Jay Z

Jay Z

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Birth name: Shawn Corey Carter
Date of birth: 4 December 1969
Place of birth: Brooklyn, New York, USA
Nickname: S-dot, Young Hov, Jazzy, Hova,  J-Hova, Jay-Z
Height: 6′ 3″ (1.91 m)

Famous Quote: “They say a midget standing on a giant’s shoulders can see much further than the giant. So I got the whole rap world on my shoulders, they trying to see further than I am. I’d rather die enormous than live dormant. No matter where you go, you are what you are playa.”

Contact Address and Autograph: Addresses and fan mail information

Jay-Z
Island Records
825 Eighth Avenue, 28th Floor
New York, NY 10019, USA

Biography:  Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969) better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper and former president and CEO of Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella Records. In addition, he co-owns The 40/40 Club and the New Jersey Nets NBA team. He is one of the most financially successful hip-hop artists and entrepreneurs in America. Known for his flow and blending of street and popular style, he can compose lyrics without the use of pen and paper. 

To the admiration of a generation, Jay-Z led an incredibly storied career in the rap industry, pulling himself up by his bootstraps as a youth to one day become the reigning rapper of New York City and then a major-label executive following his retirement from music-making. More than anyone, Jay-Z embodied the ultimate rags-to-riches rap dream, advancing from poverty to power, largely on behalf of his lyrical talent coupled with incredible dedication (while his industry smarts later propelled him to presidential status). Following the Brooklyn-born rapper-turned-president’s 1996 debut, Reasonable Doubt, his albums sold millions, and his endless parade of hits made him omnipresent on urban radio and video television. 

He retained a strongly devoted fan base — not only the suburban MTV market but also the more fickle urban one as well — and challenged whatever rivals attempted to oust him from atop the rap game, most notably Nas. As a result of his unchecked power, Jay-Z and his associates greatly influenced the industry and established many of the trends that pervaded during the late ’90s and early 2000s. He worked with only the hottest producers of the moment (Clark Kent, DJ Premier, Teddy Riley, Trackmasters, Erick Sermon, Timbaland, Swizz Beatz) and if they weren’t hot at the time, they surely would be afterward (the Neptunes, Kanye West, Just Blaze). 

He similarly collaborated with the hottest rappers in the industry, everyone from East Coast rappers like the Notorious B.I.G. (“Brooklyn’s Finest”) and DMX (“Cash, Money, Hoes”), to the best rappers from the Dirty South (Ludacris, Missy Elliott) and the West Coast (Snoop Dogg, Too Short). Following his self-stated retirement from rapping, he assumed the presidency of the seminal rap label Def Jam and embarked on another phase in his illustrious career, that of an industry executive.

His critically acclaimed album The Blueprint was written in only two days. After announcing his retirement from recording music in 2003, he returned in late 2006 with the album Kingdom Come which sold 680,000 copies in its first week, Jay-Z’s highest-selling album in a one-week period. The New York Times announced that Jay-Z is on the verge of a partnership with Live Nation for $150 million – among the richest contracts ever awarded to a musician.

Originally from Marcy Houses housing project in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York City, Jay-Z was abandoned by his father Adnes Reeves when he was twelve years old.[9] Jay-Z attended Eli Whitney High School in Brooklyn, along with rapper AZ, until it was closed down. After that he attended George Westinghouse Information Technology High School in Downtown Brooklyn, with fellow rappers The Notorious B.I.G. and Busta Rhymes, and Trenton Central High School in Trenton, New Jersey, but did not graduate. He claims to have been caught up in selling drugs, to which he refers in his music.

According to his mother Gloria Carter, a young Jay-Z used to wake his siblings up at night banging out drum patterns on the kitchen table. Eventually, she bought him a boom box for his birthday and thus sparked his interest in music. He began freestyling, writing rhymes, and followed the music of many artists popular at the time. It is stated that he beat Busta Rhymes in a rap battle, but also has lost to DMX.

