Jay-Z served as president and chief executive officer ofDef Jam Recordings from 2004 to 2007,[18] during which he helped launch the careers of successful artists including West, Rihanna, andNe-Yo. He co-foundedRocawear, a clothing retailer, in 1999,[19] and founded the40/40 Club, a luxury bar chain, in 2003. As both grew into multi-million-dollar businesses, he launchedRoc Nation, a multi-disciplinary entertainment agency, in 2008. In 2015, he acquired the technology companyAspiro and led the expansion of its media streaming serviceTidal.[20][21][22] Through his business ventures, Jay-Z became the firsthip-hopbillionaire in 2019.[23][24] He married Beyoncé in 2008; they have three children.
Shawn Corey Carter was born on December 4, 1969, inBrooklyn, New York City.[29] He was raised inMarcy Houses, a public housing project in Brooklyn'sBedford–Stuyvesant neighborhood.[30] His father, Adnis Reeves,[31] abandoned the family when Jay-Z was 11 years old, and Jay-Z and his three older siblings were raised by their mother, Gloria Carter. Reeves later met and reconciled with Jay-Z prior to his death in 2003. Jay-Z claims in his lyrics to "You Must Love Me", the closing track on his 1997 albumIn My Lifetime, Vol. 1, that in 1982, at age 12, he shot his older brother Eric in the shoulder for stealing his jewelry.[32][33]
Jay-Z can be briefly heard on several of Jaz-O's early recordings in the late 1980s and early 1990s, including "H. P. Gets Busy", "The Originators" and "Hawaiian Sophie".[38][39] Jaz-O's record label came up with the idea to create an album with a concept reminiscent ofDJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, featuring Jaz-O as the rapper, Jay-Z as thehype man, andIrv Gotti as the DJ. While working on the albumWord to the Jaz in London in 1988, Jay-Z and Gotti began to build their relationship on the trip.[40][41][42][43][44] Jay-Z became embroiled in several battles with rapperLL Cool J in the early 1990s.[45] He first became known to a wide audience on theposse cut "Show and Prove" on the 1994Big Daddy Kane albumDaddy's Home. Jay-Z has been referred to as Big Daddy Kane'shype man during this period,[46] although Kane explains that he did not fill the traditional hype man role, and was instead basically making cameo appearances on stage. "When I would leave the stage to go change outfits, I would bring out Jay-Z andPositive K and let them freestyle until I came back to the stage."[47][48]
According to his second verse on "99 Problems", released in 2003, Jay-Z was allegedly stopped by an NYPD detective in 1994 while en route toI-95, possibly for a search of drugs in his car.Detection dogs were called, but another police car had passed; Jay-Z was let go soon after.[49] Jay-Z appeared on a popular song byBig L, "Da Graveyard", and onMic Geronimo's "Time to Build", which also featured early appearances by his formerMurder Inc. colleaguesJa Rule andDMX in 1995. His first official rap single was "In My Lifetime", which was released with an accompanying music video in 1995. An unreleased music video was also produced for the B-side "I Can't Get with That".[50]
1995–2000:Reasonable Doubt,In My Lifetime, Vol. 1,Vol. 2...,Vol. 3..., andThe Dynasty
In 1998, Jay-Z releasedVol. 2... Hard Knock Life which spawned the biggest hit of his career at the time, "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)". He relied more onflow and wordplay, and he continued with his penchant for mining beats from the popular producers of the day such asSwizz Beatz, an upstart in-house producer forRuff Ryders, andTimbaland.[52] Other producers includedDJ Premier,Erick Sermon,The 45 King, andKid Capri. Charting hits from this album included "Can I Get A...", featuringJa Rule andAmil, and "Nigga What, Nigga Who", featuring Amil andJaz-O.Vol. 2 would eventually become Jay-Z's most commercially successful album; it was certified 5× Platinum in the United States and has to date sold over five million copies.[51] The album went on to win a Grammy Award, although Jay-Z boycotted the ceremony protesting DMX's failure to garner a Grammy nomination and the academy's decision to not broadcast urban music categories.[53] In 1999, Jay-Z collaborated withMariah Carey on "Heartbreaker", a song from her seventh album,Rainbow. The song became Jay-Z's first chart-topper in the U.S., spending two weeks atop theBillboardHot 100.[54] In that same year, Jay-Z releasedVol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter. The album proved successful and sold over 3 million copies.[51]Vol. 3's most successful single was "Big Pimpin'", featuringUGK.
