Tag: Jay-Z

Jay-Z

Jay-Z was born on December 04, 1969. He is a Black rapper, songwriter, record executive, businessman, and record producer.

Born Shawn Corey Carter in Brooklyn, New York, he was raised in Marcy Houses in the Bedford–Stuyvesant neighborhood. After their father, Adnis Reeves, abandoned the family, Jay-Z and his three siblings were raised by their mother, Gloria Carter. Reeves died in 2003. Jay-Z attended Eli Whitney High School in Brooklyn until it was closed. He then attended nearby George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School with rappers The Notorious B.I.G. and Busta Rhymes, followed by semesters at Trenton Central High School in Trenton, New Jersey, though he did not graduate.

According to his lyrics, he sold crack cocaine and was shot three times during this period. According to his mother, Jay-Z woke up his siblings at night by banging drum patterns on the kitchen table. She bought him a boombox for his birthday, sparking his interest in music, and he began freestyling and writing lyrics. Known as “Jazzy” around the neighborhood, he later adopted the stage name “Jay-Z” in homage to his mentor Jaz-O. Jay-Z can be briefly heard on several of Jaz-O’s early recordings in the late 1980s and early 1990s, including “HP Gets Busy,” “The Originators,” and “Hawaiian Sophie.” Jay-Z became embroiled in several battles with rapper LL Cool J in the early 1990s.

He first became known to a wide audience on the posse cut “Show and Prove” on the 1994 Big Daddy Kane album Daddy’s Home. Jay-Z has been referred to as Big Daddy Kane’s hype man during this period. However, Kane explains that he didn’t fill the traditional hype man role and was instead making cameo appearances on stage. “When I would leave the stage to change outfits, I would bring out Jay-Z and Positive K and let them freestyle until I came back to the stage.” The young Jay-Z appeared on a popular song by Big L, “Da Graveyard,” and on Mic Geronimo’s “Time to Build”, which also featured early appearances by DMX and Ja Rule in 1995.

His first official rap single was called “In My Lifetime,” for which he released a music video in 1995. An unreleased music video was also produced for the B-side “I Can’t Get with That.” After founding the record label, Roc-A-Fella Records in 1995, he released his debut studio album, Reasonable Doubt, in 1996. The album was released to solidify his standing in the music industry. On April 4, 2008, he married Beyoncé Knowles.

He has gone on to release many additional albums, including the acclaimed albums The Blueprint (2001), The Black Album (2003), American Gangster (2007), and 4:44 (2017). Jay-Z has also released the full-length collaborative albums Watch the Throne (2011) with Kanye West, and Everything Is Love (2018) with his wife Beyoncé respectively. Outside of his musical career, Jay-Z has also attained significant success and media attention for his career as a businessman. In 1999, he founded the clothing retailer Rocawear, and in 2003, he founded the luxury sports bar chain 40/40 Club. Both businesses have grown to become multi-million-dollar corporations, allowing him to fund the start-up for the entertainment company Roc Nation, founded in 2008.

In 2015, he acquired the tech company Aspiro and took charge of Tidal’s media streaming service. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential hip-hop artists in history and is often cited as one of the greatest rappers of all time. Jay-Z has sold over 50 million albums and 75 million singles sold worldwide. He has won over 23 Grammy Awards, the most by a rapper, and holds the record for the most number-one albums by a solo artist on the Billboard 200, with 14. He has been ranked by Billboard and fellow music publication Rolling Stone as one of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. In 2017, he became the first rapper to be honored in the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and 2018. In June 2019, Jay-Z officially became the first hip-hop billionaire, making him among the top wealthiest Blacks in America and the 2nd wealthiest American musician. In December 2020, Jay-Z launched a line of cannabis products called “Monogram.”

