Contents
Jay-Z
Building a defining hip-hop catalogue with Reasonable Doubt, The Blueprint and The Black Album.
Reasonable Doubt · The Blueprint
- Born
- 4 December 1969
- Birthplace
- Brooklyn, New York, United States
More people
Jay-Z
Jay-Z is an American rapper and entrepreneur whose writing combines intricate wordplay with accounts of ambition, street life and wealth. His business career developed alongside his recording career.
Early life
Brooklyn childhood
Grew up in the Marcy Houses public-housing development.
Early recordings
Learned from rapper Jaz-O and appeared on recordings before securing his own breakthrough.
Career
- 1995–1996
Independent start
Co-founded Roc-A-Fella Records and released his debut album.
- Late 1990s–2000s
Mainstream success
Built a run of commercially successful albums and collaborations.
- 2004–2007
Label leadership
Served as president of Def Jam Recordings.
- 2008 onwards
Roc Nation
Established an entertainment company working across music and management.
Selected work
Reasonable Doubt
Debut album combining street narratives with reflective storytelling.
The Blueprint
Paired confident lyricism with prominent soul-sampling production.
4:44
Explored family, responsibility and financial independence.
Beyond work
Family collaboration
Married Beyoncé; the pair have recorded and toured together.
Educational support
Co-founded the Shawn Carter Foundation with his mother to support students facing financial barriers.
Sources & photo credit
Biography ↗Life and work ↗Photo: Photo Courtesy of NYS Senate Media Services. CC BY 2.0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
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