Jay-Z

Jay-Z built one of the most influential careers in hip-hop, then turned it into a business empire that made him the genre’s first billionaire. Born Shawn Corey Carter on December 4, 1969, in Brooklyn’s Marcy Projects, he started his own label rather than chase a record deal.

Roc-A-Fella

With no major label behind him, he co-founded Roc-A-Fella Records and released his 1996 debut Reasonable Doubt, now considered a classic. Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life (1998) gave him his first number-one album and his first Grammy.

The Blueprint era

The Blueprint (2001), featuring “Izzo (H.O.V.A.)”, cemented his place at the top of rap. The Black Album (2003) followed with “99 Problems” and “Dirt off Your Shoulder”. Across his career he has logged 14 number-one albums, the third most of anyone.

Crossover hits

Jay-Z has topped the Hot 100 as a lead artist with “Empire State of Mind”, his love letter to New York with Alicia Keys, and as a guest on huge singles. He is married to Beyonce, with whom he recorded the joint album Everything Is Love, and his guest verses powered Rihanna‘s “Umbrella” and a famous trade-off with Eminem on “Renegade”.

Mogul

Later albums American Gangster (2007), Watch the Throne (2011) with Kanye West, and the confessional 4:44 (2017) kept his streak going. He has won more than 20 Grammy Awards, runs the company Roc Nation, and in 2021 became the first solo living rapper inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Most loved songs

A spread across the catalogue. Each title opens through the in-site player.

From a Brooklyn boast to a New York anthem, the odds are good a Jay-Z verse is stuck in your head. Type the line you remember into the search box above and you may find it leads back to him.