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[[Image:Jay-Z_promotional_photo.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]
'''Jay-Z''' (aka '''Jigga''', '''Jay Hova''', '''Hova''', '''Hov'''', '''Young Hov'''') born '''Shawn Carter''' on [[December 4]], [[1969]] in [[Brooklyn, New York]], is an [[African American]] [[rapper]]/[[hip hop]] artist and [[record label]] executive; one of the most popular and successful rappers of the late [[1990s]] and early [[2000s]]. Besides pursuing his own career, Jay-Z was one of the founders of [[Roc-a-Fella Records]], a successful hip-hop label which also launched the careers of [[Beanie Sigel]], [[Kanye West]], [[Memphis Bleek]], [[Young Gunz]], [[Freeway]], and others. Known for his metaphoric lines, [[freestyle rap|freestyling]] abilities, crafty wordplay, and blending of street and popular hip hop, Jay-Z became one of the most respected rappers in the music industry before announcing his retirement from recording in [[2004]]. Jay-Z was later appointed the new president and CEO of [[Def Jam|Def Jam Recordings]]. As of 2005, he is estimated to be worth $320 million, and is dating [[R&B]] [[singer]] [[Beyoncé Knowles]].
==Early career==
Originally from the Marcy Projects in [[Brooklyn, New York]], Carter's father abandoned the family when he was a young child and he was consequently raised by a single mother. As a young man, he claims to have been caught up in selling [[crack cocaine]] on the streets of New York. He was known as "Jazzy" in his neighborhood, a nickname he soon shortened to "Jay-Z" while in pursuit of a career in music. The name Jay-Z is also a homage to his musical partner [[Jaz-O]] (AKA The Jaz) as well as to the [[J-Z (New York City Subway service)|J-Z subway lines]] that go from [[Manhattan]] to [[Brooklyn]]. Jay-Z can be heard on several of The Jaz's early recordings including The Originators and Hawaiian Sophie.
He briefly attended [[high school]] in [[Trenton, New Jersey]]. He dropped out, but is still remembered there for his rhyming. According to legend, his involvement in dealing drugs ended after he was shot at six times (he was not hit) in a dispute with another dealer, after which he became more serious about music as a profession. After several unsuccessful attempts to launch a career--first with [[Jaz-O]], and then as part of a group called [[Original Flavor]]--Jay-Z co-founded [[Roc-a-Fella Records]] with partners [[Damon Dash]] and Kareem “Biggs” Burke. His debut album ''[[Reasonable Doubt]]'' was released in [[1996]] to considerable acclaim within the hip hop community, and included four charting singles: "Ain't No Nigga" (with [[Foxy Brown]]), "Can't Knock the Hustle" (with [[Mary J. Blige]]), "Dead Presidents" and "Feelin' It."
==Commercial success==
In [[1997]], Jay-Z's follow-up, ''[[In My Lifetime, Vol. 1]]'', peaked at #3 on the ''[[Billboard magazine|Billboard]]'' album charts, and helped establish his career and mainstream success. In spite of the success, Jay-Z's image was tarnished by what his core audience perceived as pandering to mainstream audiences with a more pop-friendly sound. The next year, Jay-Z released ''[[Vol. 2: Hard Knock Life]]'', continued this evolution towards a pop-oriented market. Hard Knock Life debuted at #1 on the Billboard Charts and stayed there for five weeks on its way to selling over 5 million records. It included several huge singles, including "Can I Get A..." (featuring [[Ja Rule]] and Roc-a-Fella artist [[Amil]]), "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)," "Nigga What, Nigga Who (Originators '99)" (featuring [[Jaz-O]] and [[Amil]]), "It's Alright" and "Money Ain't a Thang" (with [[Jermaine Dupri]]).
In [[1999]], Jay-Z released ''[[Vol. 3: Life and Times of S. Carter]]'' (debuted #1), which was another big hit in spite of continued criticism for his pop-oriented sound, and a large roster of [[hip hop collaborations|collaborators]] that many felt crowded out Jay-Z himself. His next album, ''[[The Dynasty: Roc La Familia]]'' (debuted #1), was originally intended as a collaboration album with many guests from Roc-a-Fella's roster, including [[Beanie Sigel]], [[Memphis Bleek]] and Amil, as well as [[Scarface (rapper)|Scarface]], [[Just Blaze]], [[R. Kelly]], [[Kanye West]], [[The Neptunes]] and [[Snoop Dogg]].
