Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur. Widely regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, he has been central to the creative and commercial success of artists including Kanye West, Rihanna, and J. Cole. He is the founder and chairman of entertainment company Roc Nation, and was the president and chief executive officer of Def Jam Recordings from 2004 to 2007.
Born and raised in New York City, Jay-Z began his musical career in the late 1980s; he co-founded the record label Roc-A-Fella Records in 1995 and released his debut studio album Reasonable Doubt in 1996, which was met with critical praise. He has gone on to release twelve additional albums, including The Blueprint (2001), The Black Album (2003), American Gangster (2007), and 4:44 (2017). He released the collaborative album Watch the Throne with Kanye West in 2011 and Everything Is Love with his wife Beyoncé in 2018.
Through his business ventures, Jay-Z became the first hip-hop billionaire in 2019. In 1999, he founded Rocawear, a clothing retailer. In 2003, he founded 40/40 Club, a luxury bar chain. Both businesses grew to multi-million-dollar corporations, permitting him to launch Roc Nation in 2008. In 2015, he acquired the tech company Aspiro and led Tidal, the company's media streaming service. In 2020, he launched Monogram, which sells a line of cannabis products. As of 2023, he is the wealthiest musical artist in the world with a net worth of US$2.5 billion, according to CNBC.
Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur. Widely regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, he has been central to the creative and commercial success of artists including Kanye West, Rihanna, and J. Cole. He is the founder and chairman of entertainment company Roc Nation, and was the president and chief executive officer of Def Jam Recordings from 2004 to 2007.
Born and raised in New York City, Jay-Z began his musical career in the late 1980s; he co-founded the record label Roc-A-Fella Records in 1995 and released his debut studio album Reasonable Doubt in 1996, which was met with critical praise. He has gone on to release twelve additional albums, including The Blueprint (2001), The Black Album (2003), American Gangster (2007), and 4:44 (2017). He released the collaborative album Watch the Throne with Kanye West in 2011 and Everything Is Love with his wife Beyoncé in 2018.
Through his business ventures, Jay-Z became the first hip-hop billionaire in 2019. In 1999, he founded Rocawear, a clothing retailer. In 2003, he founded 40/40 Club, a luxury bar chain. Both businesses grew to multi-million-dollar corporations, permitting him to launch Roc Nation in 2008. In 2015, he acquired the tech company Aspiro and led Tidal, the company's media streaming service. In 2020, he launched Monogram, which sells a line of cannabis products. As of 2023, he is the wealthiest musical artist in the world with a net worth of US$2.5 billion, according to CNBC.