of Def Jam Recordings, helping launch the careers of artists such as Kanye West, Rihanna, and Ne-Yo. He launched the entertainment agency Roc Nation in 2008 and acquired the technology company Aspiro in 2015 to expand its music streaming service, Tidal. In 2019, he became hip-hop's first billionaire, and he joined the board of directors of Block, Inc. in 2021.

Having sold 125 million records, Jay-Z is one of the best-selling music artists of all time. His accolades include 25 Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, and the NAACP President's Award. He was the first rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2013, Time named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world.