[[2001]]'s ''[[The Blueprint]]'' (debuted #1) is considered to be one of the best hip hop albums in history. Released on [[September 11]] [[2001]], the album managed to debut at #1, selling more than 450,000 albums in its first week despite being upstaged by the [[September 11, 2001 attacks|attacks]]. Although it never surpassed ''Reasonable Doubt'''s status in the hip hop community, ''The Blueprint'' contained a balanced blend of soulful samples that had both street credibility and mainstream appeal, receiving recognition from both audiences. [[Eminem]] was the only guest artist on the album, appearing on the track "Renegade." ''The Blueprint'' also includes "Izzo (HOVA)," a top ten hit, and "Takeover," a song which puts on blast rivals [[Prodigy (rapper)|Prodigy]] of [[Mobb Deep]] and [[Nas (rapper)|Nas]]. The latter responded to Jay-Z with both an underground single entitled "Stillmatic" and a track, "[[Ether (song)|Ether]]," on his 2001 LP "[[Stillmatic]]," and the pair's resulting rivalry became one of the most talked-about subjects in the hip hop community. The feud between Jay-Z and [[Nas (rapper)|Nas]] escalated until 2003, when the two [[Master of Ceremonies|MCs]] ended their rivalry peacefully.
Two side projects followed ''The Blueprint'': a late [[2001]] [[MTV Unplugged]] album called [[Jay Z: Unplugged]] (debuted #6) (featuring [[The Roots]] as Jay-Z's backing band), and a collaborative album with [[R. Kelly]], ''[[The Best of Both Worlds (R. Kelly & Jay-Z album)|The Best of Both Worlds]]'' (debuted #1), in [[2002]]. Jay-Z's next solo album was [[2002]]'s ''[[The Blueprint 2: The Gift & the Curse|The Blueprint²: The Gift & the Curse]]'' (debuted #1), a sprawling double-album which included the Top 10 single "'03 Bonnie & Clyde," a duet with his girlfriend, [[Beyoncé Knowles]] of [[Destiny's Child]]. ''The Blueprint²: The Gift & the Curse'' was later reissued in a single-disc version, ''The Blueprint 2.1'', which retained half of the tracks from the double-album.
==Later 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 (Jay-Z)|The Black Album]]'' (debuted #1). The album featured the Top 10 singles "Change Clothes" and "Dirt Off Your Shoulders," one of a number of Jay-Z singles produced by [[Timbaland]].
In [[2004]], an [[a capella]] special edition of ''The Black Album'' (which sported a red CD cover) was released with the intention of allowing others to create remixes. The most controversial of the ensuing remixes was by [[DJ Danger Mouse]], entitled "[[The Grey Album]]." It combined the ''a capella'' version with instrumental samples of [[The Beatles]]' ''[[The Beatles (album)|White Album]]''. [[DJ Danger Mouse]] was sent a cease and desist order from [[EMI]], The Beatles' record company, due to illegal [[sampling (music)|sampling]]. As a result, many copies were destroyed and an original is now a rare find.
On November 25, 2003, Jay-Z held a legendary 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 [[The Roots]], [[Missy Elliott]], [[Memphis Bleek]], [[Beanie Siegel]], [[Freeway]], [[Mary J. Blige]], [[Beyonce]], [[Twista]], [[Ghostface Killah]], [[Foxy Brown]], and [[R.Kelly]] with special appearances by [[Voletta Wallace]] and [[Afeni Shakur]], the mothers of [[Notorious B.I.G.]] and [[Tupac Shakur]].
Jay-Z and R. Kelly released a follow up to their ''Best of Both Worlds'' album in [[October]] [[2004]] entitled ''[[Unfinished Business]]'' (debuted #1), which includes 11 previously unreleased tracks by the duo. This release was timed to coincide with the ''Best of Both Worlds'' Tour, which played half of its dates before R. Kelly was booted off the tour in [[November]] [[2004]] after his unpredictable and unprofessional behaviour. The tour was then changed to "Jay-Z and Friends" and completed its run with artists such as [[P.Diddy]], [[Mary J. Blige]], [[T.I.]], [[Busta Rhymes]], and fellow members of the [[Roc-A-Fella Records|ROC]] accompanying Jay-Z.
On [[June 18]], [[2004]], Jay-Z appeared live with the [[jam band]] [[Phish]] at [[KeySpan Park]] in Brooklyn, performing some of his hit singles with the band while the "jam-band hippie" audience sang along - a defining moment of Jay-Z's popularity.
On [[November 30]], [[2004]], Jay-Z released ''[[Collision Course]]'', a collaboration with [[Linkin Park]]. It features remixes of songs from the rock band's two studio albums, ''[[Meteora (album)|Meteora]]'' and ''[[Hybrid Theory]]''; and also several from the rapper's albums including his latest, ''The Black Album''. It debuted at #1 in the US Billboard Album Charts, #12 in Australia and #38 in the UK. The lead single "Numb/Encore" debuted at #14 in the UK, and remained on the charts for nearly six months.
On [[January 3]], [[2005]], Jay-Z was appointed the new President and CEO of [[Def Jam|Def Jam Recordings]]. Damon Dash had left Roc-a-Fella Records in late [[2004]] to pursue other ventures; the label will be retained as a Def Jam imprint.