In his neighborhood, Carter was known as “Jazzy”, a nickname that eventually developed into his stage name, “Jay-Z”. The moniker is also a homage to his musical mentor Jaz-O (a.k.a. Jaz, Big Jaz) as well as to the J/Z subway lines that have a stop at Marcy Avenue in Brooklyn.

Jay-Z can be heard on several of Jaz-O’s early recordings in the late 1980s and early 1990s, including “The Originators” and “Hawaiian Sophie”. He also collaborated with Inglewood, California producer Three-1-Zero. His career had a jump start when he battled a rapper by the name of Zai. The battle caught the eye of many record labels, as Jay-Z was able to hold his own against Zai. He also made an appearance on a popular song by Big L, “Da Graveyard”, and on Mic Geronimo’s “Time to Build”, which also featured early appearances by DMX Q-Man and Ja Rule and Shazim Hasan in 1995. His first official rap single was called “I Can’t Get With That” which he also released a music video for.

Born and raised in the rough Marcy Projects of Brooklyn, NY, Jay-Z underwent some tough times after his father left his mother before the young rapper was even a teen. Without a man in the house, he became a self-supportive youth, turning to the streets, where he soon made a name for himself as a fledging rapper. Known as “Jazzy” in his neighborhood, he soon shortened his nickname to Jay-Z and did all he could to break into the rap game. Of course, as he vividly discusses in his lyrics, Jay-Z also became a street hustler at this time, doing what needed to be done to make money. 

For a while, he ran around with Jaz-O, aka Big Jaz, a small-time New York rapper with a record deal but few sales. From Jaz he learned how to navigate through the rap industry and what moves to make. He also participated in a forgotten group called Original Flavor for a short time. Jay-Z subsequently decided to make an untraditional decision and start his own label rather than sign with an established label like Jaz had done. Together with friends Damon Dash and Kareem “Biggs” Burke, he created Roc-a-Fella Records, a risky strategy for cutting out the middleman and making money for himself. Of course, he needed a quality distributor, and when he scored a deal with Priority Records (and then later Def Jam), Jay-Z finally had everything in place, including a debut album, Reasonable Doubt (1996).

From the beginning of his commercial recording career, Jay-Z chose a route that many would consider untraditional. When no major label gave him a record deal, Jay-Z created Roc-A-Fella Records as his own independent label. After striking a deal with Priority to distribute his material, Jay-Z released his 1996 debut album Reasonable Doubt with beats from acclaimed producers such as DJ Premier and Clark Kent and a notable appearance by The Notorious B.I.G. Despite reaching only #23 on the Billboard 200, the album was a critical success.

After reaching a new distribution deal with Def Jam in 1997, Jay-Z released his follow-up In My Lifetime, Vol. 1. Executive produced by Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs, it sold better than his previous effort. Jay-Z later explained that the album was made during one of the worst periods of his life. He was reeling from the death of his close friend The Notorious B.I.G. The album’s glossy production stood as a contrast to his first release, and some dedicated fans felt he had “sold out”. However, the album did feature some beats from producers who had worked with him on Reasonable Doubt, namely DJ Premier and Ski. Jay-Z mentioned on the YES Network’s CenterStage show that if he could do one thing in his career over, it would be Vol. 1, claiming that “it [the cd] was this close to being a classic, but I put like, a few songs on there that ruined it.” Two examples of what he was referring to are “I Know What Girls Like” and “(Always Be My) Sunshine”. They both were produced by Bad Boy beatmakers and criticized as a commercialization of his sound. Like its predecessor, In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 also earned Platinum status in the United States.

Though Reasonable Doubt only reached number 23 on Billboard’s album chart, Jay-Z’s debut eventually became recognized as an undisputed classic among fans, many of whom consider it his crowning achievement. Led by the hit single “Ain’t No Nigga,” a duet featuring Foxy Brown, Reasonable Doubt slowly spread through New York; some listeners were drawn in because of big names like DJ Premier and the Notorious B.I.G., others by the gangsta motifs very much in style at the time. By the end of its steady run, Reasonable Doubt generated three more charting singles — “Can’t Knock the Hustle,” which featured Mary J. Blige on the hook; “Dead Presidents”; and “Feelin’ It” — and set the stage for Jay-Z’s follow-up, In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 (1997).

