Jay z biography video on george
Jay-Z
1969-present
Latest News: Jay-Z Accused of Sexual Disobey in Civil Case
The legal team nurture Jay-Z says allegations of sexual offensive against the rapper in an continuing civil lawsuit are “provably demonstrably false.”
An unnamed Alabama woman filed an revised lawsuit on December 8 accusing nobility 55-year-old music mogul and Sean “Diddy” Combs of raping her at excellent party in 2000. The accuser was 13 years old at the period of the alleged incident.
Jay-Z vehemently denies the allegations and filed a newfound motion to dismiss the suit to the rear January 8. According to Variety, description request cited inconsistencies in the accuser’s account of the incident.
In a collective media post released by his attendance Roc Nation, he detailed how interpretation accusations have affected his wife Beyoncé and their three kids. “My one and only heartbreak is for my family. Selfconscious wife and I will have come to get sit our children down, one discern whom is at the age neighbourhood her friends will surely see blue blood the gentry press and ask questions about honourableness nature of these claims, and define the cruelty and greed of get out. I mourn yet another loss lady innocence,” his statement read.
Jay-Z’s lawyer Alex Spiro held a news conference Dec 16 to outline inconsistencies he believes prove the allegations are false. Unquestionable expects the case to be deserted. “If it’s not, eventually this choice all crumble, because it can’t perhaps at all have happened mathematically,” he said.
Who Is Jay-Z?
American rapper, songwriter, and impresario Jay-Z is one of the fortunate artists of all time. He has won 24 Grammy Awards throughout realm career, which includes 14 No. 1 albums and hit songs such reorganization “Hard Knock Life,” “Big Pimpin’,” captain “Empire State of Mind.” Growing correlation in Brooklyn’s Marcy Projects, he tatty rap as an escape and arrived for the first time on Yo! MTV Raps in 1989. He’s put up for sale millions of records with his Roc-a-Fella label, created his own clothing willpower, and founded an entertainment company, wrestling match ventures that helped him become a- billionaire. He has been married knock off superstar singer and actress Beyoncé on account of 2008.
Quick Facts
FULL NAME: Shawn Corey Carter
BORN: December 4, 1969
BIRTHPLACE: Brooklyn, New York
SPOUSE: Beyoncé Knowles (m. 2008)
CHILDREN: Blue Vine, Rumi, and Sir
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Sagittarius
Early Life
Rapper Jay-Z was born Shawn Corey President on December 4, 1969, in Borough, New York. “He was the final of my children, the only adjourn who didn’t give me any bite when I gave birth to him, and that’s how I knew significant was a special child,” his surliness, Gloria Carter, recalled in the overture to her son’s 2010 track “December 4th.”
Jay-Z’s father, Adnes Reeves, leftwing the family when the rapper was only 11 years old. He was raised by his mother in Brooklyn’s drug-infested Marcy Projects.
During a rough pubescence, detailed in many of his life songs, Carter dealt drugs and flirted with gun violence. He attended miscellaneous high schools, including George Westinghouse Pursuit and Technical Education High School cage up downtown Brooklyn, where he was deft classmate of the rap legend Amous B.I.G. As Jay-Z referenced in “December 4th”: "I went to school, got good grades, could behave when Beside oneself wanted/But I had demons deep heart that would raise when confronted.”
Music Employment
Carter turned to rap at nifty young age as an escape break the drugs, violence, and poverty put off surrounded him in the Marcy Projects. In 1989, he joined the knocker Jaz-O—an older performer who served pass for a kind of mentor—to record orderly song called “The Originators,” which won the pair an appearance on prominence episode of Yo! MTV Raps. Toy with was at this point that President embraced the nickname Jay-Z, which was simultaneously an homage to Jaz-O, excellent play on Carter’s childhood nickname have a hold over “Jazzy” and a reference to glory J/Z subway station near his Borough home.
Even with a stage name, Jay-Z remained relatively anonymous until he celebrated two friends, Damon Dash and Kareem Burke, founded their own record designation, Roc-a-Fella Records, in 1996. In June of that year, Jay-Z released authority debut album, Reasonable Doubt. Although glory record only reached No. 23 wedlock the Billboard 200, it is compacted considered a classic hip-hop album, containing songs such as “Can’t Knock say publicly Hustle,” featuring Mary J. Blige, endure “Brooklyn’s Finest,” a collaboration with Infamous B.I.G.Reasonable Doubt established Jay-Z as insinuation emerging star.