In 2000, Jay-Z releasedThe Dynasty: Roc La Familia, which was originally intended to become a compilation album for Roc-A-Fella artists but Def Jam turned into a Jay-Z album.[55] The album helped to introduce newcomer producersThe Neptunes,Just Blaze,Kanye West, andBink, which have all gone on to achieve notable success. This is also the first album where Jay-Z utilizes a more soulful sound than his previous albums.The Dynasty sold over two million units in the U.S. alone.[51]
2001–2002: Feud with Nas, Prodigy,The Blueprint andThe Blueprint2
In 2001, Jay-Z spoke out againstProdigy after he took an issue with Jay-Z's "Money, Cash, Hoes." Prodigy felt that the lyrics alluded disparagingly to his shared dispute with Mobb Deep againstTupac Shakur,Snoop Dogg, andDeath Row Records. He later performed the song "Takeover", atSummer Jam 2001, adiss-track about Nas, Prodigy, and Mobb Deep. At the same concert, Jay-Z brought Michael Jackson up on stage with him.[56][57] A line at the end of "Takeover" referred toNas, who criticized him on "We Will Survive".[58] Nas responded with a diss of his own, and Jay-Z straightaway added a verse to "Takeover" which dissed Nas and would start a feud between the two rappers. The feud had ended by 2005; Jay-Z stated that record producerMark Pitts had helped them settle their differences.[59]
In October 2001, Jay-Z pleaded guilty to aggravated assault for stabbing record producerLance Rivera at the Kit Kat Klub in New York City in 1999.[64] Despite Jay-Z's sentence of three years probation for the crime, Rivera later recanted the allegations in 2023.[65][66]
Jay-Z then collaborated with Chicago singerR. Kelly to release collaborative studio album,The Best of Both Worlds in March 2002. In November of that year, Jay-Z released his seventh studio albumThe Blueprint2: The Gift & The Curse—a double album. The album debuted on theBillboard 200 at number one, selling over 3 million units solely in the U.S.[51] and surpassingThe Blueprint.[67] It yielded a single-disc re-issue,The Blueprint 2.1, which retained half of the songs from the original. Its original release spawned two hit singles, "Excuse Me Miss" and "'03 Bonnie & Clyde", which features Jay-Z's then-girlfriend,Beyoncé, and contained the track "A Dream", featuringFaith Evans and the lateNotorious B.I.G.; the re-issue spawned the single "La-La-La", which was a sequel to "Excuse Me Miss" and failed to match its commercial success.
Later in 2004, Jay-Z was named president of Def Jam Records, which led to Jay-Z, Dash and Biggs selling their remaining interests in Roc-A-Fella Records and Jay-Z taking control of both of the companies.[72] This major industry move was reportedly prompted by disagreements between Jay-Z and Dash as to what direction Roc-A-Fella could undertake.[73]
2005–2007:Kingdom Come andAmerican Gangster
Jay-Z performing in 2006
On October 27, 2005, Jay-Z headlined New York'sPower 105.1 annual concert, Powerhouse. The concert's title, "I Declare War," led to intense speculation in the preceding weeks on whom exactly Jay-Z would declare war. As he had previously "declared war" on other artists taking lyrical shots at him at other events, many believed that the concert's title represented an all-out assault by Jay-Z upon his rivals.[74][75] The theme of the concert was Jay-Z's position as president and CEO ofDef Jam, complete with an on-stage mock-up of theOval Office. Many artists made appearances such as the old roster ofRoc-A-Fella records artists, as well asNe-Yo,Teairra Marí,T.I.,Young Jeezy,Akon,Kanye West,Paul Wall,the LOX, andSean Combs.[76]
At the conclusion of the concert, Jay-Z put many arguments to rest to the surprise of hip hop fans. The most significant development in this show was closure to the infamous hip hop rivalry between Jay-Z andNas. The two former rivals shook hands and shared the stage together to perform Jay-Z's "Dead Presidents" blended with Nas's song "The World is Yours".[77]
Jay-Z returned with his comeback album on November 21, 2006, titledKingdom Come.[78] Jay-Z's comeback single, "Show Me What You Got", was leaked on the Internet in early October 2006. The album, which was scheduled for release later on that month, received heavy air-play after its leak, causing theFBI to step in and investigate.[79] Jay-Z worked with video directorHype Williams, and the single's video was directed byF. Gary Gray. The album features production fromJust Blaze,Pharrell,Kanye West,Dr. Dre andColdplay'sChris Martin (single entitled "Beach Chair").[80][81] The first week saw 680,000 sales of the CD, enough to be his "biggest sales week ever" asBillboard reported.[82] This album has sold 2 million copies in the U.S. and is certified double platinum.[51][83]
Jay-Z released his tenth album entitledAmerican Gangster on November 6, 2007. After viewing the Ridley Scottfilm of the same name, Jay-Z was heavily inspired to create a new "concept" album that depicts his experiences as a street-hustler.[84]The album is not the film's official soundtrack, although it was distributed byDef Jam.[85]Jay-Z'sAmerican Gangster depicts his life in correlation to the movieAmerican Gangster. At the start of the album's first single, "Blue Magic", Jay-Z offers a dealer's manifesto while making references to political figures of the late 1980s with the lyric: "BlameReagan for making me to into a monster, blameOliver North andIran-Contra, I ran contraband that they sponsored, before this rhymin' stuff we was in concert."[86] Also notable about the "Blue Magic" music video was Jay-Z flashing €500 notes;Harvard Business School professorRawi Abdelal called this a "turning point in American pop culture's response to globalization." The album has sold 1 million copies in the U.S.[51] On January 1, 2008, Jay-Z resigned as president of Def Jam.[87]
