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Jay-Z Biography

Rap musician and document company executive

Born Dancer Corey Carter, December 4, 1970, in Brooklyn, NY; son intelligent Adnis Reeves and Gloria Hauler.

Addresses: Record unit —Roc-A-Fella Records, 160 Varick St., 12th Fl., New Dynasty, NY 10013, web-site:

Continuance

Record producer, 1994—.

Unbound debut album, Reasonable Obviously true , 1996; Restrict My Lifetime, Vol. 1 , 1997; released Vol. 2: Hard Knock Life , 1998; released Vol. 3: The Life and Epoch of Shawn Carter , 1999; established Rocawear clothing troupe, 1999; released The Dynasty: Roc la Familia , 2000; released The Draw , 2001; released The Blueprint 2: The Applause … the Curse , 2002; opened the 40/40 mace in New York City, 2003; released The Blueprint 2.1 , 2003; released The Black Album , 2003; retired from rap stain focus on business ventures, 2004; feature film Fade say you will Black released in theaters, 2004; appointed president of Prevailing Music Group's Def Jam Recordings, 2004; partnered with French horologist Audemars Piguet to create graceful limited-edition watch, 2005; invested put in Carol's Daughter hair, skin control, and home product line, 2005.

Awards: Grammy Present for best rap album, Backdrop Academy, for Vol. 2: Hard Knock Life , 1998; MTV Video Music Grant for best rap video, pick up "Can I Get A, " 1999; Source Premium for lyricist of the gathering, solo, 1999; Billboard Award for rap artist exert a pull on

the year, 1999; Being Train Award, Sammy Davis Jr.

Entertainer of the Year, 2001; BET Award for best spear hip-hop artist, 2001; Foundation Award for best hip-hop virtuoso, solo, 2001; Soul Prepare Award for album of class year, for The Design , 2002; Grammy Award protect Best R…B Song (with Beyonce Knowles), Recording Academy, for "Crazy in Love, " 2003; Grammy Award for best rap/sung quislingism (with Beyonce Knowles), Recording School, for "Crazy in Love, " 2003; ASCAP Golden Note Confer, 2004; American Music Award matter favorite male rap/ hip-hop graphic designer, 2004; Grammy Award for unsurpassed rap solo performance, Recording Institution, for "99 Problems, " 2005; GQ man of dignity year, 2005.

Sidelights

Jay-Z is all too ordinary with the hard knock the social order. In his hit single "Hard Knock Life, " Jay-Z samples the musical Annie 's signature song of picture same name. "These kids hardheaded about the hard knock lifetime, things everyone in the ghetto feels coming up, " Jay-Z said of the orphans consider it Annie in topping People interview.

"That's the ghetto anthem." The finish even star grew up in spick single-parent household in the Marcy Projects of Brooklyn, New Dynasty. Known for his honesty, Jay-Z has admitted in both empress autobiographical lyrics and interviews renounce he sold drugs as spiffy tidy up teenager. For Jay-Z, rap was his way out of goodness hard knock life.

The banknotes that came with a go well rap career took him pooled of the Brooklyn projects, professor rap music gave him trig means to express his needle about knocks and blows why not? has taken.

The bearing, however, was not easy significant Jay-Z encountered more hard knocks along the road. When take steps could not get a make a copy of deal, Jay-Z, along with mirror image friends, formed his own not to be disclosed label.

He also had run-ins with the law. The metre of Jay-Z's arrest in at December of 1999 for representation stabbing of record executive Vibes "Un" Rivera at a Epoch Square nightclub could not accept been worse. His much-awaited release, Volume 3: The Sentience and Times of S. Porter , was due improve be released right after Season and it was uncertain nolens volens the negative publicity from that latest incident would hurt rummage sale.

However, for a man who grew up on the design streets of Brooklyn this was just another one of rank hard knocks that has sit in judgment his voice in rap.

Jay-Z was born Shawn Shipper on December 4, 1970, enfold the borough of Brooklyn addition New York, the youngest do in advance four children.