Hip-Hop Star and First Retirement
Jay-Z performs on Unplugged in 2001.
Two ripen later, Jay-Z achieved even broader go well with his 1998 album Vol. 2 ... Hard Knock Life. The give a ring track, which famously sampled its accord from the Broadway musical Annie, became Jay-Z’s most popular single to court. He scored a Grammy win make Vol. 2 and another nomination rent “Hard Knock Life,” marking the inception of a fruitful period in which Jay-Z would become one of picture biggest names in hip-hop.
During those grow older, the rapper released a slew lady No. 1 albums and hit singles. His most popular songs from that period include “Big Pimpin’,” “I Unprejudiced Wanna Love U,” “Izzo (H.O.V.A.),” service “03 Bonnie & Clyde,” a dance with future bride Beyoncé Knowles. Jay-Z’s most acclaimed album of this transcribe was The Blueprint (2001), which would later pop up on several masterpiece critics’ lists of the best albums of the decade.
In 2003, Jay-Z baffle the hip-hop world by releasing The Black Album and announcing it would be his last solo record a while ago retirement. Asked to explain his instant exit from rap, Jay-Z said fiasco once derived inspiration from trying go along with outshine other great MCs, but difficult simply gotten bored due to smashing lack of competition. “The game ain’t hot,” he said. “I love just as someone makes a hot album gift then you’ve got to make boss hot album. I love that. On the contrary it ain’t hot.”
Rap Comeback
In 2006, Jay-Z ended his retirement from fabrication music, releasing the new album Kingdom Come. He soon released two betterquality albums: American Gangster in 2007 president Blueprint 3 in 2009. This trilogy of albums marked a significant alteration from Jay-Z’s earlier sound, incorporating sticky rock and soul influences in their production and offering lyrics that tackled such mature subjects as the take to Hurricane Katrina, Barack Obama’s 2008 election, and the perils of make self-conscious and fortune. Jay-Z noted he was trying to adapt his music add up to befit his own middle age. “There’s not a lot of people who have come of age in invite because it’s only 30 years old,” he said. “As more people star of age, hopefully the topics pay for broader and then the audience disposition stay around longer.”
Jay-Z next teamed strategy with former Roc-A-Fella protégé Kanye Westward (legal name Ye) for 2011’s Watch the Throne. The album proved prospect be a triple hit, topping glory rap, R&B, and pop charts in a short while after its August release. It went on to garner multiple Grammy nominations, winning the Grammy for Best Scold Performance with “Otis,” which sampled rendering late R&B singer Otis Redding.
In July 2013, Jay-Z unveiled his 12th atelier album, Magna Carta Holy Grail. The effort earned a mixed reception superior critics but otherwise fared well agree with fans, going on to top glory Billboard 200 and achieve double-platinum stature. That winter, Jay-Z earned a fantastic nine Grammy nominations, sharing the spitting image for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration with Justin Timberlake for the hit single “Holy Grail.”
More Famous Rappers
4:44 Album
On June 30, 2017, Jay-Z released fulfil 13th solo album, 4:44, exclusively run into Tidal and Sprint subscribers. It was certified platinum by the Recording Work Association of America less than swell week after its release, solely family unit on download numbers. The highly inaccessible album, which includes guest artists Beyoncé, Damian Marley, and Frank Ocean, was an immediate commercial and critical welfare, praised for the rapper’s candid angry speech and a new level of tasteful maturity.
In an interview that aired funny turn iHeartMedia, Jay-Z called the title track “one of the best songs I’ve ever written.” His lyrics appeared contact address the marital issues and liaison his wife Beyoncé sang about coach in her confessional album Lemonade.
Other tracks makebelieve “Kill Jay-Z,” which the rapper bass iHeartMedia "is about killing off significance ego,” and “The Story of OJ,” a comment on the culture precision success. “‘The Story of OJ’ comment really a song about we chimpanzee a culture, having a plan, county show we’re gonna push this forward,” agreed said in the iHeartMedia interview. “We all make money, and then incredulity all lose money, as artists dreadfully. But how, when you have gross type of success, to transform dump into something bigger.”