2008–2011:The Blueprint 3 andWatch the Throne
Jay-Z performing in 2008
In winter 2008, it was announced that Jay-Z would become the first major hip hop artist to headline Britain'sGlastonbury Festival.[88][89] Tickets sold out quickly. Former headlinerNoel Gallagher ofOasis condemned the festival organizers for choosing Jay-Z to headline a traditionally guitar-driven festival. "I'm sorry, but Jay-Z?" Gallagher asked, swearing. "No chance. Glastonbury has a tradition of, kind of, guitar music, do you know what I mean? And even when they throw the odd curve balls in on a Sunday night—you go, 'Kylie Minogue? I don't know about that', do you know what I mean?—but I'm not having hip hop at Glastonbury, no way, no, no. It's wrong."[90] As controversy mounted, Jay-Z replied, "We don't play guitars, Noel, but hip hop has put in its work like any other form of music. This headline show is just a natural progression. Rap music is still evolving. We have to respect each other's genre of music and move forward."[91] Jay-Z opened his Glastonbury set with a tongue-in-cheek cover of Oasis's iconic song "Wonderwall",[92] and went on to deliver a performance heralded as a successful response to pre-festival criticism.[93] The guitar used in this performance was later shown at the Book of HOV exhibit in the Brooklyn Library.[94][95][96]
He also headlined many other summer festivals in 2008, includingRoskilde Festival in Denmark,[97]Hove Festival in Norway[98] andO2 Wireless Festival in London.[99] During Kanye West's concert of August 6, 2008, at Madison Square Garden, Jay-Z came out to perform a new song and he and West proclaimed that it was to be onThe Blueprint 3.[100] On May 21, 2009, Jay-Z announced he would be parting ways with Def Jam, and had struck a multi-million-dollar deal to sign withLive Nation, with whom he would start hisRoc Nation imprint which would serve as a record label, talent/management agency, and music publishing company[101] and also partnered with production teamStargate to start a record label calledStarRoc.[102][103] Jay-Z's 11th studio albumThe Blueprint 3 was originally to be released on September 11, 2009,[104] but was instead released in North America on September 8, 2009, due to increasing anticipation.[105] Its international release followed on September 14.[106] It is his 11th album to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200[107] and surpassed Elvis Presley's previous record.[108] On October 9, 2009, Jay-Z kicked off his tour forThe Blueprint 3, during which he supported his new album in North America. In aShave Magazine review of his performance atRexall Place inEdmonton, Jake Tomlinson expressed that "It was the type of smooth performance you would expect from the hip-hop superstar." The review gave this performance 4 stars. His North American tour continued until November 22, 2009.[109] At his concert on November 8, 2009, atUCLA'sPauley Pavilion,Rihanna joined him on stage and performed "Hard" for the first time, then performed "Run This Town" with Jay-Z.[110] Among his success, Jay-Z has ventured into producing Broadway shows. Along with Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith, Jay-Z helped produce the playFela!, a musical celebrating the work of the late Nigerian starFela Kuti.[111] Jay-Z said he was inspired by the power of Kuti's work and his life story, which resulted in his interest to help produce the musical.[111]Fela! is a story about an African pioneer and political activist who made his first moves on the scene during the 1970s.[111]
On January 23, 2010, Jay-Z released a track, "Stranded (Haiti Mon Amour)", with Rihanna, andU2'sBono andThe Edge, and performed it at theHope For Haiti Now telethon.[112] In June 2010, Eminem and Jay-Z announced they would perform together in a pair of concerts in Detroit and New York. The event was dubbedThe Home & Home Tour. The first two concerts rapidly sold out, prompting the scheduling of an additional show at each venue.[113] Jay-Z was the supporting act for U2 on the Australian and New Zealand leg of theirU2 360° Tour, beginning inAuckland, New Zealand, in November 2010, followed by Melbourne, Sydney,Brisbane andPerth in December.[114]
Jay-Z would later appear with Kanye West onWatch the Throne, a full-length LP with origins as a five-track EP. Recording sessions for the album took place at various recording locations and began in November 2010. The first single released for the project was "H•A•M". The track was co-produced byLex Luger and West himself. The track ended up being on the deluxe edition of the album. The follow-up to that was the second single "Otis", which premiered onFunkmaster Flex'sHot 97 radio show, and was later released to theiTunes Store eleven days later. The song's existence, along with several other tracks from the album, was confirmed during a listening session hosted by Jay-Z.[115] The album was first released on the iTunes Store, five days prior to its being released in physical format, a strategy Jay-Z later said was used to block aninternet leak. It debuted at No. 1 on the iTunes Store in 23 countries. It also brokeColdplay's record for most albums sold in one week on the online retailer, selling 290,000 copies on iTunes alone. It held that record untilLil Wayne'sTha Carter IV was released twenty-one days later, selling 10,000 copies more. It debuted on the U.S.Billboard 200 chart at No. 1, selling 436,000 copies in its first week. The album received generally positive reviews. Jay-Z and West later gave a surprise performance of "Otis" at the2011 MTV Video Music Awards.