Written by Dianne Washington

Jay-Z

Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969) known professionally as Jay-Z (stylized as JAY-Z), is an American rapper, entrepreneur, songwriter, and record producer. He is one of the most acclaimed rappers of all time.Born and raised in New York City, Jay-Z began his musical career in the mid 1990s, after which he released his debut studio album, Reasonable Doubt, in 1996, to widespread critical and commercial success. He released the album a year after founding the record label Roc-A-Fella Records. His subsequent albums have also seen great praise, with The Blueprint (2001) and The Black Album (2003) later being heralded as modern musical classics. He followed these with the collaborative album Watch the Throne (2011) with Kanye West, his critically lauded thirteenth studio album 4:44 (2017), and a collaborative effort titled Everything Is Love with wife Beyoncé in 2018.Jay-Z’s business activities and life outside of music has also received significant mainstream attention. He is the owner of 40/40 Club sports bar, and co-creator of the Rocawear clothing line. He has also acted as the president of Def Jam Recordings, and is the founder of the Roc Nation entertainment company, as well as creating its spin-off, Roc Nation Sports. As a member of Roc Nation Sports, Jay-Z is a licensed sports agent. His heavily publicized marriage to singer Beyoncé in 2008 has made him a global figure in popular culture. As a couple, they have an estimated combined net worth of $1.16 billion, with his individual net worth of $900 million making him the richest hip hop artist in the world.Jay-Z is one of the world’s best-selling music artists. He has received 21 Grammy Awards, tied with Kanye West for the most by a rapper.He also holds the record for the most number-one albums by a solo artist on the Billboard 200, and has recorded four number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100. The same publication ranked him as the biggest artist of the 2000s, while Rolling Stone named him one of the 100 greatest artists of all time. He is the first rapper to be honored at the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2017 and to receive the “Salute to Industry Icons Award” at the 60th Grammy Awards.Carter was born in the Brooklyn borough of New York City and was raised in Marcy Houses, a housing project in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. After their father, Adnis Reeves, abandoned the family, Shawn and his three siblings were raised by their mother, Gloria Carter. Reeves would later meet and reconcile with Jay-Z before dying in 2003. Jay-Z claims in his lyrics that in 1982 at age 12, he shot his older brother in the shoulder for stealing his jewelry. Along with future rapper AZ, Carter attended Eli Whitney High School in Brooklyn until it was closed down. He then attended the nearby George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School with future rappers The Notorious B.I.G. and Busta Rhymes, followed by a stint at Trenton Central High School in Trenton, New Jersey, though he did not graduate. According to his interviews and lyrics, during this period he sold crack cocaine and was shot at three times.According to his mother, Carter used to wake up his siblings at night banging out drum patterns on the kitchen table. She bought him a boom box for his birthday, sparking his interest in music. He began freestyling and writing lyrics. Known as “Jazzy” around the neighborhood, Carter later adopted the showbiz/stage name “Jay-Z” in homage to his mentor Jaz-O.Jay-Z can be briefly heard on several of Jaz-O’s early recordings in the late 1980s and early 1990s, including “The Originators” and “Hawaiian Sophie.” Jay-Z became embroiled in several battles with rapper LL Cool J in the early 1990s. He first became known to a wide audience on the posse cut “Show and Prove” on the 1994 Big Daddy Kane album Daddy’s Home. Jay-Z has been referred to as Big Daddy Kane’s hype man during this period, although Kane explains that he didn’t fill the traditional hype man role, and was instead “basically ma[king] cameo appearances on stage. When I would leave the stage to go change outfits, I would bring out Jay-Z and Positive K and let them freestyle until I came back to the stage.” The young Jay-Z appeared on a popular song by Big L, “Da Graveyard”, and on Mic Geronimo’s “Time to Build”, which also featured early appearances by DMX and Ja Rule in 1995. His first official rap single was called “In My Lifetime”, for which he released a music video. An unreleased music video was also produced for the B-side “I Can’t Get with That.”

