Bio
Embodying the rags-to-riches rap dream, Jay-Z pulled himself up by his bootstraps as a youth to eventually become the reigning rapper of New York City and, in turn, a major-label executive following his short-lived retirement from music-making. In the wake of his 1996 debut, Reasonable Doubt, Jay-Z’s albums sold millions upon millions with each release, and his endless parade of hits made him omnipresent on urban radio and video television. He retained a strongly devoted fan base and challenged whatever rivals attempted to oust him from atop the rap game, sparing most memorably with Nas. Jay-Z and his Roc-a-Fella associates greatly influenced the industry and established many of the trends that pervaded during the late ’90s and early 2000s. He consistently worked with the hottest producers of the day (Clark Kent, DJ Premier, Teddy Riley, Trackmasters, Erick Sermon, Timbaland, Swizz Beatz), and if they weren’t hot at the time, they likely would be afterward (the Neptunes, Kanye West, Just Blaze, 9th Wonder). He similarly collaborated with the hottest rappers in the industry, everyone from East Coast contemporaries like the Notorious B.I.G. (”Brooklyn’s Finest”) and DMX (”Cash, Money, Hoes”), to the best rappers from the South (Ludacris, Missy Elliott) and the West Coast (Snoop Dogg, Too Short). After his self-declared retirement from rapping in 2003, he assumed the presidency of the seminal rap label Def Jam and, as an industry executive, embarked on another phase in his illustrious career.
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The Hype
Career Timeline
2009 - Set to release The Blueprint 3
2008 - Live Nation Deal worth $150 million announced
2004 - Fade to Black documentary released
2004 - Named President of Def Jam
2003 – Announced Retirement
1996 – Made debut with Reasonable Doubt
Photo Galleries
More On Jay-Z
Discography
- Reasonable Doubt
- In My Lifetime Vol.1
- Vol. 2: Hard Knock Life
- Vol. 3: Life and Times of S. Carter
- The Dynasty Roc La Familia
- The Blueprint
- MTV Unplugged
- Best of Both Worlds
- Bluprint 2: The Gift & The Curse
- Blueprint 2.1
- The Black Album
- Collision Course
- Kingdom Come
- American Gangster
Videography
“I Can’t Get Wit That”
“Can’t Knock The Hustle”
“Dead Presidents”
“Feelin’ It”
“Ain’t No Nigga”
“Friend or Foe”
“Streets Is Watching”
“Who You Wit”
“Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)”
“Jigga What, Jigga Who”
“Can I Get A…”
“Money Ain’t A Thang”
“Do It Again”
“Big Pimpin’”
“I Just Wanna Love You (Give It To Me)”
“Izzo”
“Song Cry”
“Girls, Girls, Girls”
“Bonnie and Clyde”
“Excuse Me Miss”
“Encore”
“Change Clothes”
“Dirt Off Your Shoulder”
“99 Problems”
“Numb/Encore”
“Show Me What You Got”
“Lost Ones”
“Minority Report”
“Blue Magic”
“Roc Boys (And The Winner Is…)”
“I Know”
Lovers & Friends
IN: Beyoncé, Mathew Knowles, Jermaine Dupri, Diddy, LeBron James
OUT: Damon Dash, L.A. Reid
Giant Content
Questions About BP3
Bring Fela! To Broadway
Supergroups That Wouldn’t Suck
Rapping To The White House
“Go Hard” Video
“BK Anthem” Leak
The Blueprint of a Jay-Z Album: What BP3 Could’ve Been
Jay-Z Wants The Ladies To Roc His Wear
5 Ways Celebs Are Boosting The Economy
Dynasty-Building With Kanye West
Who’s Jay-Z Jocking?
These Superheroes “Run This Town”
The Summer Concert/Tour Awards of 2009
Career Highlights
- Co-founded Rocafella Records and the Rocawear clothing line
- September 2003 Sells out Madison Square Garden in a Day with the “Fade to Black” Tour
- First hip-hop artist to headline the Glastonbury Festival 2008
- Owner and founder of 40/40 club
- Part owner of the New Jersey Nets (NBA)
Filmography
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