2012–2016:Magna Carta Holy Grail and other ventures
In May 2012, Jay-Z and formerPhiladelphia mayorMichael A. Nutter announced Jay-Z as the curator and the headliner for the first annual "Budweiser Made in America" festival atFairmount Park in Philadelphia on September 1 and 2, 2012. The performance was produced byLive Nation and assembled an eclectic lineup of "rock,hip hop,R&B,Latin music and dance" musicians.[116] Jay-Z andRihanna were the two main headlining acts forBBC Radio 1's2012 Hackney Weekend music festival on June 23 to 24.[117] Jay-Z opened his set with an appearance from Rihanna, they performed "Run this Town". On September 6, "Clique" was released, a single from the album "Cruel Summer", byGOOD Music.Kanye West andBig Sean starred alongside Jay-Z on the track. Jay-Z took the subway to his sold-out show at The Barclays Center on October 6, 2012.[118] In December 2012, Coldplay performed with Jay-Z at theBarclays Center in Brooklyn.[119]
On September 23, 2010,Q-Tip confirmed working on Jay-Z's follow-up album toThe Blueprint 3, saying the album was to hit stores by spring 2011.[120] In May 2012 it was reported that Jay-Z would work on new music withRoc Nation producerJahlil Beats. Beats toldXXL magazine: "Me and Jay-Z been going back and forth. He picked a couple of my joints that he's working on. I don't even wanna say too much about Jay, but we definitely working on some stuff. I haven't even sent him a bunch of beats. I sent him my favorite stuff. He hit me right back like, 'Yo, I'ma go in on this,' or, 'I like this.'"[121] The album was named one of the most anticipated albums of 2013 byComplex Magazine,MTV, andXXL. The album was produced byJahlil Beats,Kanye West,Rick Rubin,Swizz Beatz,Timbaland, andPharrell Williams.[122][123] Jay-Z also co-produced and performed onJustin Timberlake's comeback single "Suit & Tie" from his third studio albumThe 20/20 Experience, the song itself was produced by both Jay-Z and Timberlake's mutual friend, Timbaland.[124] In July 2013, Timberlake and Jay-Z embarked on the co-headliningLegends of the Summer Stadium Tour.[125]
During the fifth game of the2013 NBA Finals, Carter announced his twelfth studio album,Magna Carta Holy Grail, and was released on July 4, 2013. Not long after, Jay-Z confirmed that the hyphen in his stage name would be left out and officially stylized in all capital letters.[126]Magna Carta Holy Grail debuted at number one on theBillboard 200 and sold 528,000 copies in its first week, which bypassed its predicted debut in the range of 350,000 to 400,000.[127]In December 2013, it was announced that Jay-Z had received nine nominations at the2014 Grammy Awards, more than any other artist.[128] Jay-Z appeared on his wife Beyoncé's self-titled fifth studio album,Beyoncé, with a feature on the song "Drunk in Love". They performed this song together at the56th Annual Grammy Awards opening.[129] The song and its accompanying album would later win three Grammy Awards includingBest R&B Performance at the2015 ceremony. In 2016, he won a lawsuit for the song "Made in America" with Kanye West featuringFrank Ocean against Joel McDonald.[130]
2017–present:4:44,Everything Is Love and Book of HOV exhibit
In 2017, Jay-Z released his 13th solo studio album, 4:44.[131] Two years later, he became hip-hop's first artist to achieve billionaire status.[132]
In early June 2017, posters were displayed in New York City and Los Angeles, and banner ads were placed on the Internet promoting aTidal-related project titled4:44.[133] A teaser ad was aired during theNBA Finals on June 7 featuring actorsMahershala Ali,Lupita Nyong'o andDanny Glover in a one-minute video, ending in "4:44 – 6.30.17, Exclusively on Tidal". On June 18, the project was confirmed to be a new Jay-Z album, and a clip featuring a song titled "Adnis" was posted on Sprint's YouTube page.[133]
4:44 was released throughRoc Nation andUniversal Music Group, as an exclusive toSprint andTidal customers. The album is the first in a planned series of music exclusives from the Sprint–Tidal partnership. For a short time, on July 2, the album was made available for free digital download in Tidal's site. A physical edition was released on July 7, including three additional tracks. On the same day, the album was made available to other streaming platforms, such asApple Music,Google Play Music andAmazon Music.
The album received widespread acclaim from critics, who praised its emotional and personal content. On July 5, the album was certifiedPlatinum by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA), in recognition of one million copies purchased by Sprint and offered to consumers as free downloads.[134] It debuted at number one on the U.S.Billboard 200, making it Jay-Z's 13th consecutive studio album to top the chart. The album spawned two singles, the title track "4:44" and "Bam", as well as several music videos, directed by a variety of high-profile collaborators. The album received aGrammy Award nomination forAlbum of the Year, while the title track was nominated forSong of the Year and "The Story of O.J." was nominated forRecord of the Year at the60th Annual Grammy Awards.[135]
On June 6, 2018, Jay-Z and Beyoncé kicked-off theOn the Run II Tour inCardiff, United Kingdom. Ten days later, at their final London performance, the pair unveiledEverything Is Love, their much-awaited joint studio album, credited under the nameThe Carters. The pair also released the video for the album's lead single, "Apeshit", on Beyoncé's officialYouTube channel.[136][137] The song won two awards from eight nominations at the2018 MTV Video Music Awards.[138]
In 2023, the Brooklyn Library featured the Book of HOV exhibit. The showcase included artifacts commemorating Jay-Z's career.[147] The next year, the exhibit was turned into a book,The Book of HOV: A Tribute to Jay-Z. Similar to the exhibit, the physical book recounted Jay-Z's life and career, including images, interviews, and professional insights.[148]
Musical style
Influences
