Jay-Z

Jay-Z is undoubtedly one of the most accomplished and proficient rappers to ever pick up a microphone. A native of Brooklyn, he spent much of the 1990's trying to break into the rap game while also juggling his time as a street hustler.

Outside of a few early 1990's rap cameos—Jaz-O's "The Originators," Original Flavor's "Can I Get Open" and Big Daddy Kane's "Show & Prove"—Jay was still unsuccessful at securing a label deal for himself. After several failed attempts to get noticed, Jay-Z decided to go independent and formed Roc-A-Fella Records with business partners Damon Dash and Kareem "Biggs" Burke.

In 1996, Hov kicked off his professional rap career with his stellar debut solo album, Reasonable Doubt, which featured a guest appearance by up-and-coming rap superstar The Notorious B.I.G. The album was a commercial success, reaching platinum status in February of 2002.

Jay's career took off with his 1998 album, Vol. 2…Hard Knock Life, which sold six million copies and included the Annie-sampled "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)." But it was his classic 2001 LP, The Blueprint, that solidified Jay-Z's status as one of hip-hop's G.O.A.Ts (Greatest of All Time).

Jay-Z's talent as a lyricist is undeniable, but he's also made a name for himself in the corporate world. As a savvy businessman, his investments in fashion (Rocawear), liquor (Dussé), a luxury sports bar (40/40 Club), a streaming service (Tidal) and a management agency (Roc Nation), helped him become the wealthiest rapper in the world with a net worth of $2.5 billion.

  • Selected Discography: Reasonable Doubt (1996), The Blueprint (2001), 4:44 (2017), “Can’t Knock the Hustle” (1996), “Takeover” (2001), “4:44″ (2017)
  • Related Artists: Rakim, Nas, The Notorious B.I.G.
  • Read More: Jay-Z’s Biggest Boss Moves of His Career
Celebrate Black History Month With These 20 Songs
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One of the greatest artistic products to derive from the African American culture is its music. And of that music, no category is as distinct as hip-hop, with its ability to raise awareness by telling stories of social injustice and oppression, but also of heritage and pride...
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NY Post Writer Says Jay Z Is A Bad Husband
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Jay Z and his bodacious wife Beyoncé opened up the 2014 Grammy Awards with a performance that will inevitably go down in history. If Mrs. Carter's skimpy get-up wasn't enough, surely her "surfboarding" alongside the hubby as he and other men watched was. As a ...
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Jay Z's old home where he used to store drugs during his dealing days is now on sale. Hov only mentions the building address in "Empire State Of Mind" and not the apartment number. But according to Daily Mail, it's apartment 10C and is now on the market for a cool $870,000, The Boerum Hill apartment is a duplex, boasting two bedrooms and an open kitchen, one block away from the Barclay's
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Jay Z Brings Out Meek Mill In Philly
Jay Z Brings Out Meek Mill In Philly
What better way to bless Philly during the Magna Carta Holy Grail Tour than by bringing out their hometown hero, Meek Mill? On Wednesday night (Jan. 29), Jay Z gave the MMG rapper the spotlight to perform "Dreams & Nightmares" and "I'm A Boss" before the city that raised him....
Oprah Doesn’t Hate Rappers Anymore
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Being that Oprah is celebrating a birthday today, XXL figured that we'd celebrate the fact that she doesn't hate rappers anymore. To likes of Diddy, Pharrell, and Jay Z; XXL presents "Oprah Doesn't Hate Rappers Anymore."
J. Cole Brings Out Jay Z And Kendrick Lamar In NYC
J. Cole Brings Out Jay Z And Kendrick Lamar In NYC
J. Cole Brings Out Jay Z And Kendrick Lamar In NYC
As J. Cole hit the Theater at Madison Square Garden last night to ring in his 29th birthday with a packed house of fans, a few unexpected special guests came through making the occasion all the more special for the Roc Nation signee. Gifted with Jay Z's original Roc-A-Fella chain and sipping on a drank or two, it was readily apparent that J...
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Last Sunday's Grammy Awards were a blueprint for how to mash together a whole bunch of artists and genres, and still manage to mostly pull it off. Whether they be classic collabs (Jay Z and Beyoncé opening the show with "Drunk In Love"), new joints (Katy Perry and Juicy J performing Katy's new song "Dark Horse"), random combinations that worked (Kendrick Lamar tearing it down

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