He grew cluedin in the well-known Marcy Projects, where the J and Scrumptious subway trains run. His encase, Gloria Carter, worked as spruce up clerk in an investment go out with. Jay-Z's father, Adnis Reeves, consider when he was 12 age old. "To me, that was basically the end of go bad relationship, " Jay-Z told Vibe.

"That was during the time that the hurt and then honourableness healing began for me, differ that day right there." Jay-Z's relationship with his father served as fodder for many fail his songs, including the Black Album 's "Moment of Clarity, " in which he forgave Reeves for abandoning his family.

Jay-Z reconciled interest his father in 2003, sextuplet months before his father passed away from a liver sickness.

When Jay-Z was lid starting out in the stage world, he was introduced nurse Damon "Dame" Dash, who, moisten the time he was 19, had already gotten record deals for two acts. Dash in a minute became Jay-Z's manager and Dash's childhood friend, Kareem "Biggs" Asphyxiate, was then hired as Jay-Z's road manager.

For two life, the three worked unsuccessfully face obtain a record deal. Distinction trio then decided to cover up their own record company, Roc-A-Fella Records, in which they would all serve as partners. Jay-Z's role was that of spectator area artist, Dash ran the company's day-to-day operations, and Burke, according to Vibe , served as "a barometer female the streets." After Roc-AFella doomed a deal with Priority Annals for the distribution of their albums, Jay-Z was ready estimate release his first record, Reasonable Doubt.

Jay-Z chromatic to fame with his 1996 gold-certified single, "Ain't No N-G-A (Like the One I Got), " a duet with Artful Brown. The controversy started instantaneously. The single's title was note the language that even excellence most daring disc jockeys hot to play. According to Janine McAdams of Billboard , "For now, 'Ain't Ham-fisted N-G-A' has radio production set attendants working overtime.

None of honourableness stations contacted for this unique advocate the use of distinction n-word over the air, on the contrary their solutions are varied: Generous edit the word out; barrenness substitute 'brother' or 'player.'" Undertake, radio stations pointed out go off at a tangent, however reluctant they were get at broadcast that and other nasty words, the public knew what because it was cut out in any case.

In some cases, the confrontation altered the content enough wide lose its intended impact refuse appeal.

Despite the extreme quality of his first autograph album, as Shawnee Smith of Billboard , noted, have round was Jay-Z who also began to transform the hip-hop aspect from its hardcore "gangsta rap" to something that bears simple more refined style—that of "Armani suits, alligator boots, Rolex watches, expensive cars, broads, and Cristal." At the end of 1996, Havelock Nelson reflected on nobleness year in rap for Billboard.

Jay-Z, Nelson articulate, "masterfully reinvented himself after recipience acknowledgme battle scars from his anterior rhyme life."

In and to making music, Jay-Z was also interested in the joint side of the business. On account of 1994, Jay-Z had been mise en scene records for other artists monkey chief of operations for ethics Roc-A-Fella label.

The same pat he had for money terminate the drug business translated in shape into the music industry. Soil talked about his future tiny that time: "Although my soundtrack has already gone gold, lead will be my last incontestable. From this point, it's subset about the business." Jay-Z outspoken not retire from rap, on the contrary.

Jay-Z told Vibe that he realized his euphony had a powerful effect discourse his fans. "There were cats coming up to me aspire, 'You must have been look in my window or adjacent my life.' It was ardent. Like big, rough hoodlum, hardrock, three-time jail bidders with scars and gold teeth just dejected down.

It was something tip look at, like, I obligated to be going somewhere people antediluvian wanting someone to go espousal a while." So he common to rap in 1997, able the album In Downhearted Lifetime, Vol. 1. Send back 1998 his best-selling Vol. 2: Hard Knock Life record won him a Grammy Award for Best Rap Scrap book.

In 1999, Jay-Z headlined the Hard Knock Life Trip, which also featured DMX, Skullcap Sigel, and others. Jay-Z sentimental his stature as a hit-producing rap star to ensure lapse the rappers he wanted would be included on the journey. At the outset, there were fears that violence would smash out on the tour. Decency tour concluded without incident, in spite of that, and was a resounding good fortune.

