Jay-Z

Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4 1969), better known as Jay-Z, is an American rapper and current president and CEO of Def Jam and Roc-A-Fella Records. In addition, he co-owns The 40/40 Club, and is a part owner of the New Jersey Nets NBA team. He has been one of the most successful American hip-hop artists of the past decade. Known for his flow and blending of street and popular rap, Jay-Z had become one of the best-selling rappers in the hip hop industry. He is admired for his ability to write lyrics without the use of pen and paper (he claims his critically acclaimed album The Blueprint was written in only two days). He also returned from retirement in late 2006 with the album Kingdom Come which sold 680,000 copies in its first week, Jay-Z's highest-selling album in a one-week period.

Along with Damon "Dame" Dash and Kareem "Biggs" Burke, Jay-Z was one of the founders of Roc-A-Fella Records, a hip-hop record label that also launched the careers of artists such as Beanie Sigel, Kanye West, Memphis Bleek, Young Gunz, Freeway, and Teairra Marí.

Biography

Early years: From Young Rapper to True MC

Originally from Marcy Houses housing project in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York, Shawn Corey Carter was abandoned by his father Adnes Reeves when he was twelve years old. Jay-Z attended Eli Whitney High School in Brooklyn, along with rapper AZ until it was closed down. After that he attended George Westinghouse High School in Downtown Brooklyn with fellow rappers Notorious B.I.G. and Busta Rhymes and Trenton Central High School in Trenton, New Jersey but did not graduate. He claims to have been caught up in selling drugs, which he refers to in his music. His best friend Zak Cervasio was known as Big Z. They grew up together and were separated due to Jay Z's fame. They still talk on the phone and like to write from now and then.

According to his mother Gloria Carter, a young Jay-Z used to wake his siblings up at night banging out drum patterns on the kitchen table. Eventually, she bought him a boom box for his birthday and thus sparked his interest in music. He began freestyling, writing rhymes, and followed the music of many artists popular at the time.

In his neighborhood, Carter was known as "Jazzy," a nickname which eventually developed into his stage name, "Jay-Z." The moniker is also a homage to his musical mentor Jaz-O (a.k.a. Jaz, Big Jaz) as well as to the J-Z subway lines that have a stop at Marcy Avenue in Brooklyn.

File:WordtotheJazbackcover.jpg

Jay-Z with Jaz-O on the back cover of Word to the Jaz

Jay-Z can be heard on several of Jaz-O's early recordings in the late 80's and early 90's, including "The Originators" and "Hawaiian Sophie." He and Jaz-O once ran into a blossoming LL Cool J in the park and were beaten in a freestyle battle by the self proclaimed G.O.A.T. He also collaborated with Inglewood, California producer Three-1-Zero. His career had a jump start when he battled a rapper by the name of Zai. The battle caught the eye of many record labels, as Jay-Z was able to hold his own against Zai. He also made an appearance on a popular song by Big L, "Da Graveyard," and on Mic Geronimo's "Time to Build," which also featured early appearances by DMX and Ja Rule and Shazim Hasan in 1995.

Commercial work

From the beginning of his commercial recording career, Jay-Z chose a route that many would consider untraditional. When no major label gave him a record deal, Jay-Z created Roc-A-Fella Records as his own independent label. After striking a deal with Priority to distribute his material, Jay-Z released his 1996 debut album Reasonable Doubt with beats from acclaimed producers such as DJ Premier and Clark Kent and a notable appearance by The Notorious B.I.G. Although the album received critical acclaim, record sales were modest as they topped off at 420,000 units the first year.

After reaching a new distribution deal with Def Jam in 1997, Jay-Z released his follow-up In My Lifetime, Vol. 1. Executive produced by Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, it sold better than his previous effort, though Jay-Z later explained that this was one of the worst periods of his life. He was reeling from the death of his close friend The Notorious B.I.G. The albums relatively glossy production stood as a contrast to his first release, and some dedicated fans felt he had "sold out." However, the album did feature some beats from producers who had worked with him on Reasonable Doubt, namely DJ Premier and Ski. Jay-Z mentioned on the YES Network's "CenterStage with Michael Kay" show that if he could do one thing in his career over, it would be Vol. 1, claiming that "it [the cd] was this close to being a classic, but I put like, a few songs on there that ruined it." Speculation is that he was referring o "I Know What Girls Like" and "(Always Be My) Sunshine," both of which were produced by Bad Boy beatmakers and criticized as a commercialization of his sound.