Jay-Z says his earliest exposure to music was through his parents' record collection, which was mostly ofsoul artists such asMarvin Gaye andDonny Hathaway. He says "I grew up around music, listening to all types of people... I'm into music that has soul in it, whether it be rap, R&B, pop music, whatever. As long as I can feel their soul through the wax, that's what I really listen to."[149] He often uses excerpts from these artists assamples in his work, particularly in the Kanye West productions included onThe Blueprint.[149]
Royce da 5'9" andFredro Starr ofOnyx both describe Jay-Z's emphasis onflow in the bookHow to Rap—Starr says that Jay-Z is "a master of the flow—he can flow fast, he can flow slow".[155] The book describes how Jay-Z uses 'rests' to provide structure to a verse[156] and how he uses 'partial linking' to add morerhymes to a verse.[157] Jay-Z's early style is described byVibe as "a distinctlyDas EFX-type, stiggety style" on his 12" single "Can't Get With That",[158] referring to the fast rhythms and vocal delivery of the group Das EFX. He is also known to write lyrics in his head, as described byPusha T ofClipse inHow to Rap,[159] a style popular with manyMCs such asThe Notorious B.I.G.,[159]Everlast,[160]Bobby Creekwater[161] andGuerilla Black.[161]Shock G ofDigital Underground describes Jay-Z's live performance style, saying he "rarely breaks a sweat, and instead uses smoothness and clever wordplay to keep the audience interested and entertained".[162] Jay-Z's fast rapping technique, also known as the"triplet time", was developed during his early years of creating music with former mentorJaz-O.[163][164]
Business career
Jay-Z has also established himself as a successful entrepreneur with a business empire spanning a variety of industries from clothing lines, beverages, real estate, sport teams, and record labels.[165] In an interview, he stated that "my brands are an extension of me. They're close to me. It's not like runningGM, where there's no emotional attachment."[166]
Rocawear
Jay-Z andDamon Dash are the founders of the urban clothing brandRocawear.[167] Rocawear has clothing lines and accessories for men, women and children. The line was taken over by Jay-Z in early 2006 following a falling out with Dash. In March 2007, Jay-Z sold the rights to the Rocawear brand toIconix Brand Group for $204 million. He retains his stake in the company and continues to oversee the marketing, licensing and product development.[167][168]
Reebok
Jay-Z became the first rapper inReebok's history to endorse the company's footwear, signing a three-year endorsement deal.[169] He later appeared in a 2003 Reebok collection advertising his S. Carter Collection.[170] Later that year, he andfrenemy50 Cent appeared in a commercial to promote their S. Carter andG-Unit footwears for the company, with a Just Blaze-produced song made for it.[171]
In 2006, Jay-Z's deal with Reebok expired with no renewal.[169]
Alcoholic beverages
In 2014, Jay-Z invested $200 million inArmand de Brignac champagne—owned at the time by Sovereign Brands, a New York–based wine and spirits company—for a 100 percent stake, making it the second alcoholic product acquisition in his financial investment portfolio.[172][173] The brand is known for its popularity with high-profile artists as being the gold bottles often referred to in media.[174][175][176][177][178] His ties to the company date back to 2006, and he received millions of dollars per year for his association with Armand de Brignac before he bought the entire company.[179]
Jay-Z serves as co-brand director for Budweiser Select and collaborates with the company on strategic marketing programs and creative ad development. He provides direction on brand programs and ads that appear on TV, radio, print, and high-profile events.[180]
Technology
In March 2015, Jay-Z completed the $56 million acquisition ofAspiro, a Norwegian media technology company that operates the subscription-based music streaming serviceTidal, which has been in operation since October 2014.[181] The music service was acquired through his companyProject Panther Bidco Ltd. (an entity indirectly owned by Jay-Z's S. Carter Enterprises a company holding interests in leading international music, media and entertainment companies).[182][183] The music service combines audio and music videos with curated editorial. The main idea of the service is to bring major revenue streams back to the music artists themselves as the idea of an artist-owned streaming platform was stated as to "restore the value to music by launching a service owned by artists." Jay-Z currently[when?] is a major shareholder in the company.[184][185]
In July 2015, Carter made a significant investment toJetSmarter, an app helping people book private executive plane flights. The app was built by Sergey Petrossov.[186]
Music industry
From 2005 to 2007, Jay-Z was inaugurated as the president of Def Jam Recordings. Under Jay-Z's leadership, Def Jam launched the successful careers of contemporary R&B singersRihanna andNe-Yo. At the end of 2007, after he releasedAmerican Gangster, Jay-Z decided not to renew his contract as the president and CEO of Def Jam. Shortly after, he started hisLive Nation venture,Roc Nation.[187]
For a decade (2003–2013), Jay-Z enjoyed his role as a part-owner of theBrooklyn NetsNBA team, having paid a reported $1 million for his share, which declined in value to $350,000 in April 2013, based onForbes magazine's valuation of the team.[190] He encouraged the team's relocation toBrooklyn'sBarclays Center (fromNew Jersey) in the2012–2013 season, at which point the team took on the Brooklyn Nets moniker.[191][192]
On April 18, 2013, Jay-Z officially announced through his Life + Times website in a press release that he would be relinquishing his ownership in the Brooklyn Nets.[193] The shares were eventually sold to singer, rapper, actor and entrepreneurWill Pan, making Pan the first American of Taiwanese descent to own a U.S. professional sports franchise.[194][195] Jay-Z's cited Pan's athletic background (he was a team captain of his high school basketball team and played in college), his multitude of musical styles, his influence in the Taiwanese American community, and his business acumen and portfolio (including being the founder and chief executive of software company Camigo Media and a co-founder of streetwear boutique N.P.C [New Project Center]), as reasons why his bid was successful.[194][195]
