Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969 in Brooklyn, New York), is an American rapper and former president and CEO of Roc A Fella Records. He is more commonly known by a variety of stage names including S. Carter, Jigga, Hova, J-Hova, Hov, and Young Hov. He is regarded as one of the most prolific and successful American blend artists of the mid-90s and early 2000s and is known for his use of metaphors, freestyling abilities, word play, flow, and blending of street and popular hip hop. He is one of the most respected rappers in the music industry, and is admired for his ability to craft songs from memory without the use of pen and paper. He married his long time girlfriend Beyonce in April 2008 after dating for over seven years. He is one of the founders of Roc-A-Fella Records, a hip-hop record label which also launched the careers of artists such as Beanie Sigel, Kanye West, Memphis Bleek, Young Gunz, Freeway, and Teairra Mari.
Early history
Originally from the infamous Marcy Houses projects in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood in brooklyn in New York City, Shawn Carter was abandoned by his father Adnes Reeves when he was only twelve years old and he was consequently raised by his mother Gloria Carter. Jay-Z attended George Westinghouse High School in Downtown Brooklyn and Trenton Central High School in Trenton, New Jersey but did not graduate. He claims to have been caught up in selling drugs on the streets of New York in the Marcy Projects. In addition to this, Jay-Z has lyrically alluded to having sold crack cocaine and marijuana in Virginia and Maryland.
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"What more can I say?" asked Jay-Z in 2003, on his vaunted "retirement"record, The Black Album. The question has haunted the great —arguably, greatest — MC ever since, from his comeback dud KingdomCome (2006) and soundtrack curio American Gangster (2007). As thecurtain lifts on his 11th studio album, Jay is still posing it: On "WhatWe Talkin' About," he booms, "What we talkin' about, real shit?/Or wetalkin' about rhymes?" Well, rhymes, certainly. Jay-Z remains avirtuoso, and Blueprint 3 has......
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We've all been going a little Jay-Z crazy around here, playing 'The Blueprint' to death in the store, and if you have MTV, you're probably sick to death seeing clips from Jay-Z's unplugged set. But it ranks up there as one of the better 'Unplugged's (the Nirvana one being an obvious favorite). For this performance, Jay-Z wisely got the amazing Roots to back him up, and they are SO TIGHT and right on, that there's times you can't even tell it's a live band, and then there's times when they sound ......
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Not 12 months have elapsed since 'Kingdom Come', the record that saw Jay-Z shrug off the moth-bitten dressing gown of retirement and dive back in to the rap game. The Hova's first post-retirement record had both eyes on the crossover buck, featuring everyone from Beyoncé to Chris Martin. Jay-Z's since cooled to it, though, admitting later that it was "maybe too sophisticated". So it figures 'American Gangster', loosely based on the forthcoming Denzel Washington flick of the same name, is a lean......
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In recent months, a lot of unique remix editions of Jay-Z's "The Black Album" have been released to the hip-hop public. The most infamous among all of these Danger Mouse's "The Grey Album," which mixed it with the famous Beatles release "The White Album" into a combined whole which some critics have already described as pure genius. The only thing which has kept this album from being larger is it's quasi-legit status, since it would be financially impossible for an indie artist like Danger Mou......
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When I reviewed Jay-Z's last record, last year's Kingdom Comeback, I said that it sucked. In this I was correct. It was a hard truth at the time, one that I reconciled roughly and pushed into words. A recent relisten verified for me how crystalline my recollection of it was. "Show Me What You Got" is still not a party track; "Minority Report" still says nothing. At the close of the review, I summed up all the frustration and rage a hip-hop nut would feel when their Favorite emcee flimsily abased......
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For the past year or so, Jay-Z has withstood everything from massive overexposure (he seemed to release a new single every few weeks) to the odd arrest, to an ultra-commercial collaboration with Mariah Carey. Sure, Jay-Z is overwhelmingly arrogant, but at his best ("Brooklyn's Finest," "Friend Or Foe"), he turns cockiness into an art form, soaring like Michael Jordan over a sea of contenders to his throne. On his fourth album, however, he seems to be treading water, coasting ...