1998's Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life spawned the biggest hit of his career at the time, "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)". He also relied more on flow and brilliant wordplay, and he continued his penchant for mining beats from the popular producers of the day such as Swizz Beatz and Timbaland. Charting hits from this album included "Can I Get A..." featuring Ja Rule and "Jigga What, Jigga Who." Vol. 2 would eventually become Jay-Z's most commercially successful album, it was certified 5x platinum in the United States and has to date sold over 8 million worldwide.

In 1999, Jay-Z released Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter. Despite continued criticism for his increasingly pop-oriented sound, the album proved to be successful and went platinum three times and sold over 5.6 million records worldwide. Through his lyricism, he was able to retain respect from some of his die-hard fans. Vol. 3 is remembered for its smash hit, "Big Pimpin'" (feat. UGK). By this time, Jay-Z was seen as a hip-hop figurehead both by hardcore fans and by the hip-hop industry due to his lyrics and his high album sales. The subject of much criticism, praise, popularity, condemnation, and discussion, Jay-Z decided to begin developing other artists. Around 2000, he and Damon Dash signed various artists (including Beanie Sigel and Freeway) and began introducing them to the public. He next appeared on The Dynasty: Roc La Familia, which was intended as a compilation album to introduce these new artists, though the album had Jay-Z's name on it to strengthen market recognition and by extension, sales.

2001's The Blueprint is considered by many to be one of hip hop's "classic" albums, receiving the coveted "5 mic" review from The Source magazine. Released on September 11, 2001, the album managed to debut at #1, selling more than 450,000 albums in its first week. The success of the album was overshadowed by the terrorist attacks that same day.

The Blueprint was applauded for its production and the balance of "mainstream" and "hardcore" rap, receiving recognition from both audiences. Eminem was the only guest artist on the album, producing and rapping on the single "Renegade". A large portion of the material on this album was produced by Kanye West and represents one of his (Kanye's) first major breaks in the industry. The Blueprint also includes the popular "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" and "Takeover," a song that takes on rivals Prodigy of Mobb Deep and Nas.

Jay-Z's next solo album was 2002's 4 million (USA only) selling The Blueprint²: The Gift & the Curse a double-album. It was later reissued in a single-disc version, The Blueprint 2.1, which retained half of the tracks from the original and went on to sell a further 800,000 copies. Although criticized for having too much "filler", the album spawned two hit singles, "Excuse Me Miss" and "Bonnie and Clyde" featuring Jay-Z's girlfriend of four years Beyoncé Knowles.

Rivalry with Nas

Main article: Nas vs. Jay-Z

Tension between the two supposedly dates as far back as 1996, when Nas refused to make a guest appearance on Jay-Z's debut album Reasonable Doubt. However, the relationship between the two rappers remained peaceful (Jay-Z even giving a shoutout to Nas in his album liner notes), and the tension did not escalate to full-blown rivalry until after the death of the Notorious B.I.G. The position of best rapper in New York seemed vacant after the death of Biggie, and fans were eager to see who would take over.

The dispute involved many of the rappers, especially associates at Roc-a-Fella Records, who declared an all-out war against Nas. However, the feud died down somewhat toward the end of 2002, with Nas decided as the winner (arguments go on to this day in the hip hop community about who came out on top overall, with the results of a Hot 97 radio phone-in revealing a 58% - 42% split in favor of Nas), The battle had the potential to destroy Jay-Z's career but he bounced back after his retirement album titled "The Black Album". Nas & Jay-Z have since paid tribute to each other in interviews, likening the battle to a world title boxing match that pitched the best against the best, and pleased with the entertainment it provided fans. Jay-Z is also featured on Nas's newest album - "Hip Hop is dead" where he does a song with Nas called Black Republican. The rivalry also impacted their careers critically and commercially. The battle was significant in that it revived the trend of using 'beefs' as a source for publicity and promotion for hip hop artists, originally unpopular following the tragic deaths of Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls, now prevalent within the hip hop community.