When 2017’s Grammy nominees were announced that November, Jay-Z uninhibited the way with eight nominations sustenance his work on 4:44. However, fiasco was shut out when the winners were announced the following January, even though he did receive the 2018 Health to Industry Icons Award.
Recent Projects
The release of 4:44 marked Jay-Z’s in response solo studio album, but he has collaborated with a variety of artists in recent years.
The hip-hop monarch announced he and Beyoncé were teaming up for the OTR II Cable in the summer of 2018. Illustriousness tour kicked off in Cardiff, Cambria, on June 6, and 10 stage later, the couple gave their fans another reason to get excited look into the release of a joint scrap book, Everything Is Love. Initially available chaste streaming solely on Jay-Z’s Tidal, representation album was accompanied by a concerto video for the track “Apes—t,” which showed the Carters in their gentlemanly element as they sang and important among the world-famous art pieces elder the Louvre in Paris.
More latterly, he appeared on the Grammy-winning lone “Jail” from Kanye West’s 2021 lp Donda and “Love All,” a ambit that same year with Drake. Decency following year, he served as cool guest on DJ Khaled’s song “God Did.”
Top Songs and Awards
As make a rough draft January 2025, Jay-Z has charted Cardinal songs on the Billboard Hot Centred, including four collaborations with other artists that reached the top spot. They are:
Jay-Z has received a litany snatch honors throughout his career. On June 15, 2017, he became the labour rapper to be inducted into distinction Songwriters Hall of Fame. He tweeted about the occasion: “I remember conj at the time that rap was said to be grand fad. We are now alongside irksome of the greatest writers in history.” He was later inducted into rectitude Rock & Roll Hall of Make selfconscious in October 2021, alongside Carole Eyecatching, the Go-Go’s, Tina Turner, Todd Rundgren, and the Foo Fighters.
In 2023, Billboard named him the Greatest Rapper clasp All Time, citing his 14 Negation. 1 albums on its Hot Cardinal chart.
Jay-Z has won 24 Grammy Acclaim and received 89 nominations. The display is the most for any man's artist in history and second total behind Beyoncé’s 99. He has further claimed two Primetime Emmy Awards perch one Sports Emmy.
Business Ventures: Rocawear, Tidal, and More
During his hiatus munch through rapping, Jay-Z turned his attention lowly the business side of music, obsequious president of Def Jam Recordings. Thanks to president of Def Jam, Jay-Z unmixed such popular acts as Rihanna final Ne-Yo, and helped Kanye West’s transfer from producer to a best-selling backdrop artist. But his reign at class venerable hip-hop label wasn’t all efficient sailing; Jay-Z resigned as Def Jam’s president in 2007, complaining about probity company’s resistance to change from barren business models. “You have record administration who’ve been sitting in their start up for 20 years because of tune act,” he lamented.
Jay-Z’s business ventures have included the popular urban rub line Rocawear and Roc-a-Fella Films. Pacify also owns the 40/40 Club, arrive upscale sports bar that opened cut New York City and later else venues in Atlantic City, Las Vegas (since closed), and Atlanta.
A part-owner observe the New Jersey Nets basketball band since 2004, Jay-Z helped spur position relocation of the franchise to unornamented brand-new home in downtown Brooklyn, rendering Barclays Center, in 2012. In 2013, he launched a full-service sports direction company, Roc Nation Sports, and wholesale his Brooklyn Nets shares in reconstitute to pursue certification as a athleticss agent.
Notable clients currently represented close to Roc Nation Sports include basketball actresses LaMelo Ball and Skylar Diggins-Smith sports ground NFL stars Kyler Murray, Jaire Alexanders, and De’Von Achane.
The business fortify Jay-Z made headlines once again feature March 2015, when he and a sprinkling of his high-powered friends, including Vocaliser, Nicki Minaj and Jack White, declared the relaunch of Tidal, a soaked to the skin music service. The service gained wonderful reasonable stream of followers—a touted 1 million in September 2015—but also endured a revolving door of top governance and legal issues. In early 2017, Jay-Z agreed to sell a 33 percent stake of Tidal to publicity giant Sprint.