On April 2, 2013,ESPN reported Jay-Z's plans to launch his own sports agency,Roc Nation Sports, with a focus on the representation of various professional athletes. Thesport management group is a partnership withCreative Artists Agency.[197] In conjunction with the agency's launch,New York Yankees's second basemanRobinson Canó left agentScott Boras to sign with the company. ESPN also mentioned that Jay-Z himself was planning to be a certified sports agent, first in baseball and eventually in basketball and football. In order to represent clients in basketball, he would have to give up his small share of theBrooklyn Nets.[197][198]
In October 2005, he was reported in English media as considering buying a stake ofArsenal F.C., an English soccer team.[199] Through his conglomerate company Gain Global Investments Network LLC, he had an interest estimated between 2 and 7% in the Aqueduct Entertainment Group (AEG) consortium, which in January 2010 was awarded a contract to operate a 4,500-slot-machineracino at theAqueduct Race Track. Jay-Z became interested in the project afterNew York GovernorDavid Paterson who awarded the contract said there had to be anaffirmative action component to the ownership. Jay-Z was initially approached by casino mogulSteve Wynn, who was also bidding on the contract. On March 9, 2010, Jay-Z and Flake withdrew from the project, and Patersonrecused himself from further involvement.[200][201]
Media
On April 5, 2011, Jay-Z launched the popular culture andlifestyle online magazineLife + Times. It features content that showcases his high-end tastes in clothing, appliances, and cars. The site design is aesthetically aimed at theupwardly mobile young male demographic, with sports and music-related posts accompanying those about fashion and design.[202] Among the music content is theDecoded series, originating from Jay-Z'smemoir of the same name and featuring a select rapper deciphering their own lyrics.[203]
In January 2015, after being contacted by the webzine, the DJ and radio hostFunkmaster Flex revealed that he had been contacted in 2013 for a story about a digital app he made at the time, but alleged that the information was instead used to help launch theMagna Carta Samsung app for the release of Jay-Z's album of the same name. "But I was good with that. I ate that. Everybody's out here hustling", Flex reasoned toVibe.[204]
In 2016, he signed a two-year exclusive film and TV Deal withWeinstein Company and with the deal gives them first-look options to create scripted and unscripted TV projects and film projects, and those projects were in works.[205] As part of his deal with Weinstein company, he produced a documentary series on the life ofKalief Browder who was imprisoned for three years and committed suicide upon his release. He also addressedracial profiling andpolice brutality in a conscious manner.[206]
Other ventures
Jay-Z also co-owns the40/40 Club, an upscale sports bar that started in New York City, and has since expanded toAtlantic City andChicago. In 2008, the 40/40 Club inLas Vegas was closed down and bought back by the hotel after attendance steadily declined.[207] In 2005, Jay-Z became an investor inCarol's Daughter, a line of beauty products, including products for hair, skin, and hands.[208]
In 2010, he announced plans to expand his 40/40 Club sports bar chain into as many as 20 airports, joining his Roc Nation business partners, husband and wife Juan and Desiree Perez, in a deal withDelaware North.[209]
Parlux fragrances sued Jay-Z for $18 million for the failure of his cologne,Gold. They claim the cologne's failure is due to Jay-Z not doing social media posts and interviews about the cologne. Parlux claims they projected selling $15 million the first year, and $35 million the second, and subsequent years after the launch. The fragrance sold $14 million the first year and $6.1 million the second.[213] Parlux lost money on the venture and have had constant returns of unsold inventory.[214]
Jay-Z collaborated withCohiba to launch his own cigars.[215]
In November 2020, it was announced that Jay-Z would be join TPCO Holding Corp., a newly formed cannabis products company, in the role of "Chief Visionary Officer".[217]
On December 5, 2022, Jay-Z and the Roc Nation announced their partnership withCaesars Entertainment to build and operate acasino hotel in Times Square.[218] The proposal was voted down by a community advisory committee in September 2025.[219]
Relationship with Beyoncé
Jay-Z and Beyoncé performing in November 2009
In 2002, Jay-Z and singerBeyoncé Knowles collaborated on the song "'03 Bonnie & Clyde". He also appeared on Beyoncé's hit single, "Crazy in Love" the following year, as well as the song "That's How You Like It" from her debut albumDangerously in Love (2003). On her second album,B'Day, he made appearances on the hits "Déjà Vu" and "Upgrade U". In the video for the latter song, she comically imitates his appearance.[220] They kept a low profile while dating, and were married on April 4, 2008, in a private ceremony inTribeca, New York City.[221] Their relationship became a matter of public record on April 22, 2008,[222] although Beyoncé did not publicly debut her US$5 millionLorraine Schwartz-designed wedding ring until the Fashion Rocks concert on September 5, 2008.[223] Since their marriage, they generally avoid discussing their relationship,[224] and Beyoncé has stated her belief that this has helped them, while Jay-Z agreed in aPeople article that they do not "play with [their] relationship".[225]
In 2006, Beyoncé and Jay-Z were listed as the most powerful couple forTime magazine's 100 most influential people.[226] In January 2009,Forbes ranked them as Hollywood's top-earning couple, with a combined total of $162 million.[227] They made it to the top of the list the following year, with a combined total of US$122 million between June 2008 and June 2009.[227]