1998′s Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life spawned the biggest hit of his career at the time, “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)”. He also relied more on flow and brilliant wordplay, and he continued his penchant for mining beats from the popular producers of the day such as Swizz Beatz, an upstart in-house producer for Ruff Ryders, and Timbaland. Other producers tapped for beats include: DJ Premier, Erick Sermon, The 45 King, and Kid Capri. Charting hits from this album included “Can I Get A…” featuring Ja Rule and Amil and “Nigga What, Nigga Who” which featured Amil too. Vol. 2 would eventually become Jay-Z’s most commercially successful album; it was certified 5x platinum in the United States and has to date sold over 8 million worldwide. The album went on to win a Grammy Award, although Jay-Z boycotted the ceremony protesting DMX’s failure to garner a Grammy nomination.

Much more commercially successful than its predecessor, In My Lifetime peaked at number three on the Billboard album chart, a substantial improvement commercially over Reasonable Doubt. The album boasted numerous marketable contributors such as Puff Daddy and Teddy Riley, which no doubt helped sales, yet Jay-Z’s decision to move in a more accessible direction for much of the album, trading gangsta rap for pop-rap, increased his audience twofold. Singles such as “Sunshine” and “The City Is Mine” confirmed this move toward pop-rap, both songs featuring radio-ready pop hooks and less of the grim introspection that had characterized Reasonable Doubt. In My Lifetime still had some dramatic moments, such as “Streets Is Watching” and “Rap Game/Crack Game,” yet these moments were few and greatly eclipsed by the pop-rap.

Jay-Z’s next album, Vol. 2: Hard Knock Life (1998), released a year after In My Lifetime, furthered the shift from gangsta rap to pop-rap. Though Jay-Z himself showed few signs of lightening up, particularly on brash songs like “Cash, Money, Hoes,” his producers crafted infectious hooks and trend-setting beats. Songs like “Can I Get A…” and “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)” sounded both distinct and unforgettable, garnering enormous amounts of airplay. Again, as he had done on In My Lifetime, Jay-Z exchanged the autobiographical slant of his debut for a sampler platter of radio-ready singles, and again, he reached more listeners than ever, topping the album chart and generating a remarkable six singles: the three aforementioned songs as well as “Jigga What?,” “It’s Alright,” and “Money Ain’t a Thang.”

In 1999, Jay-Z released Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter. Despite continued criticism for his increasingly pop-oriented sound, the album proved to be successful and went platinum three times and sold over 5.6 million records worldwide. Through his lyricism, he was able to retain respect from some of his die-hard fans. Vol. 3 is remembered for its smash hit, “Big Pimpin’” (feat. UGK). By this time, Jay-Z was seen as a hip-hop figurehead both by hardcore fans and by the hip-hop industry due to his lyrics and his high album sales.

The subject of much criticism, praise, popularity, condemnation, and discussion, Jay-Z decided to begin developing other artists. Around 2000, he and Damon Dash signed various artists (including “Dynasty” members Amil, Beanie Sigel and Memphis Bleek) and began introducing them to the public. He next appeared on The Dynasty: Roc La Familia, which was intended as a compilation album to introduce these new artists, though the album had Jay-Z’s name on it to strengthen market recognition and by extension, sales. This strategy worked to an extent – The Dynasty: Roc La Familia sold over 2 million units in the U.S. alone.

Like clockwork, Jay-Z returned a year later with another album, Vol. 3: Life and Times of S. Carter (1999), which sold a staggering number of units and generated multiple singles. Here Jay-Z collaborated with yet more big names (nearly one guest vocalist/rapper on every song, not to mention the roll call of in-demand producers) and his most overblown work yet resulted. Jay-Z scaled back a bit for Dynasty Roc la Familia (2000), his fifth album in as many years. The album showcased mostly Roc-a-Fella’s in-house rappers: Beanie Sigel, Memphis Bleek, and Amil. Jay-Z also began working with several new producers: the Neptunes, Kanye West, and Just Blaze. The Neptunes-produced “I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)” became a particularly huge hit single this go-round.