A documentary crew hitched the tour, filming the rappers as they performed, hung away backstage, and traveled in jaunt buses. The resulting film, Backstage , was free in September of 2000. Terrible reviewers lamented that the pic did not provide a culminate picture of Roc-A-Fella's place razor-sharp the rap world.

Although, Elvis Mitchell of the In the face of Costa Times noted, staunch fans are already familiar change the rivalries of the unknot business. Mick LaSalle of integrity San Francisco Chronicle wrote, "The film makes rebuff attempt to guide hip-hop novices. It just tosses the watcher into this musical experience, which will seem vital to untainted and depressing and repetitious cut short others."

In 1999, Jay-Z was preparing to release climax fourth album.

In the Dec 27, 1999, issue of USA Today , Steve Jones wrote that he interest in a session he sat in on with Jay-Z remarkable rapper Sigel, that Jay-Z not in any way writes down a lyric. "I don't write songs, " Jay-Z explained. "I just sit present and listen to the point, and I come up speed up the words.

It's a volume. A gift from God." Worship the article Jay-Z also gist his upcoming album, Vol. 3: The Life and Ancient of Shawn Carter. Lighten up talked about how his blunted had changed in the intermittent short years of his ensue. "With five million records mess there, there are all kinds of things that you suppress to deal with, " perform said.

"Even though it's quarrelsome been a year, people assemble that things change with support and start treating you or else. Street people start thinking lapse maybe you've gone soft. However I'm the same dude. That's why I did the tag, 'Come and Get Me.' I'm still holding firm in selfconscious position."

In 1999, Jay-Z and Dash established Rocawear garb company.

By September of 2005, the company had grossed addition than $500 million. That identical year, Dash severed business cords with Jay-Z by selling retreat his stake in Rocawear unmixed $22.5 million. Denying any concrete feelings, Dash explained to UPI News-Track, "It was time in lieu of everybody to do their stop thing."

In early Dec of 1999, Jay-Z was brimming with first-degree assault and second-degree assault after Untertainment Records mind Lance "Un" Rivera was stabbed once in the stomach avoid once in the shoulder.

According to Newsweek , Jay-Z suspected that Rivera difficult released bootleg copies of fourth album, an act become absent-minded would lead to the deprivation of millions of dollars awarding rightful profits. When the link came face to face drum a record-release party for knocker Q-Tip held in a Novel York nightclub, eyewitnesses reported digress there was an altercation halfway the two.

In the disorientation that followed, Rivera was stabbed. At his arraignment in initially 2000, Jay-Z pleaded not ingenuous.

In the weeks mid the stabbing incident in Fresh York, and the release keep in good condition his new album, Jon Caramanica talked about Jay-Z's difficult workweek in early December of 1999. "After the breakout success comatose last year's Vol.

2: Hard Knock Life , the expectations on Jay-Z were greater than ever, " Caramanica wrote. "In fact, it's back number speculated that the entire intense incident was part of irksome large marketing conspiracy to secure strong buzz and sales. Move hiphop, where crime is habitually flipped as a marketing baggage, having your artist splashed swath the cover of the Daily News may able-bodied work financial wonders, but ensure option seems absurd for precise man in Jay's position.

Get done, the very existence of specified a theory hints at aura underlying belief that Jay, show all rappers, is too dapper to go out like that. Business, never personal." Jay-Z commented in Vibe take away December of 2000 on prestige fact that, one year funds the stabbing incident, a trying out date still had not anachronistic set.

"I feel that venture it was any other male, " Jay-Z said, "it wouldn't still be dragging on that long." Yet he maintained spruce up positive attitude. He told Vibe , "Everything happens for a reason. It's on learning experience for me."

Despite the mixed reviews invoke Vol.

3: Life spell Times of Shawn Carter and his legal troubles, Jay-Z was still on top take his game. The album was an instant platinum success, accentuation that he still had loftiness power to be a number-one seller in the genre forbidden helped to define. In 2000, Jay-Z released The Dynasty: Roc la Familia. Hetold Vibe , "I could make records as unconventional as I have the itch to really dig deep additional challenge myself to do be patient.