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What made The Blueprint so great was Jay-Z's opulent showbiz, magnifying his ego to global proportions. But can such an ego be tolerated over a double album? Alas, despite individually powerful tracks like "Hovi Baby" and "Bitches & Sisters", we've heard too much of this before. There are obligatory contributions from the Neptunes and Timbaland, of which the former come out much the better ("Fuck All Nite", "Nigga Please"), and equally predictable appearances by Jay-Z's current other half Beyon......
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Despite Jay-Z's resolute declaration of Auto-Tune's death on The Blueprint 3's lead single, D.O.A. (Death Of Auto-Tune), the pitch-correction software is alive and well even on this record. A dozen tracks after D.O.A., bleach-headed Kanye protegé Mr. Hudson auto-croons Alphaville's 80s hit Forever Young on mid-life-crisisesque Young Forever. On Hate, a few tracks earlier, Jay and Kanye trade some hot verses over a beat built on robot vocals. This glaring inconsistency is the least of BP3's m......
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Summary: A couple of brilliant moments sit amidst his worst album in 10 years. This is anti-autotune, death of the ringtone This ain't for Itunes, this ain't for sing-along Ayo. Jay's tired of using technology. Why these n-ggas always talking Lear talk Ye? Why I never see em at the clear port Ye? Why I always hear they at the Airport? Why i fly daily like i'm in the Airforce? Who are you? Where am I? And you can choose ta Sit in front of your computer Shooting Youtube up You niggas sin......
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Who's been responsible for The Blueprint 3's biggest PR boost thus far: Kanye West or Rihanna? Timbaland or Drake? Um, LeBron James? According to our RSS, the answer would appear to be Ed Droste. Now, a few years ago, a YouTube of Jay-Z swaying lazily to "Ready, Able" might've been a "gotcha" moment worthy of the Summer Jam Screen, but in 2009, the buzz it's generated is either a huge breakthrough for the hip-hop/indie conversation or a sign that seeing Jigga in the same room as Grizzly Bear is ......
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Jay-Z's "retirement" is possibly the greatest public-relations stunt since Tupac Shakur's "death." It's impossible to know whether or not he's serious. He's been claiming an impending retirement for his entire career; supposedly his first album, Reasonable Doubt, was originally intended to be his last. Rappers, of course, are born hucksters, selling us fictionalized images of themselves, and Jay-Z is one of the best flim-flam men the genre has even known "I am a hustler, baby/ I could sell wa......
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Discard what you've heard about Jay-Z's latest disc, American Gangster, being some sort of high-conceptual work based on Ridley Scott's latest film of the same name. It might make for good press release and cross-promotional material, but given his CEO status and appearances on Charlie Rose, one gets the feeling that the conceptual claims do little more than throw unsuspecting mainstream listeners off of the truthful detailing of Jay's past hustling life.
His fans know better, however. When th......
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Writer Jeff Chang described the central question of Kingdom Come, Jay-Z's much-discussed post-retirement album from 2006, as being what more could Jay say. Interest in this response was certainly high: Fans gave the record one of the year's biggest opening-week sales figures and the industry heralded it with a Grammy nod. But critics responded with far less generosity. Punctuated by the bold Rick James sample bouncing through the title track and the ability of the single "Show Me What You Got......
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When Jay-Z announced his retirement on 2003's The Black Album and sold out Madison Square Garden for his farewell party, few believed hip hop's most skilful operator was gone for good. A new day job as president of Def Jam might have stemmed his flow, but the Jigga continued to make guest appearances on records by famous friends like Beyonce, as well as bolstering the credibility of his own young signings. A sceptic might assume that the whole retirement was a Sinatra-esque piece of self-aggra......
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Commercial hip hop deals another blow to the underground, by spitting out one of the best hip hop records of the year. Catchy and funky and funny and absolutely fucking perfect. Makes Puffy seem like the Young MC he really is....
