Biography
Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969) is an American rapper, songwriter, music executive and entertainment mogul. The music artist is considered one of the most influential figures in Hip Hop music and is known professionally as Jay Z.
He is the former CEO of Def Jam Records, co-founder of Roc-A-Fella Records and chairman of Roc Nation. The rapper is credited with launching the careers of many American superstars with whom he has worked over the past three decades of his music career.
He has released thirteen commercially successful albums and headlined more than seventeen sold-out concerts. Jay-Z is married to American music superstar, Beyoncé.
American rapper
Jay Z |
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 Jay Z: History • Biography • Photos |
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| Wiki Events & About Data | |
| Real name: | Shawn Corey Carter |
| Stage name: | Jay Z |
| Born: | December 4, 1969 (age 54) |
| Place of birth: | Brooklyn, New York, United States |
| Nationality: | American |
| Height: | 1.88 minutes |
| Parents: | Adnis Reeves and Gloria Carter |
| Siblings: | Eric Carter, Andrea Carter, Michelle Carter |
| Wife • Husband/wife: | Beyoncé (married 2008) |
| Girlfriend • Partner: | Do not have |
| The children: | Blue Ivy Carter, Mr. Carter, Rumi Carter |
| Job: | Rapper • Businessman |
| Net worth: | US$1.5 billion – US$3 billion |
Early life
Jay Z was born on December 4, 1969, to African-American parents Adnis Reeves and Gloria Carter. He was named Shawn Corey Carter. He has three siblings: Eric Carter, Andrea Carter, and Michelle Carter.
The music icon has three siblings and was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City. He and his family lived in the Marcy Houses, a housing project located in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood.
Jay Z’s father, Adnis Reeves, left the family when he was a young boy, leaving his mother to raise him and his siblings alone.
Growing up, Jay Z was drawn into a violent lifestyle that was the norm for some African-American kids at the time. These kids turned to crime to survive and make ends meet. By the age of 12, he had a gun and shot his brother in the shoulder for stealing his jewelry. While in high school, Jay Z sold cocaine. He was classmates with rappers The Notorious BIG, Busta Rhymes, and AZ.
Jay Z’s passion for music was sparked after his mother bought him a boombox for his birthday. He began writing rap lyrics and improvised songs whenever he had free time. He took the stage name Jay Z, after Jazzy, his nickname at the time.
Education
After leaving elementary school, Jay Z attended Eli Whitney School in Brooklyn. But he was unable to complete his studies there because the school closed.
He then continued his education at George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School. He then transferred to Trenton Central High School before dropping out.
Career
In 1995, Jay Z released his first official single, In My Lifetime. Since then, the rapper has continued to build a successful career in the global music industry.
After co-founding the record label Roc-A-Fella Records, he released his debut studio album in 1996. The album, titled Reasonable Doubt, was critically acclaimed and commercially successful.
Over the past 25 years, he has released twelve more chart-topping albums. Notable ones include The Blueprint (2001), The Black Album (2003), American Gangster (2007), and 4:44 (2017). He has also worked on two collaborative albums. The first was with Kanye West while the second was with his wife, Beyoncé. The first project was titled Watch The Throne (released in 2011) and the second was Everything Love (released in 2018).
Jay Z is one of the best-selling artists in American music history. He has sold more than 125 million records, headlined and co-headlined sold-out shows, and won 24 Grammy Awards. He is tied with Kanye West for the most Grammy Awards won by a rapper.
Fourteen of his albums have charted on the US Billboard 200, making him the record holder for the most number-one albums by a solo artist. He has been inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame, the first artist to achieve this feat. He is also the first living rapper to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
In addition to being considered one of the most influential figures in the music industry, Jay Z is also a successful music executive and businessman. He is credited with contributing to the commercial success of artists such as Kanye West, J. Cole, and Rihanna. This came to fruition during his tenure as CEO of Def Jam Records.
One of the few African-American billionaires in the music industry, Jay Z is the founder of Roc Nation, an entertainment company with multiple subsidiaries. He is the founder of clothing company, Rocawear, and luxury sports bar, 40/40 Club. He bought technology company, Aspiro, in 2015 and is responsible for Tidal, the company’s media streaming arm.
Discography
- Reasonable doubt
- In My Life Episode 1
- Episode 2…Life is Hard
- Episode 3…The Life and Times of S.Carter
- Dynasty: Roc La Familia
- Blueprint
- Blueprint 2: The Gift and the Curse
- Black Album
- Kingdom Come
- American Gangster
- Blueprint 3
- Magna Carta Holy Grail
- 4:44
Personal life
Jay Z is married to singer and actress Beyoncé. The couple have been together as artists since 2002. They exchanged vows in a private ceremony on April 4, 2008. They live in the Bel-Air neighborhood of Los Angeles and live in a home worth $88 million.
The couple have three children. Their first child, a baby girl, was born on January 7, 2012. She was named Blue Ivy Carter.
In 2016, Beyoncé became pregnant for the second time and gave birth to twins on June 28, 2017. The twins were a daughter named Rumi Carter and a son named Sir Carter.
Jay Z published a memoir titled Decoded in 2010. He co-founded the Shawn Carter Foundation with his mother in 2006. The foundation is responsible for Jay-Z’s charitable activities such as helping students from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds and providing relief to victims of natural disasters.
Net worth
The music icon has made a huge fortune from his music career and business investments.
Jay Z’s net worth is estimated to be between US$1.5 billion and US$3 billion.