On [[July 2]], [[2005]], Jay-Z made an appearance at [[Live 8]] with Linkin Park performing songs from ''Collision Course'' and the song “Public Service Announcement“
Most recently, he signed a [[Paterson, NJ]] native by the name of [[Young MAR]]. The deal is now official, says Jay-Z's publicist. The new 16-year-old artist should be making public appearances for his album in the summer of [[2006]].
==Business interests==
[[Image:Jay_z.jpg|left|thumb|{{unverifiedimage}}]]
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-A-Fella Films]] and [[Rocawear]], a clothing brand established in 1999. Roc-A-Fella also distributes "Armadale," a [[Scotland|Scottish]] [[vodka]], in the U.S. Jay-Z is a part owner of the [[New Jersey Nets]] [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] team, and is rumored to be one of the franchise owners interested in relocating the team to [[Brooklyn]]. He also co-owns The 40/40 Club, a [[New York City|New York]] sports bar, and has a line of Reebok sneakers called The S.Carter Collection. These shoes still hold the record for fastest selling Reebok shoe in history and made him the first non-athlete to have a signature line of sneakers.
While Jay-Z has found financial success through such business ventures, some of his fans feel he has become a [[sell out]]. His interests have turned away from music in exchange for clothing design and other means to make money, not records.
==Discography==
''For a complete list of albums and singles, see: [[Jay-Z discography]]''
===Top Ten US and UK Singles===
The following singles reached the Top Ten on either the US or UK pop charts:
* 1997: "I'll Be" ([[Foxy Brown]] feat. Jay-Z) #7 US, #9 UK
* 1998: "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)" #15 US, #2 UK
* 1999: "Heartbreaker" ([[Mariah Carey]] feat. Jay-Z) #1 US, #5 UK
* 2001: "Fiesta" ([[R. Kelly]] feat. Jay-Z) #6 US, #23 UK
* 2001: "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" #8 US, #21 UK
* 2002: "'03 Bonnie & Clyde" (feat. [[Beyoncé Knowles]]) #4 US, #2 UK
* 2003: "Excuse Me Miss" (feat. [[Pharrell Williams]]) #8 US, #17 UK
* 2003: "[[Crazy in Love]]" ([[Beyoncé Knowles]] feat. Jay-Z) #1 US, #1 UK
* 2003: "Beware of the Boys (Mundian to Bach Ke)" ([[Panjabi MC]] feat. Jay-Z) #33 US, #5 UK
* 2003: "Frontin'" ([[Pharrell Williams]] feat. Jay-Z) #5 US, #6 UK
* 2003: "Change Clothes" (feat. [[Pharrell Williams]]) #10 US, #32 UK
* 2004: "Dirt Off Your Shoulder" #5 US
===Albums===
* 1996: ''[[Reasonable Doubt]]'' #23 US
* 1997: ''[[In My Lifetime, Vol. 1]]'' #3 US
* 1998: ''[[Vol. 2: Hard Knock Life]]'' #1 US
* 1999: ''[[Vol. 3: Life and Times of S. Carter]]'' #1 US
* 2000: ''[[The Dynasty: Roc La Familia]]'' #1 US
* 2001: ''[[The Blueprint]]'' #1 US, #30 UK
* 2001: ''[[Jay Z: Unplugged]]'' (Performed Live with [[The Roots]]) #31 US
* 2002: ''[[The Best of Both Worlds (R. Kelly & Jay-Z album)|The Best of Both Worlds]]'' (with [[R. Kelly]]) #2 US, #37 UK
* 2002: ''[[The Blueprint 2: The Gift & the Curse|The Blueprint²: The Gift & the Curse]]'' (halved and reissued as ''[[The Blueprint 2.1]]'' in [[2003]]) #1 US, #23 UK (The Blueprint 2); #17 US (The Blueprint 2.1)
* 2003: ''[[The Black Album (Jay-Z)|The Black Album]]'' #1 US, #34 UK
* 2004: ''[[Unfinished Business]]'' (with [[R. Kelly]]) #1 US, #61 UK
* 2004: ''[[Collision Course]]'' (with [[Linkin Park]]) #1 US, #15 UK
==See also==
*[[Best selling music artists]]
*[[List of number-one hits (United States)]]
*[[List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (US)]]
*[[List of number-one dance hits (United States)]]
*[[List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart]]
==External links==
*[http://www.rocafella.com/Artist.aspx?v=bio&key=1 Rocafella profile]
*[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6471859/site/newsweek/ Newsweek Entertainment profile]
*[http://ohhla.com/YFA_jayz.html OHHLA.COM - Favorite Artists: Jay-Z]
[[Category:1969 births]]
[[Category:African American musicians]]
[[Category:Def Jam affiliated performers]]
[[Category:United States rappers]]
[[Category:People from New York]]
[[Category:American music industry executives]]
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