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There were mash-ups before The Grey Album. (They were called "hip-hop songs.") And there will be mash-ups in the future. But for the sake of sanity and closure, let's say that Tom Caruana's "Wu-Tang vs. the Beatles" project officially ends the tragic era that spawned in the wake of Danger Mouse's entertaining yet pedestrian Jay-Z-Fab-Four-gy. Magical Mystery Chambers is the finest effort the subgenre has yielded in forever — a phenomenal note for mash-up culture to exit on. I'm not sure whether ... read
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Download Click "Read more..." to expand menu with the tracklist. 1. Jay-Z feat. Santigold - Brooklyn Go Hard (Atlantic Connection remix) (dub) 2. Random Movement - Waterlogged (Innerground dub) 3. Random Movement & Dan Marshall - Current Situation (dub) 4. Total Science feat. MC Conrad - Soul Patrol (Lenzman remix) (CIA) 5. Lenzman - Mesmerized (SGN:LTD) 6. Marky & XRS - LK (No Scrubs bootleg) (dub) 7. Edward Oberon - Void (dub) 8. Stereotype - Green Light Booty (dub) 9. Glen E Stone - One ... read
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repeating those interesting facts again now would u you? What I did find intriguing in this particular interview, Hoda Ktob and Kathie Lee Gifford point out that Beyonce has received more Grammys than Tina Turner, Barber Streisand and Celine Dion- combined. Sheeesush Christ!!! Anyway, check out the interview below. Enjoy! Sincerely Low "Once again, Hov you lucky BASTARD" Key Beyonce talks Grammy Success, Jay-Z and Tabloids from LowKey on Vimeo. ... read
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Very slowly all during yesterday Bonnaroo and the various bands that will play its festival announced their participation and unveiling of the lineup. Well finally today we have the full lineup all in one place. There are some odd ones in here (Kris Kristofferson? Steve Martin's banjo jam band?) as well as some goodies (LCD, The National) and nice to see Jay-Z making an appearance. The big ones are listed here: BONNAROO MUSIC AND ARTS FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES 2010 LINEUP FEATURING DAVE MATTHEWS ... , uncensored lineup after the jump. Check out the official website for more details. 2010 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival Confirmed Artists: Dave Matthews Band Kings of Leon Stevie Wonder Jay-Z Tenacious D Weezer The Flaming Lips with Stardeath and White Dwarfs perform "Dark Side of the Moon" The Dead Weather Damian Marley & Nas Phoenix Norah Jones Michael Franti & Spearhead John Fogerty Regina Spektor Jimmy Cliff LCD Soundsystem The Avett Brothers Thievery Corporation Rise Against Tori Amos ... read
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Against The World. And two years after Illmatic, a little-known emcee named Jay-Z dropped his first album, Reasonable Doubt. As most of you know I've pretty much aged out of the music. I think that's fine. But those of over 30 need to be careful not to confuse the music dying for us, with the music dying for the world. That said, lyrically, it really doesn't get much better than Illmatic. When I was a kid, I thought only better (lyrically) things would follow. I think that was a function of me ... read
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. THE MARS VOLTA - Cotopaxi "When Sanskrit was my mother tongue, Scarabs filled my pillow" 'Cotopaxi' is another great spaced-out Jazz-Metal cut from Messers blah and blah. (Buy) (YouTube) (MySpace) 85. JAY'S SOUL CONNECTION - Frankie's Party Life "Ordered some Patreezy, while talkin' to this breezy, brushin' off my three-piece, I make this look too easy" I love 'Frankie's Party Life's melding of Jay-Z and the funky soul of Lefties Soul Connection (Tops anything off Jigga's new LP). (Download) (My ... read
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the Recording of Bono and Jay-Z's Haiti Single "Stranded" • Dave Matthews Band, Lady Gaga and More Stars Rock to Aid Haiti • Hope for Haiti Now: The Live Blog ... read
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Bonnaroo 2010 lineup will total over 125 bands and over 20 comedians performing on 13 stages over four days.Tickets are on sale now exclusively at bonnaroo.com. Confirmed artists Dave Matthews Band, Kings of Leon, Stevie Wonder, Jay-Z, Tenacious D, Weezer, The Flaming Lips with Stardeath and White Dwarfs perform "Dark Side of the Moon", The Dead Weather, Damian Marley & Nas, Phoenix, Norah Jones, Michael Franti & Spearhead, John Fogerty, Regina Spektor, Jimmy Cliff, LCD Soundsystem, The Avett Brothers ... read
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and been told, 'We're full.'" PLAYBOY: It is true; a lot of rappers love you. You recorded with Common and Kanye West, played live with Jay-Z. MAYER: What is being black? It's making the most of your life, not taking a single moment for granted. Taking something that's seen as a struggle and making it work for you, or you'll die inside. Not to say that my struggle is like the collective struggle of black America. But maybe my struggle is similar to one black dude's. PLAYBOY: Do black women throw ... read
