Shawn Corey Carter
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Awards
Jay Z released his debut album Reasonable Doubt in 1996 and has since won 25 Grammy Awards. He founded Roc Nation in 2008 and became the first solo hip-hop artist inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021. With a net worth over $2.5 billion, he is the richest musical artist in the world.
Names, aliases, and relatives of Jay Z — birth name, kin, and personal ties.
Jay Z by the numbers — life, work, and family.
Jay Z — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.
Shawn Corey Carter arrived on December 4, 1969, in Brooklyn, New York. His father Adnes Reeves left the family, so his mother Gloria Carter raised him. He attended George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School, where he met The Notorious B.I.G., and later transferred to Trenton Central High School in New Jersey.
Kool G Rap influenced Carter, who began rapping in local competitions. He ghostwrote for Foxy Brown and Mase before launching his own career.
Jay Z’s 1996 debut Reasonable Doubt launched his career, a critical and commercial success featuring The Notorious B.I.G. Hard Knock Life 1998 became his first double-platinum album. The Blueprint 2001 and The Black Album 2003 followed. In 2004, he became president of Def Jam Recordings. He founded Roc Nation in 2008, expanding into sports management and the NFL partnership. He retired briefly in 2003 but returned, releasing 4:44 2017 to commercial success.
Jay Z married Beyoncé Knowles on April 4, 2008, in a private ceremony. They have three children: Blue Ivy Carter born January 7, 2012 and twins Sir Carter and Rumi Carter born June 13, 2017. He is the son-in-law of Mathew and Tina Knowles and brother-in-law of Solange. His close friends include Eminem, Rihanna, and Chris Martin.
Jay Z has 25 Grammy Awards and 14 No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200. He was the first rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2017 and the first living solo hip-hop artist in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021. His 2010 Tony-nominated production Fela! and the 2023 Book of HOV exhibit at the Brooklyn Public Library show his influence beyond music. He received the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award at the 2024 Grammys. The 30th anniversary of Reasonable Doubt in 2026 featured concerts at Yankee Stadium.
The complete filmography of Jay Z — every film, TV show, and documentary credit, ranked by popularity.
Every award, honor, and recognition received by Jay Z — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.
A wall of memorable lines from Jay Z — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.
I’m Not a Businessman, I’m a Business, Man.
Little-known facts about Jay Z — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.
He worked as a ghostwriter for Foxy Brown, Mase, Dr. Dre, and others.
He is good friends with Eminem and they have collaborated three times since 2003.
Every Jay Z solo album since Hard Knock Life/Volume 2 has gone at least double platinum.
The Black Album was intended to be his last album.
He had the second rapper signature sneaker, the S. Carter by Reebok, which became one of the biggest-selling sneakers of 2003.
He and his wife Beyoncé are close friends with Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin.
He discovered and signed Rihanna in 2005, mentoring her career.
He has three children with wife Beyoncé: daughter Blue Ivy Carter born 2012 and twins Rumi and Sir Carter born 2017.
He had six consecutive albums debut at #1 on the Billboard 200: Volume 2: Hard Knock Life, Volume 3: The Life and Times of S. Carter, The Dynasty: Roc La Familia, The Blueprint, The Blueprint 2: The Gift and the Curse, and The Black Album.
He is good friends with Ralph Fiennes, Lil Wayne, Mariah Carey, Will Smith, and Chris Rock.
He was a schoolmate and friend of The Notorious B.I.G., collaborating on songs like I Love the Dough and Brooklyn’s Finest.
He referenced a past girlfriend’s miscarriage in his song This Can’t Be Life from The Dynasty: Roc La Familia 2000.
He considers The Blueprint 2 his weakest album due to having too many songs.
He was portrayed by Jimmie JJ Walker in Cam’ron’s music video Wet Wipes 2006.
He is the son-in-law of Mathew Knowles and Tina Knowles.
He headlined the Glastonbury Festival in 2008, becoming the first major hip-hop artist to do so.
The Blueprint 2 has sold three million copies.
He has a sneaker deal with Reebok for his S. Carter line.
In 2006 he came out of retirement to record again, and in 2007 left Def Jam to found Roc Nation.
He credits Kool G Rap as one of his inspirations.
He calls Reasonable Doubt his favorite recording because it’s the first.
The Black Album was to be accompanied by his autobiography The Black Book, but it later became Decoded.
He was ranked #10 on VH1’s 50 Greatest Hip Hop Artists.
He and Beyoncé own homes in Miami, Florida, and London, England.
He co-founded the urban clothing line Rocawear with Damon Dash.
He was ranked #7 in the 2008 Forbes Celebrity 100 list.
He was born on the same day as the premiere of A Boy Named Charlie Brown 1969 at Radio City Music Hall.
In 2004 his fortune was reported at $286 million.
He is often called The God MC and Hova short for J-Hova, like Jehovah.
He opened the 40/40 Club, an upscale sports bar in New York City, in 2003.
He attended Usher’s 26th birthday party.
He signed his former rival Nas to Def Jam Recordings.
He is brother-in-law of Solange.
According to Forbes, he became the richest musical artist in the world with a net worth of $2.5 billion.
He received a Tony Award nomination for Best Musical as part of the production team of Fela! 2010.
He is an avid fine art collector.
He announced three concerts at Yankee Stadium in 2026 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Reasonable Doubt and the 25th anniversary of The Blueprint.
He has 14 No. 1 albums as a solo artist on the Billboard 200.
He received the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award at the Grammy Awards in 2024.
Through Roc Nation’s partnership with the NFL, he is central to selecting artists for the Super Bowl halftime show.
He has won seven Billboard Music Awards.
His company Roc Nation produced the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show featuring Bad Bunny.
He became the first rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
In 2025, he was ranked number 25 on Billboard’s Top Songwriters of the 21st Century.
He has won 25 Grammy Awards, the most of any rapper.
Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Jay Z.
Celebrities similar to Jay Z — same craft, ranked by reach.
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