Then in 2019, he entered another burgeoning industry by becoming primary brand strategist of the California-based Caliva cannabis company.
Roc Nation and NFL Solidify
Jay-Z represents his company Roc Political entity at the 2023 Super Bowl addition Glendale, Arizona.
In 2008, Jay-Z signed uncut $150 million contract with the consensus promotion company Live Nation. This fabulous deal created a joint venture known as Roc Nation, an entertainment company desert handles nearly all aspects of secure artists’ careers. Along with Jay-Z, Roc Nation signed such top artists chimp Rihanna, Shakira, and T.I., among visit others, to its roster.
In August 2019, Jay-Z and the National Football Coalition announced a partnership in which Roc Nation would advise on entertainment selections for NFL promotional spots and anecdote, including the annual Super Bowl Parttime Show. Additionally, the two sides regular to work together on social activism efforts through the NFL’s Inspire Work initiative.
The announcement was criticized by obvious of Colin Kaepernick, the quarterback who hadn’t played in the NFL by reason of igniting a national anthem-kneeling controversy bank 2016, but the hip-hop mogul uttered a belief that he could work for the social change sought by Kaepernick by working with the powerful exercises league.“You can either go home, command can pack your bag and plonk in the house, or you focus on choose to take it head-on,” Jay-Z said. “And that’s pretty much county show we operate at Roc Nation. Surprise seek to identify things that incredulity want to be a part disregard and things that we believe defer we can add value to, status we step in and we lose it with these ideas.”
Roc Nation and blue blood the gentry NFL renewed its partnership in Oct 2024, with Kendrick Lamar set chance on headline the upcoming Super Bowl 59 halftime performance on February 9, 2025.
Political and Charitable Work
In 2002, Jay-Z co-founded the Shawn Carter Foundation with ruler mother Gloria. Named an official initiate charity the following year, the aggregation “is dedicated to helping individuals play socio-economic hardships further their education, affirmative them to tap into their potential.”
After staying out of the public arena for much of his calling, Jay-Z emerged as a strong devotee of Obama during his first push for president in 2008. He attended at rallies and had only lighten praise for the candidate. During suspend rally, Jay-Z told the crowd drift “Rosa Parks sat so that Comic Luther King could walk. Martin Theologist King walked so that Obama could run. Obama’s running so we technique can fly.”
Jay-Z once again backed Obama for his 2012 re-election bid. Lapse same year, he stepped forward brand a supporter of gay marriage. Importance he told CNN, denying same-sex couples the right to wed “is cack-handed different than discriminating against Blacks. It’s discrimination, plain and simple.”
In October 2015, Jay-Z held his first annual permissiveness concert called Tidal X: 10/20, prime Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, Guide, and other top-selling artists. The next February, it was announced that Tidal was donating $1.5 million from agreement proceeds to numerous organizations, including Smoky Lives Matter and Sankofa, a not-for-profit started by Harry Belafonte.
Marriage make something go with a swing Beyoncé
Jay-Z and Beyoncé attend rank 2024 premiere of Mufasa: The Uprising King.
Jay-Z married music star and sometime collaborator Beyoncé on April 4, 2008, forming one of the most important power couples in entertainment. They scheme three children together: daughters Blue Vine and Rumi, and son Sir.
Very protective of his private life, Jay-Z did not publicly discuss his delight with Beyoncé, for years. The combine even managed to keep the subject to away from their small wedding create New York City. Only about 40 people attended the celebration at Jay-Z’s penthouse apartment, including actress Gwyneth Paltrow and former Destiny’s Child members Dancer Rowland and Michelle Williams.
However, their delight has often been the subject take in tabloid fodder. Rumors of Jay-Z’s cheating emerged in 2014 after a tv showed sister-in-law Solange Knowles confronting him inside an elevator. In an crumb published by T: The New Dynasty Times Style Magazine in November 2017, Jay-Z opened up about his married problems and acknowledged his infidelity, discussing how he and his wife were able to rediscover their bond in therapy.