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Track List: 1. Can I Talk To You featuring Nutt Da Kidd & Mack Maine 2. Put My Money featuring Jay-Z 3. Swagger From Us featuring Jim Jones 4. Pick & Roll featuring Juelz Santana 5. The ~lol~ 6. Guerilla City 7. Lean Low featuring Juelz Santana 8. Real Life 9. I Want It Forever featuring Nutt Da Kidd 10. She On It featuring Nikki 11. Cool Outrageous Lovers featuring Plies & Andre 3000 12. Ransom featuring Drake 13. Forgot About Me featuring Scarface & Bun B 14. The Best Rapper 15. Do ... read
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asleep during this interview? How is any rep worth his/her salt allowing this prick in public without a muzzle? I hope Jessica Simpson releases a statement saying that he's the worst sex she's ever had.... PLAYBOY: It is true; a lot of rappers love you. You recorded with Common and Kanye West, played live with Jay-Z. MAYER: What is being black? It's making the most of your life, not taking a single moment for granted. Taking something that's seen as a struggle and making it work for you, or you ... read
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), an anchor jamband that has no problem with large crowds (DMB) and the most bankable rapper on the planet (Jay-Z). Not bad, but it's nothing that's going to get me to Tennessee as an automatic. The Lips playing Dark Side will be fun, but boots of their New Year's performance circulate and they'll probably repeat the feat at other festivals. It'll be cool to see Tenacious D back in action, the Avett Brothers and Zac Brown Band are riding a wave of acclaim and excitement, the Kings of Leon are a force ... ), My Morning Jacket, Pavement, New Pornographers, Spoon, Neil Young, and Roger Waters performing The Wall to name a few. Interestingly String Cheese Incident was rumored and even shows up on the Bonnaroo website [ed. note - it appears all previous artists were given pages that show up using that 2010 syntax] and yet nothing... - Jeremy Gordon The rumored big three for Bonnaroo this year were DMB, Kings of Leon and Jay-Z. So I was surprised and excited to see Stevie Wonder pop up inside the Top 3 ... about something that they don't even have to go see? People - expand your horizons, live a little and go see something you've never heard of — in other words, act like a portfolio and diversify! Currently (and additional artist/schedule announcement pending) I plan on rocking out to the following: Stevie Wonder, Jay-Z, Tenacious D, Weezer, Flaming Lips, Dead Weather, John Fogerty, Tori Amos, John Prine, LCD Soundsystem, The Avett Brothers, Black Keys, Drop Kick Murphys, She & Him, The Melvins, GWAR ... read
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some original tracks through the year! Grab 3 bits below, make sure to load the full release and give Dave some kudos. Mp3: Dave Wrangler - Rosa Parks (Outkast vs Royksopp) Mp3: Dave Wrangler - Rock It (Herbie Hancock vs Dimples) Mp3: Dave Wrangler - Encore (Jay-Z vs Boy 8-Bit) Soundcloud: Dave Wrangler - Under the Influence zip-file: Dave Wrangler - Under the Influence ... read
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't Care About Us. It's the first time the pair have collaborated despite being friends for quite some time. Alicia is also close with Beyoncé's husband Jay-Z, and the pair worked together on the 2009 hit Empire State Of Mind. What a great idea for a music video ... and these costumes?! Amazing!! This is just the sort of video I think Beyoncé does very well but it's not the sort of video you'd expect from Alicia. I'm glad that her collabo with B has brought this out of her. After the jump, check ... read
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Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969 in Brooklyn, New York), is an American rapper and former president and CEO of Roc A Fella Records. He is more commonly known by a variety of stage names including S. Carter, Jigga, Hova, J-Hova, Hov, and Young Hov. He is regarded as one of the most prolific and successful American blend artists of the mid-90s and early 2000s and is known for his use of metaphors, freestyling abilities, word play, flow, and blending of street and popular hip hop. He is one of the most respected rappers in the music industry, and is admired for his ability to craft songs from memory without the use of pen and paper. He married his long time girlfriend Beyonce in April 2008 after dating for over seven years. He is one of the founders of Roc-A-Fella Records, a hip-hop record label which also launched the careers of artists such as Beanie Sigel, Kanye West, Memphis Bleek, Young Gunz, Freeway, and Teairra Mari.
