Shawn Corey Carter, better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, entrepreneur, and media proprietor. He is one of the most successful and influential rappers of all time, and his music has been praised for its lyricism, storytelling, and social commentary.
Momma Carter~
Jay-Z was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City. He began rapping in the early 1990s, and his debut album, Reasonable Doubt, was released in 1996. The album was a critical and commercial success, and it helped to establish Jay-Z as one of the leading rappers in the industry.
Jay-Z has released 14 studio albums, all of which have been certified platinum or diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). He has also won 22 Grammy Awards, making him the most awarded rapper in Grammy history.
Jay-Z is married to singer Beyoncé, and they have three children together. He is one of the most recognizable and respected figures in popular culture, and his impact on hip-hop and music in general is undeniable.
In addition to his music career, Jay-Z is also a successful businessman. He founded the record label Roc-A-Fella Records in 1995, and he has also invested in a variety of other businesses, including clothing, sports, and entertainment.
He is one of the most recognizable and respected figures in popular culture, and his impact on hip-hop and music in general is undeniable.
Here are some of the key moments in Jay-Z's career:
1996: Releases his debut album, Reasonable Doubt, which is a critical and commercial success.
1998: Releases his second album, In My Lifetime, Vol. 1, which is also a success.
1999: Founds the record label Roc-A-Fella Records.
2001: Releases his third album, The Blueprint, which is considered one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time.
2003: Releases his fourth album, The Black Album, which is his final album under his contract with Def Jam Recordings.
2004: Founds the clothing line Rocawear.
2006: Releases his fifth album, Kingdom Come.
2008: Releases his sixth album, American Gangster, which is inspired by the movie of the same name.
2010: Releases his seventh album, The Blueprint 3, which is a sequel to his 2001 album The Blueprint.
2013: Releases his eighth album, Magna Carta Holy Grail, which is his first album released through his own record label, Roc Nation.
2017: Releases his ninth album, 4:44, which is a more personal and introspective album.
2019: Releases his tenth album, Everything Is Love, with his wife Beyoncé.
Jay-Z is still active in the music industry, and he continues to release new music and tour. He is also a successful businessman, and he is one of the most influential figures in popular culture.
JAY-Z Returns to Instagram and Announces New Music for 'The Book of Clarence'
The rapper began promoting his latest project on Tuesday
JAY-Z is back — both online and with new music soon.
The rapper, 53, quietly returned to Instagram on Tuesday at @jayz. Based on his first post, it looks like the "Empire State of Mind" artist came back to social media to begin promoting his upcoming new music.
While few details have been announced, an official release for the upcoming film The Book of Clarence confirmed that he’ll be contributing to the soundtrack.
For his first Instagram post, the Grammy winner (whose real name is Shawn Carter) shared the trailer for Jeymes Samuel’s Biblical comedy starring Lakeith Stanfield. He captioned the post, “The Book of Clarence January 2024.”
JAY-Z is also among the producers of the film about a “down-on-his-luck” man living in Jerusalem who tries to capitalize on the rising influence of the Messiah. It's currently due to hit theaters on Jan. 12, 2024.
At this time, it has yet to be confirmed how many songs the rap star will release on the soundtrack, if they feature any collaborations or when they’ll drop.
The Roc Nation founder previously collaborated with writer-director Jeymes Samuel on his 2021 film The Harder They Fall, which JAY-Z produced and wrote two soundtrack songs for, as well as his 2017 short, Jay-Z: Legacy.
Currently, the “Part II” artist only follows his wife Beyoncé on Instagram. His page just includes a link to rocnation.com, and his profile picture is a shot from the early days of his career.
The hip-hop legend recently reached a major milestone in his career. In July, he became the first Black recording artist to earn at least 10 double-platinum solo studio albums.
The news came shortly after the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) updated its certifications, pushing the rapper’s 2009 album The Blueprint 3 to double-platinum status and making his 2003 album The Black Album reach quadruple-platinum status.
As a part of the 50 years of hip-hop celebration, the “Holy Grail” rapper was honored with an exhibit at the Brooklyn Public Library titled Book of HOV. The exhibition, which opened in July and is free and open to the public until sometime this fall, showcases archives, never-before-seen footage, images, masters and more from throughout the music icon’s career.
In a press release, the exhibit was described as "a tribute to Carter’s global impact as a musician, entrepreneur, philanthropist and disruptor."
The statement continued, “It was also constructed as a surprise to Carter and as a celebration for both his hometown of Brooklyn and the broader hip-hop community across the world.”
Beyoncé and her and JAY-Z’s eldest, daughter Blue Ivy, 11, showed their support for him at the exhibit’s unveiling in July.