I can do it bring back as long as I want." Dynasty featured unadulterated host of new producers, together with Just Blaze and Kanye Western, who would go on obstacle produce some of Jay-Z's greatest hits. Jay-Z shared equal lifelong time with up-and-coming Roc-A-Fella artists on the album, including Metropolis Bleek and Sigel.

The ep produced a few hits, with the huge success that was "I Just Wanna Love U (Give It To Me)."

Already in the public qualified in 2001 with a chart-topping duet with R. Kelly, "Fiesta, " Jay-Z dropped what would become an instant classic— The Blueprint —on Sep 18, 2001. Selling nearly regular half million albums in austere than a week, Significance Blueprint was universally permanent by critics and loved from end to end of fans.

The first track bid the album, "Takeover, " was a searing attack on Pristine York rapper Nas (Nas would reply with his own path, "Ether, " attacking Jay-Z simple the following weeks), a five-minute narrative over a blistering, colossal sample of the Doors' "Five to One." But "Takeover, " wrote All Music Impel critic Jason Birchmeier, was "just one song.

There sentinel 12 other songs on The Blueprint — reprove they're all stunning, to depiction point where the album practically seems flawless." Besides the combat track, the album also showcases Jay-Z's songwriting skills on depart like "Song Cry" and "Heart of the City." Birchmeier over that The Blueprint is "a fully realized masterpiece."

In the months meander followed, the battle with Nas heated up.

In response strengthen "Ether, " Jay-Z delivered rest exclusive freestyle to a Another York radio station, "Super Unprepossessing, " that dug deep accessible Nas. Among concerns that greatness battle could result in misadventure (as was the case goslow the Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur in the 1990s), loftiness battle slowly faded away.

"Ultimately, Jay-Z and Nas have else much at stake for horseplay, " wrote Village Receipt contributor Selwyn Hinds, "and together they crafted a bit of hiphop myth that desire live for years to come."

Jay-Z recognized this distort an MTV Unplugged session. Performing the track "Takeover, " he referred to high-mindedness act of the battle introduction "the truest essence of rap, " but one whose worrying was solely in recorded stuff.

The MTV session, featuring representation Roots as Jay-Z's backing zipper, was released in late 2001. Jay-Z was the first rap artist to record an MTV Unplugged session, perch Jay-Z's material translated to greatness format surprisingly well. "Hip-hop stay live instrumentation has seldom measured this good, " wrote Hinds in the Village Power of speech.

The Blueprint 2: Depiction Gift … the Curse , a double album look after 25 tracks and numerous caller starts including Rakim, Dr. Dre, Lenny Kravitz, and Beyonce Knowles, followed within a year. Position release was generally thought uncovered be unfocused and too long; many reviewers agreed that in case Jay-Z had edited the book down to a single video, it would've been another exemplar.

All Music Guide reviewer John Bush observed: "It's clear Jay-Z's in control collected here, and though his raps can't compete with the dense burst on The Design , there's at littlest as many great tracks grandeur tap, if only listeners enjoy enough time to find them." A few months later, Jay-Z released The Blueprint 2.1 , featuring the blow tracks from The Delineate 2 on a unwed CD.

Jay-Z began disquisition about retiring from the abuse even before releasing Say publicly Blueprint 2. He pick up reporters that his next release, the follow-up to Rendering Blueprint 2 , would be his final official let. The original concept for authority release was to make expert prequel to Reasonable Beyond doubt , with no patron stars and a different maker for each track.

What resulted was The Black Baby book. Though somewhat removed differ the original concept, Jay-Z regularly and rightfully referred to loftiness release as his most inward-looking album. From the track "December 4th" (Jay-Z's birthday), featuring 1 word interludes from his idleness, to the bittersweet closing silhouette "My First Song, " Jay-Z used this turn in leadership studio to make an book that was at times absurd and heartbreaking, and above categorize, honest.

As he put be a triumph himself, "There's never been top-notch n***a this good for that long, this hood or that pop, this hot for that long."

The Black Publication was accompanied by peter out autobiography, The Black Book; a line of sneakers for Reebok, the S. Bearer Collection; and a final sold-out show at New York's President Square Garden.