Early history
Originally from the infamous Marcy Houses projects in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood in brooklyn in New York City, Shawn Carter was abandoned by his father Adnes Reeves when he was only twelve years old and he was consequently raised by his mother Gloria Carter. Jay-Z attended George Westinghouse High School in Downtown Brooklyn and Trenton Central High School in Trenton, New Jersey but did not graduate. He claims to have been caught up in selling drugs on the streets of New York in the Marcy Projects. In addition to this, Jay-Z has lyrically alluded to having sold crack cocaine and marijuana in Virginia and Maryland.
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Shawn Carter was born on December 4, 1969. He was brought up on the mean streets in the Marcy Projects of Brooklyn, New York. During a difficult childhood he was part time rapper and full time hustler. Carter's father abandoned the family before he became a teenager. The fledgling rapper was known as "Jazzy" which he modified into Jay-Z. Other names that he went by later in his career were the Jiggaman, HOV and Hova. After his father's departure Jay-Z took solace in his rap on the streets, he used the money from his hustling to fund his rap career. One of Jay-Z's closest friends was Christopher Wallace, who was later known as the Notorious B.I.G. Jay-Z had the magical ability to create an entire track without writing it down even once. While he tests out a few sample tunes the lyrics just flow from the top of his head. Jay-Z had heard a lot of stories how record companies exploited young rappers with talent. The fruits of their hard work were enjoyed by the company. The rapper needed the company to give him his first break because he did not have the funds to manage the studio costs. Jay-Z wanted to avoid this situation. In an unprecedented move he formed his own company along with fellow street pals Damon Dash and Kareem "Biggs" Burke. He wanted to cut out the middleman who would drain the profits; Roc-a-Fella Records was created. Jay-Z struck a deal with Priority Records for the distribution of his album. It is testimony of his systematic method of functioning that he managed all this before he released his first album. Jay-Z was all set to release his first album called "Reasonable Doubt." The album was a hit with the critics and had a gold single but it did not have much of an impression with the masses. There was a risk that Jay-Z's high risk and high reward strategy would not pay off. It was Jay-Z's third album, Vol. 2: Hard Knock Life that catapulted him into the mainstream of rap. Strike when the iron is hot. Jay-Z embarked on a large-scale arena tour, elevating his popularity to dizzying heights. Another factor that perversely helped Jay-Z were the killings of Tupac Shakur and his friend the Notorious B.I.G. These two were the rap superstars of the time and their deaths left Jay-Z as the numero uno rapper on the east coast. In the next five years Jay-Z sold more than ten million records. He had more songs on the radio than any contemporary rapper. Jay-Z has scored a number of hits over the years, they include, "The Originator's," "Streets Is Watching," "Can I Get Open," "Ain't No N**a," "You Must Love Me," "Can't Knock the Hustle" and "Feelin It." Anyone in the forefront of the rap world spawns millions of fans. Jay-Z had become a cultural symbol for millions of people. The one way of taking advantage of this phenomenon was to expand. Roc-A-Fella Films Have released films such as "Streets is Watching", "Backstage" and "State Property". Three feature films - Paid in Full, Paper Soldiers and Death of a Dynasty are on the anvil. Jay-Z started his own clothing line called Rocawear in 1999. Rocawear grossed $150 million in 2001. This is a global initiative with outlets in Europe, Japan and Canada. It carries loungewear, hats and belts for men, women and children. Roc-a-fella distributed Armadale Premium, a two grain, triple distilled Scottish vodka. He opened the 40/40 Club Elite sports bar in New York City. Another first to Jay-Z's name is endorsement of Reebok shoes. The S. Carter shoe collection marks the first time a non-athlete ever had a signature shoe. Jay-Z has encouraged many of his protégés who have gone on to make a big name for themselves. He has sold more than seventeen million albums. Jay-Z has undertaken many philanthropic activities in New York City. The Team Roc charitable organization helps underprivileged children in the city. Shawn Carter Scholarship Fund pays for the college tuition of deserving Marcy area high school students. During the annual Jay-Z Santa Claus Toy Drive, Jay-Z provides
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"Shawn Corey Carter" (born December 4, 1969), better known by his stage name, "Jay-Z", is an American hip hop artist and businessman. He is the former CEO of Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella Records. He co-owns The 40/40 Club and the New Jersey Nets. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having sold over 26 million units in the United States and receiving several Grammy Awards for his musical work. Along with his financial and musical success, Jay-Z is known for being involved in the feud between him and fellow New York rapper Nas, which was eventually settled in 2005. He is also known for his relationship with Beyoncé Knowles, whom he married on April 4, 2008.. MTV named him number one on their list of the greatest MCs of all time.