Jay-Z’s next album, The Blueprint (2001), solidified his position atop the New York rap scene upon its release in September. Prior to the album’s release, the rapper had caused a stir in New York following his headlining performance at Hot 97′s Summer Jam 2001, where he debuted the song “Takeover.” The song features a harsh verse ridiculing Prodigy of Mobb Deep, and Jay-Z accentuated his verbal assault (including the lines “You’s a ballerina/I seen ya”) by showcasing gigantic photos of an adolescent Prodigy in a dance outfit. The version of “Takeover” that later appeared on The Blueprint also included a verse dissing Nas as well as Prodigy. As expected, the song ignited a sparring match with Nas, who responded with “Ether.” Jay-Z accordingly returned with a comeback, “Super Ugly,” where he rapped over the beats to Nas’ “Get Ur Self A” on the first verse and Dr. Dre’s “Bad Intentions” on the second. The back-and-forth bout created massive publicity for both Jay-Z and Nas. In addition to “Takeover,” The Blueprint also featured “Izzo (H.O.V.A.),” one of the year’s biggest hit songs, and the album topped many year-end best-of charts. 

2001′s The Blueprint is considered by many to be one of hip hop’s “classic” albums, receiving the coveted “5 mic” review from The Source magazine. Released on September 11, 2001, the album managed to debut at #1, selling more than 450,000 albums in its first week. The success of the album was overshadowed by the terrorist attacks that same day. The Blueprint was applauded for its production and the balance of “mainstream” and “hardcore” rap, receiving recognition from both audiences. Eminem was the only guest artist on the album, producing and rapping on the single “Renegade”. Four of the thirteen tracks on the album were produced by Kanye West and represents one of West’s first major breaks in the industry. The Blueprint also includes the popular “Izzo (H.O.V.A.)” and “Takeover”, a song that takes on rivals Prodigy of Mobb Deep and Nas. The Blueprint has obtained a 2x Platinum status in the U.S. This album was the first since his breakthrough album Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life not to feature Amil, who was dropped in late 2000 because of a feud between Jay-Z/Roc-A-Fella and herself, caused by her meager album sales and her weight gain.

Jay-Z capitalized on the album’s runaway success with a number of follow-up projects. For instance, he collaborated with the Roots for the Unplugged album (2001) and with R. Kelly for Best of Both Worlds (2002). He then went on to record, over the course of the year, 40 or so new tracks, 25 of which appeared on his next record, the double album The Blueprint²: The Gift & the Curse (2002). Though billed as a sequel, The Blueprint² was remarkably different from its predecessor. Where the first volume had been personal, considered, and focused, the second instead offered an unapologetically sprawling double-disc extravaganza showcasing remarkable scope. As usual, it spawned a stream of singles, led by his 2Pac cover “’03 Bonnie & Clyde” (featuring his glamorous girlfriend, Beyoncי Knowles from Destiny’s Child). Furthermore, he guested on Beyoncי’s summer 2003 classic “Crazy in Love,” as well as the Neptunes’ video hit “Frontin’.” 

Jay-Z’s next solo album was 2002′s 4 million (U.S. only) selling The Blueprint²: The Gift & the Curse, a double-album. It was later reissued in a single-disc version, The Blueprint 2.1, which retained half of the tracks from the original and went on to sell a further 800,000 copies. The album spawned two massive hit singles, “Excuse Me Miss” and “’03 Bonnie and Clyde” featuring Jay-Z’s girlfriend of four years Beyoncé Knowles. “Guns & Roses”, a track featuring Lenny Kravitz, and “Hovi Baby” were two successful radio singles as well. The album also features the tracks “A Dream”, featuring Faith Evans and a recording of the late The Notorious B.I.G.; and “The Bounce”, featuring Kanye West (who, at that time, was not yet an artist). The Blueprint 2.1 features tracks that do not appear on The Blueprint²: The Gift & the Curse, such as “Stop”, “La La La (Excuse Me Again)”, “What They Gonna Do, Part II” and “Beware” produced by and featuring Panjabi MC.