Recent years

In 2003, Jay-Z toured with 50 Cent, Busta Rhymes and Sean Paul while finishing work on what was announced as his final album, The Black Album. Notable songs on the album included "What More Can I Say," "Dirt Off Your Shoulder," "Change Clothes," and "99 Problems." The latter was a cross-over hit comparable to the Beastie Boys' "No Sleep Till Brooklyn" which some believe pays homage to the now-rare old-school rap style. A few of the songs done on this album portray a more personal side of Jay-Z; for example, "Moment of Clarity" sheds light on his feelings towards his estranged father and coping with his death. It also deals with accusations that he sold out to reach a wider audience. "What More Can I Say" addresses the "biting" accusations leveled against him by Nas in "Ether" and other detractors, as Jay-Z raps, "I'm not a biter I'm a writer for myself and others/I say a Big verse I'm only biggin' up my brother." During that same year, Jay-Z supplied new rhymes on a remix of Punjabi MC's "Mundian To Bach Ke," a desi rap jam that Jay became enamored of after hearing it at a nightclub in Hong Kong. Re-released as "Beware of the Boys," the East-West hip-hop fusion track charted in North America. It was notable for Jay-Z's condemnation of the U.S. invasion of Iraq and laying some of the blame on the 9/11 attacks on the foreign policy of Ronald Reagan.

Jay-Z has stated on The Charlie Rose Show that his life goal is to be the C.E.O. of General Electric.

In 2004, there was a runaway hit remix project by Danger Mouse called The Grey Album in which Jay-Z's Black Album vocals were blended with instrumentals sampled exclusively from The Beatles' White Album (which subsequently embroiled the DJ in a lawsuit that was later dropped with EMI, the owners of the Beatles' work). This was made possible by an a cappella version of the "Black Album" that Jay-Z released with the specific intent for others to mix. The success of "The Grey Album" led to a rainbow of Black Album remix projects including "The Red Album," "The Blue Album" and so forth.

Also in 2004, Jay-Z collaborated with Linkin Park. The project was named Collision Course, and contained a six track EP, as well as a making of DVD. Some of the mash ups tracks were entitled Dirt Off Your Shoulder/Lying From You, Jigga What/Faint, and Numb/Encore.

Retirement

On November 25 2003, Jay-Z held a concert at Madison Square Garden, which would later be the focus of his film Fade to Black. This concert was his "retirement party." All proceeds went to charity. Other performers included collaborators like The Roots (in the form of his backing band), Missy Elliott, Memphis Bleek, Beanie Siegel, Freeway, Mary J. Blige, Beyoncé, Twista, Ghostface Killah, Foxy Brown, Pharrell and R. Kelly with special appearances by Voletta Wallace and Afeni Shakur; the mothers of Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur respectively.

While Jay-Z had attested to a retirement from making new studio albums, various side projects and appearances soon followed. Included in these were a greatest hits record, mash-up projects and concert appearances with R. Kelly, Linkin Park and Phish. These appearances have kept his name in the spotlight and furthered peoples' speculation that he would not remain retired for long. The Brooklyn artist admits to why he has decided to retire. "It's a plan", Jay-z said."I want the fans to think I'm going to retire, so when I make that great comeback everyone's all excited and they buy the album." Some see it as a great business plan, others see it as Jay trying to pull one over on his fans.

Jay-Z was the executive producer of Fort Minor's debut album The Rising Tied. Mike Shinoda got together with Jay-Z himself, as well as his Linkin Park bandmate Brad Delson, and they went over what tracks they thought should make the album.

"I Declare War" concert

Further information: Hip hop rivalries

Having been such a visible artist in the late '90s through the early 2000s, Jay-Z has been the subject of more rap-related controversy than most artists in mainstream hip-hop. Some of these have been resolved, some are ongoing, and some have simply dissipated.