==Biography==
===Early years===
Originally from Marcy Houses housing project in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York City, Jay-Z was abandoned by his father Adnes Reeves and shot his brother in the shoulder for stealing his jewelry when he was twelve years old. Jay-Z attended Eli Whitney High School in Brooklyn, along with rapper AZ, until it was closed down. After that he attended George Westinghouse Information Technology High School in Downtown Brooklyn, which fellow rappers The Notorious B.I.G. and Busta Rhymes also attended, and Trenton Central High School in Trenton, New Jersey, but did not graduate. In his music he refers to having been involved in selling crack cocaine.
According to his mother Gloria Carter, a young Jay-Z used to wake his siblings up at night banging out drum patterns on the kitchen table. Eventually, she bought him a boom box for his birthday and thus sparked his interest in music. He began freestyling, writing rhymes, and followed the music of many artists popular at the time.
In his neighborhood, Carter was known as "Jazzy", a nickname that eventually developed into his stage name, "Jay-Z". The moniker is also an homage to his musical mentor, Jaz-O, as well as to the J/Z subway lines that have a stop at Marcy Avenue in Brooklyn.
Jay-Z can be heard on several of Jaz-O's early recordings in the late 1980s and early 1990s, including "The Originators" and "Hawaiian Sophie". His career had a jump start when he battled a rapper by the name of Zai. The battle caught the eye of many record labels, as Jay-Z was able to hold his own against Zai. He first became known to a wide audience by being featured on the posse cut "Show and Prove" on the 1994 Big Daddy Kane album "Daddy's Home" He made an appearance 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 "I Can't Get With That", for which he released a music video.
==Music career==
==="Reasonable Doubt" and "In My Lifetime, Vol. 1"===
From the beginning of his professional recording career, when no major label gave him a record deal, Jay-Z, Dame Dash, and Kareem Biggs created Roc-A-Fella Records as their own independent label. After striking a deal with Priority to distribute his material, Jay-Z released his 1996 debut album "Reasonable Doubt" with beats from acclaimed producers such as DJ Premier and Super DJ Clark Kent and a notable appearance by The Notorious B.I.G.. Despite reaching only number 23 on the "Billboard" 200, the album was well-received by critics.. This album would later be included in "Rolling Stone's" "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" as #248 and would later reach plantium status.
