Jay-Z is the professional name of Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), an American rapper, songwriter, record executive, entrepreneur, and cultural figure from Brooklyn, New York. Raised in the Marcy Projects in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Carter developed a reputation as a skilled lyricist during New York's late-1980s and early-1990s hip-hop scene. He initially built his career through independent recordings and appearances with artists including Jaz-O, before co-founding Roc-A-Fella Records with Damon Dash and Kareem "Biggs" Burke.
Jay-Z's debut album, Reasonable Doubt (1996), established the central qualities of his style: conversational delivery, intricate wordplay, street narratives, and an ability to connect personal ambition with broader social realities. Although the album was not an immediate commercial blockbuster, it became highly regarded for its detailed writing and polished production. Its songs, including "Dead Presidents II," "Ain't No Nigga," and "Can I Live," helped define Jay-Z as a major new voice in East Coast rap.
His breakthrough arrived with Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life (1998). Led by the hit "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)," the album turned Jay-Z into a mainstream star and earned him his first Grammy Award for Best Rap Album. He followed it with a run of commercially successful and critically influential releases, including Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter (1999), The Dynasty: Roc La Familia (2000), and The Blueprint (2001). The latter, recorded during a highly publicized feud with Nas, is often regarded as one of his defining works. Its soul-based production and tracks such as "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" and "Takeover" demonstrated his control of both popular songwriting and competitive rap.
Jay-Z's career has repeatedly balanced artistic reinvention with business expansion. The Black Album (2003) was presented as a farewell project, but he returned to recording with Kingdom Come (2006). Later albums such as American Gangster (2007), The Blueprint 3 (2009), Magna Carta Holy Grail (2013), and 4:44 (2017) showed a growing interest in legacy, marriage, fatherhood, wealth, race, and accountability. 4:44 was especially notable for its reflective tone and direct examination of personal and social responsibility. Jay-Z also recorded the collaborative albums Watch the Throne (2011) with Kanye West and Everything Is Love (2018) with Beyonce.
Away from the microphone, Jay-Z helped make the rapper-as-executive model central to modern popular music. He co-founded the clothing company Rocawear, launched the 40/40 Club, served as president and chief executive of Def Jam Recordings from 2004 to 2007, and founded Roc Nation in 2008. The company expanded into artist management, music publishing, sports representation, and entertainment. He also became involved with the streaming service Tidal and has supported education and community initiatives through the Shawn Carter Foundation.
Recognized for his influence as both a performer and songwriter, Jay-Z was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2017 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021. With a catalog that moves between hustler narratives, pop anthems, social commentary, and mature self-assessment, he helped establish hip-hop as a dominant artistic and business force while remaining one of its most technically accomplished and adaptable lyricists.