It was then that Jay-Z announced his imminent retirement after the release of one more album. That LP, The Black Album (2003), was rush-released by Def Jam and soared to the top spot in the album charts at the end of the year. As always, it spawned a couple big hits — “Dirt Off Your Shoulder” and “99 Problems” — and, more curiously, also spawned a popular mash-up bootleg, The Grey Album, courtesy of Danger Mouse. The subsequent year, 2004, was a whirlwind for the retiring rapper. He embarked on a farewell tour that was topped off by an extravagant Madison Square Garden performance documented on the Fade to Black DVD, and he also embarked on an ill-fated arena tour with the embattled R. Kelly that resulted in an exchange of ugly multi-million-dollar lawsuits.

Tension between the two supposedly dates as far back as 1996, when Nas refused to make a guest appearance on Jay-Z’s debut album Reasonable Doubt. However, the relationship between the two rappers remained peaceful (Jay-Z even giving a shoutout to Nas in his album liner notes),[12] and the tension did not escalate to full-blown rivalry until after the death of the Notorious B.I.G. The position of favorite rapper in New York seemed vacant after the death of Biggie, and fans were eager to see who would take over.

The dispute involved many of the rappers, especially associates at Roc-a-Fella Records, who declared an all-out war against Nas. However, the feud died down somewhat toward the end of 2002. It is believed by most that Nas won this battle, though it is still a subject of intense debate. New York radio station Hot 97 tried to settle the matter by taking votes, matching “Ether”/”Stillmatic” against “Takeover”/”Supa Ugly”. Nas won with 58% while Jay-Z got 42% of the votes. Nas and Jay-Z have paid tribute to each other in interviews, likening the battle to a world title boxing match that pitched the best against the best, and pleased with the entertainment it provided fans. After Jay-Z signed Nas to Def Jam (of which Jay-Z was president and CEO), he also featured on Nas’s first Def Jam album – “Hip Hop Is Dead” where he does a song with Nas called “Black Republican.” The rivalry also impacted their careers critically and commercially. The battle was significant in that it revived the trend of using ‘beefs’ as a source for publicity and promotion for hip hop artists, originally unpopular following the tragic deaths of Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G., now prevalent within the hip hop community.

With his final album behind him and his reputation never more regarded, Jay-Z next accepted an offer to assume the role of president at Def Jam Records. The seminal rap label was struggling and needed someone to guide it through a rocky transitional phase. Jay-Z accepted the challenge and took over the company began by Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin roughly 20 years earlier. (As part of its deal with Jay-Z, Def Jam’s parent company, Universal, bought Roc-a-Fella, which resulted in some bitterness among certain associates upset by the buyout.) Considerable fanfare met the presidential inauguration, as Jay-Z became one of the few African-American major-label executives in the business, and he also became one of the few rappers to transition into that side of the business. Numerous rappers owned or operated their own boutique labels, granted, but none had ever risen to such major-label heights. And the rapper-turned-president didn’t take his job lightly, either, at least judging by his initial year in office. Within months of assuming his position, he fostered a string of newfound talents — Young Jeezy, Teairra Marם, Rihanna, and Bobby Valentino, all of whom enjoyed considerable commercial success — and only had a few setbacks (disappointing returns on albums by Memphis Bleek and Young Gunz, most notably). 

In 2005 he came out of retirement for the I Declare War concert in New York City. The ambitious show featured a parade of high-profile guest stars including Diddy, T.I., Kanye West, and in a peacemaking move, Nas. With this longstanding beef squashed, Jay-Z announced he was coming out of retirement. He made it official when Kingdom Come hit the shelves in late 2006.