After reaching a new distribution deal with Def Jam in 1997, Jay-Z released his follow-up "In My Lifetime, Vol. 1". Executively produced by Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs, it sold better than his previous effort. Jay-Z later explained that the album was made during one of the worst periods of his life. He was reeling from the death of his close friend The Notorious B.I.G. The album was a personal revelation for Jay-Z as
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Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969 in Brooklyn, New York), is an American rapper and former president and CEO of Roc A Fella Records. He is more commonly known by a variety of stage names including Jay-Z, S. Carter, Jigga, Hova, J-Hova, Hov, and Young Hov. He is regarded as one of the most prolific and successful American blend artists of the mid-90s and early 2000s and is known for his use of metaphors, freestyling abilities, word play, flow, and blending of street and popular hip hop. He is one of the most respected rappers in the music industry, and is admired for his ability to craft songs from memory without the use of pen and paper. He married his long time girlfriend Beyonce in April 2008 after dating for over seven years. He is one of the founders of Roc-A-Fella Records, a hip-hop record label which also launched the careers of artists such as Beanie Sigel, Kanye West, Memphis Bleek, Young Gunz, Freeway, and Teairra Mari. Early history Originally from the infamous Marcy Houses projects in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood in brooklyn in New York City, Shawn Carter was abandoned by his father Adnes Reeves when he was only twelve years old and he was consequently raised by his mother Gloria Carter. Jay-Z attended George Westinghouse High School in Downtown Brooklyn and Trenton Central High School in Trenton, New Jersey but did not graduate. He claims to have been caught up in selling drugs on the streets of New York in the Marcy Projects. In addition to this, Jay-Z has lyrically alluded to having sold crack cocaine and marijuana in Virginia and Maryland.
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Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), popularly known as Jay-Z, (or by a variety of stage names including S. Carter, Iceberg, Jigga, Jay-Hova, Hova, Hov, and Young Hov) is an american hip-hop artist and former president and CEO of Def Jam and Roc-A-Fella Records. He is regarded as one of the most prolific and successful American rappers of the mid-90s and early 2000s. Known for his use of metaphors, freestyling abilities, word play, flow, and blending of street and popular hip hop, Jay-Z became one of the most respected rappers in the music industry before his alleged retirement in 2004. He is admired for his ability to craft songs from memory without the use of pen and paper. He claims his critically acclaimed album The Blueprint was written in only three days. Some dispute this claim, but it is widely accepted by the hip-hop community. He is one of the founders of Roc-A-Fella Records, a hip-hop record label which also launched the careers of artists such as Beanie Sigel, Kanye West, Memphis Bleek, Young Gunz, Freeway, and Teairra Mari. As of 2005, he is estimated to be worth around $320 million. Early history Originally from the infamous Marcy Houses projects in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood in brooklyn in New York City, Shawn Carter was abandoned by his father Adnes Reeves when he was only twelve years old and he was consequently raised by his mother Gloria Carter.
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To the admiration of a generation, Jay-Z led an incredibly storied career in the rap industry, pulling himself up by his bootstraps as a youth to one day become the reigning rapper of New York City and then a major-label executive following his retirement from music-making. More than anyone, Jay-Z embodied the ultimate rags-to-riches rap dream, advancing from poverty to power, largely on behalf of his lyrical talent coupled with incredible dedication (while his industry smarts later propelled him to presidential status). Following the Brooklyn-born rapper-turned-president's 1996 debut, Reasonable Doubt, his albums sold millions, and his endless parade of hits made him omnipresent on urban radio and video television. He retained a strongly devoted fan base -- not only the suburban MTV market but also the more fickle urban one as well -- and challenged whatever rivals attempted to oust him from atop the rap game, most notably Nas. As a result of his unchecked power, Jay-Z and his associates greatly influenced the industry and established many of the trends that pervaded during the late '90s and early 2000s. He worked with only the hottest producers of the moment (Clark Kent, DJ Premier, Teddy Riley, Trackmasters, Erick Sermon, Timbaland, Swizz Beatz) and if they weren't hot at the time, they surely would be afterward (the Neptunes, Kanye West, Just Blaze). He similarly collaborated with the hottest rappers in the industry, everyone from East Coast rappers like the Notorious B.I.G. ("Brooklyn's Finest") and DMX ("Cash, Money, Hoes"), to the best rappers from the Dirty South (Ludacris, Missy Elliott) and the West Coast (Snoop Dogg, Too Short). Following his self-stated retirement from rapping, he assumed the presidency of the seminal rap label Def Jam and embarked on another phase in his illustrious career, that of an industry executive.