On October 27, 2005, Jay- Z headlined New York's Power 105.1 annual concert, Powerhouse. The concert was entitled the "I Declare War" Concert leading to intense speculation in the weeks preceding the event to whom exactly Jay-Z would declare war on. As he had previously "declared war" on other artists taking lyrical shots at him at other events, many believed that the Powerhouse show would represent an all-out assault by Jay-Z upon his rivals. However, an anticipated response to subliminal shots taken by The Game and Cam'ron never materialized.

The theme of the concert was Jay-Z's position as President and CEO of Def Jam, complete with an on-stage mock-up of the Oval Office. Many artists made appearances such as the old roster of Roc-A-Fella records artists, as well as Ne-Yo, Teairra Mari, T.I., Young Jeezy, Akon, Kanye West, Paul Wall, the LOX, and P. Diddy.

At the conclusion of the concert, Jay-Z put many beefs to rest to the surprise of hip-hop fans. Instead of declaring war, he declared that he was the "United Nations of this rap shit." The most significant development in this show was closure to the infamous beef between Jay-Z and Nas. The two former rivals shook hands and shared the stage together to perform Jay-Z's "Dead Presidents" blended with Nas's song "The World is Yours" from which "Dead Presidents" had sampled the vocals on the chorus. Nas's verses were rapped over the "Dead Presidents" beat in the vein of a mix song done by DJ Statik Selektah. Nas also performed songs of his own later in the show.

Beefs between other artists were also brought to a close (or put on hold) at the Powerhouse show. The event brought together for the first time in years, P. Diddy and The LOX, both who had a longstanding animosity due to a contract agreement between P. Diddy and The LOX and the latter's departure from Bad Boy Entertainment. Shortly after the concert, the beef was fully rectified.

The event also saw the return of Beanie Sigel from incarceration. There had been some speculation that Beanie Sigel was going to depart from Roc-A-Fella Records, but this concert proved otherwise. Beanie and The LOX's Jadakiss also officially ended their own beef when they, Jay-Z, the rest of the LOX and Sauce Money (who had been thought to have some animosity towards Jay-Z) all performed the song "Reservoir Dogs."

Return to recording music

Jay-Z returned with his comeback album on November 21, 2006 titled Kingdom Come. Jay-Z's comeback single, "Show Me What You Got," was leaked on the Internet in early October 2006, scheduled to be released later on that month, received heavy air-play after its leak, causing the FBI to step in and investigate. Jay-Z is scheduled to work with video director Hype Williams, the single's video will reportedly be directed by F. Gary Gray (Friday, The Italian Job). The album features producers such as Pharrell Williams, Kanye West, Dr. Dre and Coldplay's Chris Martin (single entitled "Beach Chair").

Hip-Hop entrepreneur

Apart from being President and CEO of Def Jam Recordings, Jay-Z is also one of the owners and founders of the Roc-A-Fella empire, which includes Roc-A-Fella Records, Roc-La-Familia, Roc-A-Fella Films and Rocawear.

At heart, Jay-Z is an entrepreneur like his fellow hip-hop-moguls-turned-friends Russell Simmons, Dr. Dre and Sean "Diddy" Combs, who also have business holdings such as record companies and clothing lines. He redirected the hip hop culture from hooded sweatshirts and baggy jeans to button-ups and crisp jeans, and received GQ's International Man of the Year award.

Roc-A-Fella Records

Jay-Z co-founded Roc-A-Fella Records with partners Damon Dash and Kareem "Biggs" Burke. Def Jam purchased a 50% stake in the company in 1997 for a reported $1.5 million.

In late 2004, Jay-Z, Dash and Biggs sold their remaining interests in Roc-A-Fella Records and the Def Jam Recordings by Island Def Jam chairman L. A. Reid. Reportedly this major industry move was prompted by disagreement between Jay-Z and Dash as to what new ventures Roc-A-Fella could undertake.