At the2011 MTV Video Music Awards, Beyoncé revealed that she was pregnant with their first child.[228][229] Their daughter,Blue Ivy Carter, was born at New York'sLenox Hill Hospital on January 7, 2012.[230] Jay-Z released "Glory", a song dedicated to Blue Ivy, through his Life+Times website on January 9, 2012.[231] The song, produced by frequent collaboratorsthe Neptunes, detailed the couple's pregnancy struggles, including a miscarriage Beyoncé had suffered.[231] Blue Ivy's cries were included at the end of the song, and she was officially credited on the song as "B.I.C"; she became the youngest person inBillboard history (at two days old) to have a chart entry once "Glory" debuted at No. 74 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.[232]
On June 18, 2017, Beyoncé's fatherMathew Knowles confirmed that she had given birth to twins with Jay-Z, a daughter named Rumi and a son named Sir.[233] In the following months, they purchased a US$88 million home in theBel Air neighborhood ofLos Angeles.[234]
In 2023, the couple bought a house inMalibu, California, designed by the architectTadao Ando, for $200 million. It established a record for the most expensive residence sold in California.[235] In 2025, Beyoncé and Jay-Z reportedly began plans to relocate permanently to the United Kingdom. The couple is said to be seeking a residence in theCotswolds, following Beyoncé's transition into country music and the UK leg of herCowboy Carter World Tour.[236]
Legal issues
1999 Lance "Un" Rivera stabbing
On December 2, 1999, Jay-Z, who had come to believe that record executiveLance "Un" Rivera was behind the bootlegging ofVol. 3..., allegedly stabbed him at the Kit Kat Klub, a now-defunct night club inTimes Square, New York City, during a release party forQ-Tip's albumAmplified.[237] Jay-Z's associates at the party were accused of causing a commotion within the club, which Jay-Z allegedly used as cover while he stabbed Rivera in the stomach with a five-inch (127 mm) blade.[238] He surrendered to police the following evening and was placed under arrest, although he was soon released on $50,000bail.[239][240] When he was indicted inManhattan Criminal Court in late January 2000, he pleaded not guilty; he and his lawyers contended that they had witnesses and videotapes proving he had been nowhere near Rivera during the incident. Nevertheless, he later pleaded guilty to third-degree assault and accepted a three-yearprobation sentence.[241]
Jay-Z later addressed the case in his 2010 bookDecoded:
One night I went to Q-Tip's solo album release party and at some point in the night, I ran into the guy everyone's been telling me is behind the bootleg. So I approached him. When I told him what I suspected, to my surprise, he got real loud with me right there in the middle of the club. It was strange. We separated and I went over to the bar. I was sitting there like, "No the fuck this nigga did not..." I was talking to people, but I was really talking to myself out loud, just in a state of shock. Before I even realized what I was doing, I headed back over to him, but this time I was blacking out with anger. The next thing I knew, all hell had broken loose in the club. That night the guy went straight to the police and I was indicted. [...] There was no reason to put my life on the line, and the lives of everyone who depends on me, because of a momentary loss of control. [...] I vowed to never allow myself to be in a situation like that again.[242]
In 2023, Rivera stated that Jay-Z lied, and was not the one that stabbed him: "No. Jay-Z was not the guy that actually stabbed me that night (...) it's never been his history".[243][244][245] Rapper Nas, who feuded with Jay-Z in the early 2000s, had also claimed in his 2001 diss track "Ether" that Jay-Z was not Rivera's stabber. Rivera commented on this, stating, "The reality to it is Nas — and I don't know why didn't nobody believe him — on 'Ether' he talked about the incident. He let people know like, 'Yo, your man stabbed Un and you took the blame for it.'"[246]
2024 Sexual assault lawsuit
In December 2024, Jay-Z, along withSean "Diddy" Combs, was accused in a civil lawsuit of raping a 13-year-old girl at anMTV Video Music Awards after-party in 2000. Jay-Z denied the allegations and described it as a blackmail attempt.[247] On December 13, the accuser admitted that there are inconsistencies in her allegation. Among them, she claimed her father drove five hours to pick her up after the alleged incident, but he says he has no recollection of doing that. She claims that another celebrity had been a witness but he stated that he had not been in New York then. Images from the night show that Carter and Combs had verifiably been in separate locations that night. She claimed the band members ofGood Charlotte witnessed the event, but they had actually been on tour in the Midwest at the time, not at the2000 MTV VMAs, after which the accuser claims the alleged incident took place.[248][249] On December 18, Carter filed a motion to remove himself as a defendant in the lawsuit against Combs based on what the accuser claimed in the televised interview.[250] On December 26, the judge dismissed Carter's plea to have the plaintiff identify herself, allowing her to remain anonymous.[251][252] In February 2025 Jay-Z dropped his request to have Tony Buzbee sanctioned by the court.[253]
On February 10, 2025, Jay-Z filed a lawsuit against Tony Buzbee, stating he lost $20 million in contracts due to the allegations.[254] In July 2025, Jay-Z's defamation lawsuit against Buzbee was deemed meritless and dismissed by aLA Superior Court judge in what Buzbee described as a "well-reasoned opinion" and deemed a legal victory.[255][256]
On February 14, 2025, the lawsuit against Jay-Z was officially dropped by Tony Buzbee and the accuser. A filing in federal court in Manhattan stated that the anonymous plaintiff, referred to as Jane Doe, voluntarily dismissed the case with prejudice, not allowing for a future refiling. Shortly thereafter, Jay-Z described the outcome as "a victory."[257][258] The suit was dismissed without settlement.[259] However following her decision to voluntarily dismiss the lawsuit without a settlement, the plaintiff still maintains that her rape claims are true and that she only dropped the lawsuit due to plaintiff intimidation and fear of retribution; after she was allegedly approached outside her home two people who told her they were [private] investigators working for one of Jay Z's lawyers ad tried to get her to sign an affidavit stating that her rape claims against were false but she refused.[260]