Written by Dianne Washington

Jay-Z

Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969) known professionally as Jay-Z (stylized as JAY-Z), is an American rapper, entrepreneur, songwriter, and record producer. He is one of the most acclaimed rappers of all time.Born and raised in New York City, Jay-Z began his musical career in the mid 1990s, after which he released his debut studio album, Reasonable Doubt, in 1996, to widespread critical and commercial success. He released the album a year after founding the record label Roc-A-Fella Records. His subsequent albums have also seen great praise, with The Blueprint (2001) and The Black Album (2003) later being heralded as modern musical classics. He followed these with the collaborative album Watch the Throne (2011) with Kanye West, his critically lauded thirteenth studio album 4:44 (2017), and a collaborative effort titled Everything Is Love with wife Beyoncé in 2018.Jay-Z’s business activities and life outside of music has also received significant mainstream attention. He is the owner of 40/40 Club sports bar, and co-creator of the Rocawear clothing line. He has also acted as the president of Def Jam Recordings, and is the founder of the Roc Nation entertainment company, as well as creating its spin-off, Roc Nation Sports. As a member of Roc Nation Sports, Jay-Z is a licensed sports agent. His heavily publicized marriage to singer Beyoncé in 2008 has made him a global figure in popular culture. As a couple, they have an estimated combined net worth of $1.16 billion, with his individual net worth of $900 million making him the richest hip hop artist in the world.Jay-Z is one of the world’s best-selling music artists. He has received 21 Grammy Awards, tied with Kanye West for the most by a rapper.He also holds the record for the most number-one albums by a solo artist on the Billboard 200, and has recorded four number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100. The same publication ranked him as the biggest artist of the 2000s, while Rolling Stone named him one of the 100 greatest artists of all time. He is the first rapper to be honored at the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2017 and to receive the “Salute to Industry Icons Award” at the 60th Grammy Awards.Carter was born in the Brooklyn borough of New York City and was raised in Marcy Houses, a housing project in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. After their father, Adnis Reeves, abandoned the family, Shawn and his three siblings were raised by their mother, Gloria Carter. Reeves would later meet and reconcile with Jay-Z before dying in 2003. Jay-Z claims in his lyrics that in 1982 at age 12, he shot his older brother in the shoulder for stealing his jewelry. Along with future rapper AZ, Carter attended Eli Whitney High School in Brooklyn until it was closed down. He then attended the nearby George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School with future rappers The Notorious B.I.G. and Busta Rhymes, followed by a stint at Trenton Central High School in Trenton, New Jersey, though he did not graduate. According to his interviews and lyrics, during this period he sold crack cocaine and was shot at three times.According to his mother, Carter used to wake up his siblings at night banging out drum patterns on the kitchen table. She bought him a boom box for his birthday, sparking his interest in music. He began freestyling and writing lyrics. Known as “Jazzy” around the neighborhood, Carter later adopted the showbiz/stage name “Jay-Z” in homage to his mentor Jaz-O.Jay-Z can be briefly heard on several of Jaz-O’s early recordings in the late 1980s and early 1990s, including “The Originators” and “Hawaiian Sophie.” Jay-Z became embroiled in several battles with rapper LL Cool J in the early 1990s. He first became known to a wide audience on the posse cut “Show and Prove” on the 1994 Big Daddy Kane album Daddy’s Home. Jay-Z has been referred to as Big Daddy Kane’s hype man during this period, although Kane explains that he didn’t fill the traditional hype man role, and was instead “basically ma[king] cameo appearances on stage. When I would leave the stage to go change outfits, I would bring out Jay-Z and Positive K and let them freestyle until I came back to the stage.” The young Jay-Z appeared on a popular song by Big L, “Da Graveyard”, and on Mic Geronimo’s “Time to Build”, which also featured early appearances by DMX and Ja Rule in 1995. His first official rap single was called “In My Lifetime”, for which he released a music video. An unreleased music video was also produced for the B-side “I Can’t Get with That.”

Written by Dianne Washington

Jay-Z

Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969) known professionally as Jay-Z (stylized as JAY-Z), is an American rapper, entrepreneur, songwriter, and record producer. He is one of the most acclaimed rappers of all time.

Born and raised in New York City, Jay-Z began his musical career in the mid 1990s, after which he released his debut studio album, Reasonable Doubt, in 1996, to widespread critical and commercial success. He released the album a year after founding the record label Roc-A-Fella Records. His subsequent albums have also seen great praise, with The Blueprint (2001) and The Black Album (2003) later being heralded as modern musical classics. He followed these with the collaborative album Watch the Throne (2011) with Kanye West, his critically lauded thirteenth studio album 4:44 (2017), and a collaborative effort titled Everything Is Love with wife Beyoncé in 2018.

Jay-Z’s business activities and life outside of music has also received significant mainstream attention. He is the owner of 40/40 Club sports bar, and co-creator of the Rocawear clothing line. He has also acted as the president of Def Jam Recordings, and is the founder of the Roc Nation entertainment company, as well as creating its spin-off, Roc Nation Sports. As a member of Roc Nation Sports, Jay-Z is a licensed sports agent. His heavily publicized marriage to singer Beyoncé in 2008 has made him a global figure in popular culture. As a couple, they have an estimated combined net worth of $1.16 billion, with his individual net worth of $900 million making him the richest hip hop artist in the world.

Jay-Z is one of the world’s best-selling music artists. He has received 21 Grammy Awards, tied with Kanye West for the most by a rapper.He also holds the record for the most number-one albums by a solo artist on the Billboard 200, and has recorded four number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100. The same publication ranked him as the biggest artist of the 2000s, while Rolling Stone named him one of the 100 greatest artists of all time. He is the first rapper to be honored at the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2017 and to receive the “Salute to Industry Icons Award” at the 60th Grammy Awards.