The publicized split between Jay-Z, Dash and Biggs led to the former partners sending jabs at each other in interviews. Dame Dash has made comments that after the break up he was portrayed as "Osama Bin Laden" to ensure that rappers would stay with Jay-Z and not sign with him. Dash currently operates the recently-founded Dame Dash Music Group as a joint venture with Island Def Jam producing former Roc-A-Fella artists such as Beanie Sigel

Rocawear and fashion

Founded in 1995 by music moguls Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, Damon Dash and Kareem "Biggs" Burke, The ROC has been at the forefront of hip hop’s evolution into a borderless, global lifestyle. Serving as The ROC’s initial launching pad was Roc-A-Fella Records. Realizing their ability to create culture far transcended the realm of music, the trio founded the apparel company Rocawear. Like Roc-A-Fella Records, Rocawear quickly staked its claim in hip-hop history by becoming the brand of choice for street savvy consumers. Rocawear has concentrated on providing its costumer with clever innovation in terms of fabrication, application, and design. The brand’s attention to detail has given Rocawear an appeal far and beyond its core urban customer. Ten years have passed since the genesis of The ROC and a dynasty now reigns. Today, Rocawear is a dominant lifestyle apparel brand for a wide range of customers, with annual retail sales over $700 million. Inspired by an urban aesthetic rooted in young men’s sportswear, Rocawear has expanded its brand through licensing pacts to develop lines for children (Kids Headquarters), junior’s (Signature), socks and sandals (Gina Group), leather suede and fur outerwear (Gordon & Ferguson and Brandon Thomas) handbags and belts (M.London), loungewear and big & tall (Endurance), headwear (Nas Industries) jewelry (Lucas Design) and sunglasses (Color in Optics); as well as co-branded product with Pro-Keds. By incorporating international impulses into the Rocawear Style, the brand has expanded its appeal beyond the national borders and has become a brand of international significance. As a result, Rocawear boasts offices in the UK, Japan, Canada, and Europe. All in all Rocawear defines the lifestyle for today’s young hip consumer and provides the efficient business acumen to retail partners necessary to be successful. As the ad campaign tag-line goes......WE RUN THE STRIP. 82.37.105.124 18:24, 17 January 2007 (UTC)ηèЅѕ82.37.105.124 18:24, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

Entertainment and lifestyle

Jay-Z co-owns The 40/40 Club, an upscale sports bar that started in New York City and has since expanded to Atlantic City, NJ. Future plans will see 40/40 Clubs in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Singapore. Roc-A-Fella also distributes Armadale, a Scottish vodka, in the U.S.

On October 16, 2006, Jay-Z's new commercial spot with Anheuser-Bush aired, featuring his latest single "Show Me What You Got." Jay-Z will serve as co-brand director for Budweiser Select while collaborating with the company on strategic marketing programs and creative ad development. He will be providing direction on brand programs and ads that appear on TV, radio, print, and high-profile events.

Jay-Z is a Minority Owner of the New Jersey Nets NBA team paying a reported $4.5 Million dollars. Jay-Z is one of the franchise owners interested in relocating the team to Brooklyn. In October 2005, he was reported in English media as considering buying a stake of Arsenal F.C., an English football team.

Personal life

Criminal charges

Jay-Z was accused of stabbing record executive Lance "Un" Riviera for what he perceived was Riviera's bootlegging of Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter. The stabbing allegedly occurred at the record release party for Q-Tip's debut solo album Amplified at the Kit Kat Klub, a now defunct night club in Times Square, New York City, on December 9 1999. Jay-Z's associates at the party were accused of causing a commotion within the club, which Jay-Z allegedly used as cover when he supposedly stabbed Riviera in the stomach with a five-inch blade.

Jay-Z initially denied the incident and pleaded not guilty when a grand jury returned the indictment. Jay-Z and his lawyers contended he was nowhere around Riviera during the incident and they had witnesses and videotape evidence from the club that showed Jay-Z's whereabouts during the disturbance. Nevertheless, he later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge that resulted in a sentence of three years probation. The New York Post reported that Jay-Z had bought out Riviera for $600,000 to cease his cooperation with prosecutors, and without the cooperation of the victim, prosecutors had to cut a plea deal that would not interfere with Jay-Z's touring plans. Riviera also dropped a civil suit, where he asked for $40 million.

Jay-Z makes reference to the trial and incident on his songs "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)", off The Blueprint, "Threat," off The Black Album and "Dear Summer", which was included in Memphis Bleek's 2005 release 534.

