Early Musical career
Known as "Jazzy" around the neighborhood, he later adopted the stage name "Jay-Z" in homage to his mentor Jaz-O. Jay-Z is briefly heard on several of Jaz-O's early recordings in the late 1980s and early 1990s, including "H.P. Gets Busy", "The Originators" and "Hawaiian Sophie". He first became known to a wide audience on "Show & Prove", a posse cut and single featured on the 1994 Big Daddy Kane album Daddy's Home. The young Jay-Z appeared in a popular song by Big L, "Da Graveyard", and in Mic Geronimo's "Time to Build" in 1995. Jay-Z’s first official rap single, "In My Lifetime", came with a music video that debuted in 1995.
The extension of the Empire
In 2003, Jay-Z stopped rapping, choosing to instead focus more on his work as a record producer. He said that the game was too easy for him. He decided to concentrate more on his producer career than his rap career. He became the president and CEO of Def Jam Recordings, signing top-tier artists such as Rihanna and Ne-Yo. He also created his own clothing company, Rocawear, and became co-owner of the NBA's Brooklyn Nets. In 2008, he launched Roc Nation, a multi-disciplinary entertainment agency. He and Roc Nation have been in charge of the Super Bowl’s halftime show since 2019, ultimately selecting each year’s halftime performer.
After taking a step back in his recording career, Jay-Z made a return in 2006 with the release of a new album, "Kingdom Come". Another album, "American Gangster", followed in 2007. In 2009, he released “The Blueprint 3”. This album topped the rap charts and received a Grammy nomination for the best rap album. Now, Jay-Z is known as one of the best rappers of all time. In April 2011 Jay-Z started a website called Life + Times. His 12th album, “Magna Carta Holy Grail” was released in July 2013. The album ranked number one on the US Billboard 200 chart and was nominated for Album of the Year at the 2013 BET Hip Hop Awards. The first single on the album, "Holy Grail", features Justin Timberlake and reached number four on the US Billboard 100. In South Korea it reached number one. Jay-Z's wife Beyoncé sings on "Part II (On the Run)". In December 2013 Jay-Z was nominated for nine Grammy Awards, giving him the most Grammy nominations that year. This was more than anyone else that year. He rapped on his wife's fifth album “Beyoncé”.
Together with Beyoncé, Jay-Z has three children: daughter Blue Ivy (born January 7, 2012) and twins Rumi and Sir Carter (born June 13, 2017).
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