Carter was born in the Brooklyn borough of New York City and was raised in Marcy Houses, a housing project in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. After their father, Adnis Reeves, abandoned the family, Shawn and his three siblings were raised by their mother, Gloria Carter. Reeves would later meet and reconcile with Jay-Z before dying in 2003. Jay-Z claims in his lyrics that in 1982 at age 12, he shot his older brother in the shoulder for stealing his jewelry. Along with future rapper AZ, Carter attended Eli Whitney High School in Brooklyn until it was closed down. He then attended the nearby George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School with future rappers The Notorious B.I.G. and Busta Rhymes, followed by a stint at Trenton Central High School in Trenton, New Jersey, though he did not graduate. According to his interviews and lyrics, during this period he sold crack cocaine and was shot at three times.

According to his mother, Carter used to wake up his siblings at night banging out drum patterns on the kitchen table. She bought him a boom box for his birthday, sparking his interest in music. He began freestyling and writing lyrics. Known as “Jazzy” around the neighborhood, Carter later adopted the showbiz/stage name “Jay-Z” in homage to his mentor Jaz-O.

Jay-Z can be briefly heard on several of Jaz-O’s early recordings in the late 1980s and early 1990s, including “The Originators” and “Hawaiian Sophie.” Jay-Z became embroiled in several battles with rapper LL Cool J in the early 1990s. He first became known to a wide audience on the posse cut “Show and Prove” on the 1994 Big Daddy Kane album Daddy’s Home. Jay-Z has been referred to as Big Daddy Kane’s hype man during this period, although Kane explains that he didn’t fill the traditional hype man role, and was instead “basically ma[king] cameo appearances on stage. When I would leave the stage to go change outfits, I would bring out Jay-Z and Positive K and let them freestyle until I came back to the stage.” The young Jay-Z appeared on a popular song by Big L, “Da Graveyard”, and on Mic Geronimo’s “Time to Build”, which also featured early appearances by DMX and Ja Rule in 1995. His first official rap single was called “In My Lifetime”, for which he released a music video. An unreleased music video was also produced for the B-side “I Can’t Get with That.”

Written by Dianne Washington

Hip Hop and…… Me

I fell in Love with Hip Hop in 1985. I was only six years old. My mother took me and my brother to see the movie Krush Groove. The person who has inspired me the most in Hip Hop is Mr. Shawn Corey Carter better known as Jay Z. Jay Z makes music that I as well as others that live in urban communities can relate to. I hear verses and be like oh hell yeah. He’s talking to or about me. Jay Z raps about the struggle, about loyalty, family, hurt, pain and fears and those are things that all human beings can identify with. Hov raps about hustling but kept it real about the negative aspect of the game. He didn’t glorify it. He admitted that he did it. He also made it clear to the world that this was something that he felt he had to do. He proved to society how poverty is directly correlated with crime. He also proved given the right opportunity that anyone can change. Jay Z encourages through his music. He advises his listeners to educate themselves and stay informed. Jay Z really is dope. He brought Michael Jackson out in Summer Jam. He had Oprah Winfrey come to Marcy Projects in Brooklyn, New York. He also has a close personal relationship with former president Barak Obama. He is a musical genius. He fused Hip Hop and Broadway with his hit Hard Knock Life. Today Hip Hop is changing. These mumble rappers are popping mollys, perks and Xanz. They’re drinking lean and partying like rock stars. Everybody is wearing designer clothes, chasing bags, hustling and bagging hotties and thotties. It’s sad because I think about how young and impressionable I was at six years old and fell in love with Hip Hop. I pray for Hip Hop every single day. I ask God to send some really dope artist that will bring substance back to Hip Hop. Bring back artist that are active in the communities. Give us artist that will give back by helping others. Let there be more teachers, leaders, advocates, and activist in Hip Hop.  Let all of Hip Hop unite and become a mighty driving force in the world. People tend to forget that Hip Hop is the biggest and strongest culture in the world. It us the only culture the units every race, color and religion. I thank my mom for introducing me to hip hop. I love hip hop and I always will.

Written by Regina Alston

 