Former Roc-A-Fella labelmate-turned-rival Cam'ron has since claimed on his song "You Gotta Love It" that Jay-Z had actually "stabbed Un over Charli Baltimore." Nas said in his diss song targeted at Jay-Z, "Ether," that "[Jay-Z's] man stabbed 'Un' and [Jay-Z] took the blame."

Romantic life

Jay-Z was featured on Beyoncé's hit single "Crazy In Love." He made yet another appearance on Beyoncé's 2006 hits, "Deja Vu" and "Upgrade U." The couple has never publicly discussed their relationship, but has reportedly been together for almost four years. Beyoncé has stated that she believes that not publicly discussing their relationship has helped them. Jay-Z has said in a People Magazine article that "We don't play with our relationship".

Jay-Z did remark during a goodbye party for departing Def Jam head Lyor Cohen in 2004 that he and Beyoncé will "marry very soon." However, Beyoncé denied the claims made on the December 10, 2006 airing of tabloid television show The Insider on which they claimed that Jay-Z and Beyoncé are getting married soon.

In May 2006, there were reports that Jay-Z and singer Rihanna had a more than business-like relationship after the two partied together privately at Jay-Z's club in New York City. Similarly, it was reported that Beyoncé and Jay-Z had a disagreement after he received a fifteen-minute telephone call from Rihanna while attending a New Jersey Nets game. Publicists for Jay-Z denied the claims of a love affair between the two. There were no further reports afterwards.

Jay-Z and Beyoncé were listed as a Power Couple on Time Magazine's 100's Most Influential People of 2006.

It can be noticed that Jay-Z and Beyoncé were fond of each other before they had an "official" relationship. In 1998, Jay-Z was featured on a song by producer Timbaland, titled "Lobster and Scrimp," which references Destiny's Child's first single "No, No, No" ("She said, 'You're stressin me now,'/Said, 'No No No,' then, 'Yea yea yea' like she Destiny's Child"). In 1999, Jay-Z directed rapper Amil's "I Got That", a video in which Beyoncé was featured. In 2001, Jay-Z was featured on a song by Missy Elliott, titled "One Minute Man (Remix)," in which he raps "Get your 'Independent' ass out of here - QUESTION?" Which is an obvious reference to the Destiny's Child 2000 single "Independent Women Part I." Destiny's Child was also seen in his 2001 video "H To The Izzo" lip-synching some of his raps.

Principal for a Day

In 2002 Cass Technical High School in Detroit, Michigan, and Kashmere High School in Houston, Texas hosted Jay-Z as "principal for a day" [1].

Discography

Main article: Jay-Z discography

Filmography

• Streets Is Watching (1998)
• Hard Knock Life (2000)
• State Property (2002)
• Paper Soldiers (2002)
• Fade To Black (2004)
• Diary of Jay-Z: Water for Life (2006)

See also

• Best selling music artists
• List of number-one hits (United States)
• List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)
• List of number-one dance hits (United States)
• List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart

External links

• Jay-Z on Myspace
• Official website
• Roc-a-Fella Records profile
• Def Jam Records
• S. Carter Academy
• The 40/40 Club
• Rocawear
• Jay-Z's first video '88
• Jay-Z at IMDb
• TheJayZTour.com : News, Tour dates, Pictures and Song Lyrics
• Jay-z Music Videos

Trivia

• On June 28, 2005, Jay-Z's nephew Colleek D. Luckie, was killed in a car accident with the Chrysler 300 that Jay-Z bought him for his graduation present. Jay-Z mentions this tragedy in the third verse of his song "Lost One" off of his most recent album, Kingdom Come.Jay-Z Interview AllHipHop.Com
• Jay-Z has a street in Nigeria named after him.
• MTV named him as "The Greatest MC Of All-Time"
• Has a net worth of $340 Million Dollars, which makes him the 2nd to Sean "Diddy" Combs with a net worth of $346 Million Dollars as the richest hip hop mogul.
• Third best selling rap artist with over 50 million units sold worldwide.
• There is a "Jay-Z Blue" GMC Yukon
• Favorite food is Fried Chicken.
• Jay-Z introduces the 2007 Fall Out Boy album, Infinity on High, on the opening track "Thriller".