Jay-Z toured with 50 Cent, Busta Rhymes and Sean Paul while finishing work on what was announced as his final album, The Black Album. He worked with several producers including Just Blaze, The Neptunes, Kanye West, Timbaland, Eminem, DJ Quik, 9th Wonder and Rick Rubin. Notable songs on the album included “What More Can I Say”, “Dirt Off Your Shoulder”, “Change Clothes”, and “99 Problems”. The latter was a cross-over hit comparable to the Beastie Boys’ “No Sleep Till Brooklyn” which some believe pays homage to the now-rare old-school rap style. A few of the songs done on this album portray a more personal side of Jay-Z; for example, “Moment of Clarity” sheds light on his feelings towards his estranged father and coping with his death. It also deals with accusations that he sold out to reach a wider audience. “What More Can I Say” addresses the “biting” accusations leveled against him by Nas in “Ether” and other detractors, as Jay-Z raps, “I’m not a biter I’m a writer for myself and others/I say a Big verse I’m only biggin’ up my brother.” During that same year, Jay-Z supplied new rhymes on a remix of Punjabi MC’s “Mundian To Bach Ke”, a desi rap jam with a Bhangra flavor that Jay became enamored of after hearing it at a nightclub in Hong Kong. Re-released as “Beware of the Boys”, the East-West hip-hop fusion track charted in North America. The Black Album has sold 3 million copies in the US.

In 2004, there was a runaway hit remix project by Danger Mouse called The Grey Album in which Jay-Z’s Black Album vocals were blended with instrumentals sampled exclusively from The Beatles’ White Album (which subsequently embroiled the DJ in a lawsuit that was later dropped with EMI, the owners of the Beatles’ work). This was made possible by an a cappella version of the “Black Album” that Jay-Z released with the specific intent for others to mix. The success of The Grey Album led to a rainbow of Black Album remix projects including The Red Album, The Blue Album and so forth.

Also in 2004, Jay-Z collaborated with rock group Linkin Park. The project was named Collision Course, and contained a six track EP, as well as a making of DVD. Some of the mash ups tracks were entitled “Dirt Off Your Shoulder/Lying From You”, “Jigga What/Faint”, and “Numb/Encore”. “Numb/Encore” went on to win a Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, and was also performed with Linkin Park live at the Grammys, with a special appearance by Paul McCartney, who added verses from his song Yesterday. The EP sold over two million copies in the US alone.

On November 25, 2003, Jay-Z held a concert at Madison Square Garden, which would later be the focus of his film Fade to Black. This concert was his “retirement party”. All proceeds went to charity. Other performers included collaborators like The Roots (in the form of his backing band), Missy Elliott, Memphis Bleek, Beanie Siegel, Freeway, Mary J. Blige, Beyoncé, Twista, Ghostface Killah, Foxy Brown, Pharrell and R. Kelly with special appearances by Voletta Wallace and Afeni Shakur; the mothers of The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur respectively.

While Jay-Z had attested to a retirement from making new studio albums, various side projects and appearances soon followed. Included in these were a greatest hits record, mash-up projects and concert appearances with R. Kelly, Linkin Park and Phish.

Jay-Z was the executive producer of Fort Minor’s debut album The Rising Tied. Mike Shinoda got together with Jay-Z himself, as well as his Linkin Park bandmate Brad Delson, and they went over what tracks they thought should make the album.

Having been such a visible artist in the late 1990s through the early 2000s, Jay-Z has been the subject of more rap-related controversy than most artists in mainstream hip-hop. Some of these have been resolved, some are ongoing, and some have simply dissipated.

On October 27, 2005, Jay- Z headlined New York’s Power 105.1 annual concert, Powerhouse. The concert was entitled the “I Declare War” Concert leading to intense speculation in the weeks preceding the event to whom exactly Jay-Z would declare war on. As he had previously “declared war” on other artists taking lyrical shots at him at other events, many believed that the Powerhouse show would represent an all-out assault by Jay-Z upon his rivals. However, an anticipated response to subliminal shots taken by The Game and Cam’ron never materialized.

The theme of the concert was Jay-Z’s position as President and CEO of Def Jam, complete with an on-stage mock-up of the Oval Office. Many artists made appearances such as the old roster of Roc-A-Fella records artists, as well as Ne-Yo, Teairra Mari, T.I., Young Jeezy, Akon, Kanye West, Paul Wall, The LOX, and Diddy.