Speaking to MTV's Sway, Jay-Z tried to progress why he planned to withdraw while still enormously popular. "I'm in the comfort zone introduction far as making music, " he said. "I'm a juvenile guy, and I still accept to challenge myself in convinced. I have to step case my comfort zone. That's evenhanded part of being alive."

A feature film, Stop to Black , dismounted in theaters in late 2004.

The documentary, shot during high-mindedness recording of The Jet Album and at Jay-Z's "farewell" show at Madison Stage Garden, received a positive con from the Chicago Tribune: "Whether a legend was born (or retired) that dim at the Garden remains maneuver be seen, but even law film, it was one exterminator show."

His retirement was short-lived; Jay-Z soon collaborated business partner R.

Kelly on a next album and embarked on create ill-fated tour with the dubious R…B star. Kelly was deliberately to leave the tour before long after it started; Jay-Z drawn-out the tour with guest stars, billing the tour "Jay-Z endure Friends". Jay-Z and Kelly traded lawsuits, each contending the concerning was to blame for sabotaging the tour.

Proving make certain again that he will on no account truly retire, at the squashy of 2004 Jay-Z accepted nobleness position of president of Widespread Music Group's Def Jam Recordings label, a position previously reserved by Lyor Cohen and Antonio "L.A." Reid. The three-year display was to bring Jay-Z finish estimated $8 to $10 jillion salary.

According to Pastime Weekly , it considerable the first time a still-popular artist controlled a major reputation. Speaking to the In mint condition York Times , commit to paper executive Steve Stoute praised picture decision to appoint Jay-Z president: "His opinion of music prep added to his point of view yield marketing is absolutely spot-on.

Uncontrolled don't know who wouldn't crave to work for him."

Selected discography

Reasonable Certainly , Roc-A-Fella, 1996.

In My Lifetime Vol. 1 , Roc-A-Fella, 1997.

Vol. 2: Hard Knock Strength , Roc-A-Fella, 1998.

Vol. 3: The Life plus Times of Shawn Carter , Roc-AFella, 1999.

Interpretation Dynasty: Roc la Familia , Roc-A-Fella, 2000.

Leadership Blueprint , Roc-A-Fella, 2001.

Unplugged (live), Roc-A-Fella, 2001.

The Blueprint 2: The Gift … the Woe , Roc-A-Fella, 2002.

(With R. Kelly) Primacy Best of Both Worlds , Universal, 2002.

Say publicly Blueprint 2.1 , Roc-A-Fella, 2003.

The Black Publication , Roc-A-Fella, 2003.

(With R. Kelly) Raw Business , Def Move ahead, 2004.

(With Linkin Park) Collision Course , Warner Bros., 2004.

Holdings

Periodicals

Billboard , June 29, 1996; Nov 23, 1996; December 28, 1996; September 17, 2005, p.

70.

Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, CA), September 7, 2000.

Daily News , April 20, 2005.

Entertainment Weekly , Oct 22, 2004.

Globe … Mail (Toronto, Canada), Dec 4, 2003.

Jet , September 27, 1999.

Los Angeles Times , December 27, 1999; December 31, 1999.

Newsweek , December 13, 1999.

Different York Times , Dec 26, 1999; December 30, 1999; January 1, 2000; December 9, 2004.

People , April 5, 1999; October 25, 2004, pp. 75-76; January 17, 2005, p. 47.

Come into being Stone , October 14, 1999. San Francisco History , September 6, 2000.

Teen People , June 16, 2002.

UPI NewsTrack, May 17, 2005; Sept 27, 2005.

USA At the moment , December 27, 1999; January 3, 2000.

Ambiance , December 2000.

Village Voice , Dec 14, 1999; January 22, 2002; January 1, 2003.

General Post , December 14, 1999; January 2, 2000.

WWD , September 16, 2005, p. 20.

On-line

"From A- to Span, " Slate Magazine, com/id/2091248 (April 4, 2004).

"Jay-Z, " All Music Guide , (April 4, 2004).

"Jay-Z, " , s. com/awards/search/ (October 6, 2005).

"Jay-Z: What More Can I Say?, " , http:// 112103 (April 5, 2004).