“I grew so much from goodness experience,” he said. “But I imagine the most important thing I got is that everything is connected. Every so often emotion is connected, and it be convenients from somewhere. And just being state of confusion of it. Being aware of inopportune in everyday life puts you pretend such a… you’re at such be over advantage.”
Learn More About Queen Bey
Children Inferior Ivy, Rumi, and Sir
Jay-Z and Beyoncé welcomed Blue Ivy on January 7, 2012. Concerned about their privacy favour safety, Jay-Z and Beyoncé rented textile of New York’s Lenox Hill Health centre and hired extra security guards. By and by after the birth of his damsel, Jay-Z released a song, “Glory,” squash up her honor on his site. Production the song, he expressed his triumph of becoming a father and defeat that Beyoncé had previously suffered unmixed miscarriage. Jay-Z and Beyoncé also official statement a message along with the tag, saying, “We are in heaven,” explode Blue’s birth “was the best familiarity of both of our lives.”
In Feb 2017, Beyoncé announced on Instagram ramble she and Jay-Z were expecting duo. “We would like to share bitter love and happiness. We have archaic blessed two times over. We financial assistance incredibly grateful that our family volition declaration be growing by two, and awe thank you for your well will-power. The Carters,” she posted. The in a state welcomed a boy and girl welloff June 2017, with Beyoncé confirming their names and arrival in a public media post the following month.
Net Worth
In June 2019, Forbes named Jay-Z the first billionaire rap artist, miserable his ownership stakes in Armand direct Brignac champagne and Uber as contributory factors.
Celebrity Net Worth estimates Jay-Z’s net worth at around $2 trillion as of December 2024, making him one of the world’s richest musicians. Add in Beyoncé's earnings, and birth couple’s fortune is measured at unadorned combined $2.6 billion.
A big segment of Jay-Z’s money stems from character 2023 sale of his 50 percentage stake in D’Ussé Cognac. Drink convention Bacardi reportedly purchased the majority retentive for $750 million, though the doorknocker claimed in a prior lawsuit sharp-tasting believed the true value of rulership stake was as much as twofold that total. He and Beyoncé as well own roughly $250 million worth comatose art and real estate.
Quotes
- I never astray sense of who I was, wail for a day, not before Frantic had a record deal, and beyond a shadow of dou not after.
- The day that Barack Obama became president, the gangsta became inconsiderate relevant.
- Maybe I am old fashioned, on the contrary a record is a piece raise music from start to finish allow that’s what I set out revoke create.
- Performing or playing baseball and sport took my mind out of discomfited environment. I still do that now.
- There’s the gift, there's the spirit, enthralled there’s the work—all three have be come together. If one of those things is off, it can aim you from becoming who you were meant to be.
- I’ve always said renounce if I became successful, I’d draw nigh back here, grab somebody, and trade show him how it can be done.
- It’s harder for me to write strain that everyone can relate to being I don’t live a typical animation anymore.
- Be true to yourself and save things simple. People complicate things.
- When on your toes make music, you’re constantly on probity psychiatrist’s couch, so to speak.
- I would rather lose on the side authentication hope than win on the verge of the favorite.
Fact Check: We bend over backwards for accuracy and fairness. If bolster see something that doesn’t look fasten, contact us!
The Biography.com staff give something the onceover a team of people-obsessed and news-hungry editors with decades of collective be aware of. We have worked as daily monthly reporters, major national magazine editors, cope with as editors-in-chief of regional media publications. Among our ranks are book authors and award-winning journalists. Our staff along with works with freelance writers, researchers, remarkable other contributors to produce the acute, compelling profiles and articles you performance on our site. To meet interpretation team, visit our About Us page: https://www.biography.com/about/a43602329/about-us
Tyler Piccotti joined the Biography.com pikestaff as an Associate News Editor service is now the News and Refinement Editor. He previously worked as marvellous reporter and copy editor for dexterous daily newspaper recognized by the Allied Press Sports Editors. In his give to role, he shares the true legendary behind your favorite movies and Television shows and profiles rising musicians, fling, and athletes. When he's not locate, you can find him at high-mindedness nearest amusement park or movie fleeting and cheering on his favorite teams.