JAŸ-Z

JAY-Z, born Shawn Corey Carter on December 4, 1969, grew up in the Marcy Projects of Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood and rose to become one of the most commercially successful and critically respected rappers in hip-hop history. After early work alongside Brooklyn rapper Jaz-O, he built his own label, Roc-A-Fella Records, and released a string of albums through the 1990s and 2000s that defined mainstream East Coast rap, holding the record for the most Billboard 200 #1 albums by a solo artist.

His catalog spans street-narrative classics to pop-crossover anthems: «Empire State of Mind» with Alicia Keys became an anthem for New York City, «Niggas in Paris» and «No Church in the Wild» came from Watch the Throne, his collaborative album with Kanye West, and «Holy Grail» featured Justin Timberlake. His 2017 album 4:44 marked a shift toward introspective, personal songwriting, addressing his marriage to Beyoncé and his own past directly, while «The Story of O.J.» tackled race and generational wealth. «Part II (On the Run)» with Beyoncé and «Renegade» with Eminem further showcase his range across collaborators.

Beyond music, JAY-Z built a business empire spanning fashion, sports agency, and streaming (Tidal), and in 2023 was named by Billboard and Vibe as the greatest rapper of all time during hip-hop's 50th anniversary, reflecting both his commercial dominance and lasting influence on the genre's lyrical and business standards.