The Life & Times of Shawn Carter

“Shawn Carter was born December 4th….. weighing in at 10lbs. 8 ounces.” Those were the first words that was said on the track “December 4th” but the first time Shawn Carter aka Jay-Z was seen was back in the late 80’s, early 90’s when he and another dope MC named Jaz-O was spitting dope freestyles together. They even did a joints together called “Hawaiian Sophie” and “The Originators.” I do remember seeing the “Hawaiian Sophie” music video for the first time too. It was definitely around 2008 and they played it on VH1 Soul before it was BET Soul. That’s my favorite music channel on T.V. right now but I stopped watching T.V. Anyways, by 1995, Jay released his first joint called “In My Lifetime.” The song wasn’t released on an album or soundtrack but the remix does appear on the 1998 “Streets Is Watching” soundtrack and then there was “I Can Get With That.” That joint was so dope to me. It had this heavy bass beat with a piano sound in the background on the beat that reminds me of the Charlie Brown cartoon. Jay was flowin’ like crazy on that joint. Only true hip hop and Jay-Z fans know about that one. On June 25th, 1996, Jay finally came with “Reasonable Doubt.” A lot of people say it’s his best work til this day. Jay got a crazy huge discography so it’s gonna take a while to go through them all but I got to. I was only 2 when “Reasonable Doubt” dropped but I do remember hearing “Can’t Knock the Hustle” with my boo Mary J. Blige and “Dead Presidents.” That album gives you this movie in your head about the drugs and street life. Can’t forget about “Ain’t No Nigga” with my boo Foxy Brown and “Feelin’ It” but “Regrets” is my favorite on the album. Now the next joint “In My Lifetime, Vol. 1” is my personal favorite Jay-Z album. This was considered the “commercial” Jay. A lot of people hated Jay for going so mainstream so quickly and thought the songs were cheesy but to me, the entire joint from beginning to end is a fuckin’ masterpiece. A couple of songs I could do without but it’s incredible to me. The production especially. The album starts the same way “Reasonable Doubt” does. I love how he used the sample of “A Fly Girl” by Boogie Boys on the joint “I Know What Girls Like” and “(Always Be My) Sunshine” is my favorite on the album along with “Who You Wit II.” That album takes me back to that little boy growing up in the late 90’s early 2000’s. Then Jay takes it back to the streets with “Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life.” Another dope Jay album in a row. That’s 3 albums in 3 years consecutively. The ghetto anthem itself “Hard Knock Life” is a top 5 Jay-Z record, hands down. “Money, Cash, Hoes” is my favorite on the album too. DMX’s part always gets me hyped and it reminds me of my cousin from the South. LOL! “Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter” I didn’t really like this joint. It was boring to me compared to the first three and the singles are the only songs I like. “The Dynasty: Roc La Familia” was okay too. Nothing too crazy. The whole Roc-a-Fella family appeared on this one. “I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)” is a top 10 Jay-Z joint to me. Then Jay comes with “The Blueprint.” This album is a top 5 Jay-Z album. His strongest since “Reasonable Doubt.” I personally didn’t consider this album to be that great until later on. “Girls, Girls, Girls” and “Song Cry” are my favorites. “The Best of Both Worlds” with R. Kelly is underrated to me. That was banged from beginning to end. That’s a party album, all the way through. It’s very early 2000’s. R. Kelly’s R&B sex talk and Jay’s good vibes worked together great but no singles were released due to R’s charges at the time. “The Blueprint 2” is hands down my least favorite Jay-Z album. To me it didn’t stand out to me and the singles are the only joints that I like. “Bitches & Sisters” and “All Around the World” are the only joints like besides the singles though. “The Black Album” is my second favorite Jay-Z album. This was supposed to be his last album. I remember him saying that he was retiring after this one but New York without new Jay-Z music then was unheard of. Highly unlikely. “Unfinished Business” was supposed to be the sequel to “The Best of Both Worlds” but it’s another flop to me. “Kingdom Come” is my third favorite Jay album. Another Jay album that a lot of people considered to be his worst but I like this one just as much as “In My Lifetime, Vol. 1.” For some reason, the underrated stuff is the stuff I always seem to like the most. “Beach Chair”, “Do U Wanna Ride” and “The Prelude” are my favorites. “American Gangster” to me is like a sequel to “Reasonable Doubt” just on another level. When I was in high school, “Hello Brooklyn” was on repeat on my MP3 player. I was obsessed with that joint. The beat was something crazy I never heard before. “The Blueprint 3” is the beginning of what I call the “office chair Jay-Z.” His success as a business man stood out more than the music at this point. I didn’t see Jay as that Brooklyn MC anymore, now he’s the one appearing in suits and ties every damn where. I’m not hating or anything, it’s just not the same but this album was dope to me. I do remember these songs coming out at the time it did. My early high school days in the late 2000’s. “Watch the Throne”, I remember people going crazy about it because of Kanye West’s involvement. This album has mainstream written all over it though but it’s another banger and “Magna Carta Holy Grail” was dope too. I enjoyed how different it is compared to the rest of Jay’s stuff. Jay-Z came a long way from those Jaz-O days back in Brooklyn, those “Reasonable Doubt” days but through it all he always put out dope music. I grew up on Jay-Z so that’s why he’s my top 5 favorite along with Biggie. He’s the ultimate hustler who just so happens to know how to rap. The ultimate New York MC.