Jay-Z was born on December 4, 1969, in Brooklyn, New York, United States. His birth name is Shawn Corey Carter. Known professionally as Jay-Z, he is an American hip hop musician and businessperson. He is the former CEO of Def Jam Recordings and the current CEO of Roc-A-Fella Records. He is also one of the founders of The 40/40 Club and the New Jersey Nets.

Having sold more than twenty-six million albums in the United States and winning multiple Grammy Awards, Jay-Z is regarded as one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in the country. In addition to his musical and financial achievements, he attracted public attention between 2001 and 2005 due to high-profile feuds with rappers such as Nas. From the beginning of his professional music career, Jay-Z was unable to secure a record deal with major labels, which led him to establish Roc-A-Fella Records in 1996 together with Dame Dash and Kareem Biggs.

Jay-Z released his debut studio album Reasonable Doubt in 1996. The album ranked at number 248 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time.” He later achieved a historic milestone by becoming the solo artist with the most number-one albums on the Billboard 200 chart, with a total of twelve chart-topping releases.

In 2003, Jay-Z announced his retirement from the music industry. However, he made a return in 2006 with the album Kingdom Come. The album sold 680,000 copies in its first week, marking the highest first-week sales of his career at that time. He was also ranked at the top of MTV’s list of the “Greatest MCs of All Time.”

In 1997, Jay-Z signed a deal with Def Jam Recordings and released his second studio album In My Lifetime, Vol. 1, produced by Diddy. The album reached number three on the Billboard 200 chart.

In 2003, Jay-Z and his mother Gloria Carter founded the Shawn Carter Foundation. The foundation was established to support individuals facing socioeconomic challenges by empowering underserved youth and communities through scholarship funds, college tours, international educational experiences, mentorship initiatives, and charitable programs.

On November 25, 2003, Jay-Z performed a concert at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, New York. The event was promoted as his “retirement party,” and all proceeds from the concert were donated to charitable organizations.

Although Jay-Z confirmed his retirement, he continued to remain active in the music industry. He released a greatest hits album, participated in various mash-up projects, and performed alongside R. Kelly and Linkin Park. He also served as the producer of The Rising Tied, the debut and only studio album by Fort Minor.

In 2006, Jay-Z officially returned to his solo career and released Kingdom Come on November 21, 2006. The album featured guest appearances from Beyonce Knowles, Chrisette Michele, Ne-Yo, and Usher.

In June 2007, the song Umbrella, on which Jay-Z collaborated with Rihanna, reached number one in the United States. This marked his first number-one single since his collaboration with Beyonce Knowles on Crazy in Love.

Later in 2007, Jay-Z released his tenth studio album American Gangster.

Jay-Z married his long-time partner and fellow musician Beyonce Knowles on April 4, 2008. The couple publicly announced their marriage on September 5, 2008. They have three children: Blue Ivy Carter (born January 7, 2012), and twins Rumi Carter and Sir Carter (born June 13, 2017).

Source: Biyografiler.com