Born and raised in the rough Marcy Projects of Brooklyn, NY, Jay-Z underwent some tough times after his father left his mother before the young rapper was even a teen. Without a man in the house, he became a self-supportive youth, turning to the streets, where he soon made a name for himself as a fledging rapper. Known as "Jazzy" in his neighborhood, he soon shortened his nickname to Jay-Z and did all he could to break into the rap game. Of course, as he vividly discusses in his lyrics, Jay-Z also became a street hustler at this time, doing what needed to be done to make money. For a while, he ran around with Jaz-O, aka Big Jaz, a small-time New York rapper with a record deal but few sales. From Jaz he learned how to navigate through the rap industry and what moves to make. He also participated in a forgotten group called Original Flavor for a short time. Jay-Z subsequently decided to make an untraditional decision and start his own label rather than sign with an established label like Jaz had done. Together with friends Damon Dash and Kareem "Biggs" Burke, he created Roc-a-Fella Records, a risky strategy for cutting out the middleman and making money for himself. Of course, he needed a quality distributor, and when he scored a deal with Priority Records (and then later Def Jam), Jay-Z finally had everything in place, including a debut album, Reasonable Doubt (1996).
Though Reasonable Doubt only reached number 23 on Billboard's album chart, Jay-Z's debut eventually became recognized as an undisputed classic among fans, many of whom consider it his crowning achievement. Led by the hit single "Ain't No Nigga," a duet featuring Foxy Brown, Reasonable Doubt slowly spread through New York; some listeners were drawn in because of big names like DJ Premier and the Notorious B.I.G., others by the gangsta motifs very much in style at the time. By the end of its steady run, Reasonable Doubt generated three more charting singles -- "Can't Knock the Hustle," which featured Mary J. Blige on the hook; "Dead Presidents"; and "Feelin' It" -- and set the stage for Jay-Z's follo
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Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969 in Brooklyn, New York), is an American rapper and former president and CEO of Roc A Fella Records. He is more commonly known by a variety of stage names including S. Carter, Jigga, Hova, J-Hova, Hov, and Young Hov. He is regarded as one of the most prolific and successful American blend artists of the mid-90s and early 2000s and is known for his use of metaphors, freestyling abilities, word play, flow, and blending of street and popular hip hop. He is one of the most respected rappers in the music industry, and is admired for his ability to craft songs from memory without the use of pen and paper. He married his long time girlfriend Beyonce in April 2008 after dating for over seven years. He is one of the founders of Roc-A-Fella Records, a hip-hop record label which also launched the careers of artists such as Beanie Sigel, Kanye West, Memphis Bleek, Young Gunz, Freeway, and Teairra Mari.
Early history
Originally from the infamous Marcy Houses projects in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood in brooklyn in New York City, Shawn Carter was abandoned by his father Adnes Reeves when he was only twelve years old and he was consequently raised by his mother Gloria Carter. Jay-Z attended George Westinghouse High School in Downtown Brooklyn and Trenton Central High School in Trenton, New Jersey but did not graduate. He claims to have been caught up in selling drugs on the streets of New York in the Marcy Projects. In addition to this, Jay-Z has lyrically alluded to having sold crack cocaine and marijuana in Virginia and Maryland.
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Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969 in Brooklyn, New York), is an American rapper and former president and CEO of Roc A Fella Records. He is more commonly known by a variety of stage names including S. Carter, Jigga, Hova, J-Hova, Hov, and Young Hov. He is regarded as one of the most prolific and successful American blend artists of the mid-90s and early 2000s and is known for his use of metaphors, freestyling abilities, word play, flow, and blending of street and popular hip hop. He is one of the most respected rappers in the music industry, and is admired for his ability to craft songs from memory without the use of pen and paper. He married his long time girlfriend Beyonce in April 2008 after dating for over seven years. He is one of the founders of Roc-A-Fella Records, a hip-hop record label which also launched the careers of artists such as Beanie Sigel, Kanye West, Memphis Bleek, Young Gunz, Freeway, and Teairra Mari.
Early history
Originally from the infamous Marcy Houses projects in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood in brooklyn in New York City, Shawn Carter was abandoned by his father Adnes Reeves when he was only twelve years old and he was consequently raised by his mother Gloria Carter. Jay-Z attended George Westinghouse High School in Downtown Brooklyn and Trenton Central High School in Trenton, New Jersey but did not graduate. He claims to have been caught up in selling drugs on the streets of New York in the Marcy Projects. In addition to this, Jay-Z has lyrically alluded to having sold crack cocaine and marijuana in Virginia and Maryland.
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