Philanthropy
Jay-Z with his mother Gloria Carter in September 2011
During his first retirement from music,[failed verification] Jay-Z became involved in philanthropy. In 2003, along with his mother, Jay-Z founded the Shawn Carter Foundation, which assists eligible students facing socio-economic hardships attend and get through college.[261] In August 2006, he met withKofi Annan, thenSecretary-General of the United Nations at the organization's New York City headquarters, where he pledged to use his upcoming world tour to raise awareness of the globalwater shortage, a challenge he learned about following a visit to Africa byBono, the lead singer ofU2.[262] The effort took place in partnership with the UN,[263] as well as MTV, which produced a documentary entitledDiary of Jay-Z: Water for Life, first airing in November 2006.[264] Along withSean Combs, Jay-Z pledged $1 million to theAmerican Red Cross's relief effort afterHurricane Katrina.[265] Jay-Z supportedKanye West after West's outburst against PresidentGeorge W. Bush during alive Katrina charity telethon.[266] He also addressed theKatrina disaster and thefederal government's response in his one-verse song "Minority Report".[267]
Jay-Z has said that "the greatest form of giving is anonymous to anonymous". In 2013, authordream hampton, who co-wrote Jay-Z's bookDecoded, revealed that Jay-Z had established a trust fund forSean Bell's children.[268]
In March 2020, Jay-Z donated $1 million through the Shawn Carter Foundation to aid in relief during theCOVID-19 pandemic in New York.[271] In April 2020, along withMeek Mill, he donated over 100,000 face masks to U.S. prisons to assist in protecting prison inmates fromCOVID-19.[272]
In 2006, Jay-Z appeared withRussell Simmons in a public service announcement denouncing racism andantisemitism, sponsored by theFoundation for Ethnic Understanding.[273] In 2008, Jay-Z was involved in the2008 United States presidential election, supporting enhanced voter participation.[274] He supported the 2008 presidential candidacy ofBarack Obama and performed voter-drive concerts financed by the Democrats' campaign.[275] He also became acquainted with Obama, who in June 2008 said, "Every time I talk to Jay-Z, who is a brilliant talent and a good guy, I enjoy how he thinks. That's somebody who is going to start branching out and can help shape attitudes in a real positive way."[276]
During the2010 mid-term elections, Jay-Z appeared with other artists in aHeadCount advertisement, urging voters, especially younger ones, to register and vote.[277] In May 2012, Jay-Z endorsed President Obama's support ofsame-sex marriage[278] and participated in his re-election campaign.[279]
Musician andcivil rights activistHarry Belafonte was critical of Jay-Z and Beyoncé for what he saw as their safe political stances, saying that they "have turned their back on social responsibility".[280]
In the2016 U.S. presidential election, Jay-Z and Beyoncé appeared at aHillary Clinton rally inCleveland.[281] Clinton praised Jay-Z for addressing racism, oppression, and the criminal justice system.[282] He describedDonald Trump as a "superbug" and condemned remarks he perceived as racist,[283] but later said that Trump's rhetoric forced people to come together and address difficult issues such aswhite privilege.[284]
^Lamarre, Carl; Mitchell, Gail; Murphy, Keith; Saponara, Michael; Thomas, Datwon; Elibert, Mark; Diep, Eric; Ketchum III, William E.; Mamo, Heran (August 2, 2023)."50 Greatest Rappers of All Time".Billboard.Archived from the original on March 31, 2023. RetrievedAugust 5, 2023.
^Chevalier, Michel (2012).Luxury Brand Management. Singapore: John Wiley & Sons.ISBN978-1-118-17176-9.
^Flanagan, Andrew; Hampp, Andrew (March 30, 2015)."It's Official: Jay Z's Historic Tidal Launches with 16 Artist Stakeholders".Billboard.Archived from the original on April 2, 2019. RetrievedJanuary 13, 2019.Jay-Z's ambitious entrance into the streaming music business, which came as a surprise to industry observers, debuted Monday (March 30) at an event at New York's James A. Farley Post Office in Herald Square.
^Birchmeier, Jason."Jay-Z Biography".allmusic.com. AllMusic.Archived from the original on January 15, 2019. RetrievedJanuary 12, 2019.After debuting in the late '90s with Reasonable Doubt and In My Lifetime, Vol 1, he began a chart run that notched over a dozen number one albums spread over two decades, including the multiplatinum, Grammy-winning Vol. 2...Hard Knock Life (1999), the Blueprint series ('01, '02, '09), and The Black Album (2003).
^Recounted by Jay-Z on the documentaryCollision Course .Collision Course. Jay-Z and Linkin Park. Roc-A-Fella/Warner Bros./Machine Shop Recordings. 2004.
^"Hove Festival". January 29, 2017. Archived from the original on January 29, 2017. RetrievedJuly 30, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^Finlay, Mitch (August 19, 2019)."Jaz-O Is The Originator: Reflections On Jay-Z, B.I.G, & Creating The Triplet Flow".www.hotnewhiphop.com.Archived from the original on February 15, 2020. RetrievedFebruary 18, 2020.The reason I did it was because in one-sixteenth cadence and your average four-fourth time signature beat, if you have more than sixteen syllables in a measure, all of the sudden, you're stuck with a dilemma to express yourself in a certain way or to get your point across the way you choose. I had to stuff those words, those extra syllables in the sixteen so it would transform those syllables into twenty-fourths, which became a triplet of an eighth. That's why I called it the triplet style.
^Frank, Robert (August 23, 2017)."Inside Jay Z and Beyonce's mansion-hunting journey".cnbc.com. CNBC.Archived from the original on January 13, 2019. RetrievedJanuary 13, 2019.Jay Z and Beyonce purchased a 30,000-square-foot mansion in Los Angeles' Bel Air neighborhood for $88 million.
Greenburg, Zack O'Malley (2011).Empire State of Mind: How Jay-Z Went from Street Corner to Corner Office. New York: Portfolio/Penguin.ISBN978-1-59184-381-8.
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