At the conclusion of the concert, Jay-Z put many arguments to rest to the surprise of hip-hop fans. Instead of declaring war, he declared that he was the “United Nations of this rap shit”. The most significant development in this show was closure to the infamous hip hop rivalry between Jay-Z and Nas. 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” from which “Dead Presidents” had sampled the vocals on the chorus. Nas’s verses were rapped over the “Dead Presidents” beat in the vein of a mix song done by DJ Statik Selektah. Nas also performed songs of his own later in the show.

Disagreements between other artists were also brought to a close (or put on hold) at the Powerhouse show. The event brought together for the first time in years, Diddy and The LOX, both having had a long-standing animosity due to a contract agreement and the latter’s departure from Bad Boy Entertainment. Shortly after the concert, the altercation was fully rectified.

The event also saw the return of Beanie Sigel from incarceration. There had been some speculation that Beanie Sigel was going to depart from Roc-A-Fella Records, but this concert proved otherwise. Beanie and The LOX’s Jadakiss also officially ended their own argument when they, Jay-Z, the rest of the LOX and Sauce Money (who had been thought to have some animosity towards Jay-Z, but this was also untrue) all performed the song “Reservoir Dogs”.

Jay-Z returned with his comeback album on November 21, 2006 titled Kingdom Come. Jay-Z’s comeback single, “Show Me What You Got”, was leaked on the Internet in early October 2006, scheduled to be released later on that month, received heavy air-play after its leak, causing the FBI to step in and investigate. Jay-Z worked with video director Hype Williams, and the single’s video was directed by F. Gary Gray (Friday, The Italian Job). The album features producers such as Just Blaze, Pharrell Williams, Kanye West, Dr. Dre and Coldplay’s Chris Martin (single entitled “Beach Chair”). This album has already sold 2 million copies in the U.S. alone. Jay-Z made a guest appearance on the Fall Out Boy album Infinity On High. In June 2007, Jay-Z got number one song on the Billboard Hot 100, Umbrella with Rihanna becoming his first number one since Crazy in Love with Beyoncé. Umbrella was at #1 for 7 weeks on the Hot 100. Jay-Z appeared on rapper T.I.’s album T.I. vs. T.I.P. on the song “Watch What You Say to Me”.

Jay-Z released his tenth album entitled American Gangster on November 6, 2007. After viewing the film, he was heavily inspired to create a new “concept” album that depicts his experiences as a street-hustler. This album will not be the film’s official soundtrack, even though it will be distributed by Def Jam. According to the XXL Magazine, which features Jay-Z on the cover, he gave further detail into “American Gangster.” Jay-Z’s “American Gangster” depicts his life in correlation to the movie American Gangster. Jay-Z reports, “When I saw the movie, the way Denzel portrayed the character, you know, we never seen a black guy ascend this high in a movie before, to being over the mob. So immediately that struck with me. Like, the success of it all. [...] I took that emotion and pulled it into my song. So it’s my own movie. I call it an indie film now – that’s my new shit. It’s the indie-film version of American Gangster.” It was announced on February 2, 2008 that Jay-Z will headline Glastonbury Festival in 2008, becoming the first major hip-hop artist to headline the British festival. He will also headline Hove Festival in Norway on June 23, and O2 Wireless Festival in London on July 3, 2008.

Apart from having been President and CEO of Def Jam Recordings, Jay-Z is also one of the owners and founders of the Roc-A-Fella empire, which includes Roc-A-Fella Records, Roc-La-Familia, Roc-A-Fella Films and Rocawear.

Jay-Z has also established himself as an entrepreneur like his fellow hip-hop-moguls, and friends, Russell Simmons, Dr. Dre and Sean “Diddy” Combs, who also have business holdings such as record companies and clothing lines. He redirected the hip hop culture from hooded sweatshirts and baggy jeans to button-ups and crisp jeans, and received GQ’s International Man of the Year award. Jay-Z announced on December 24, 2007 that he will not remain at Def Jam as the company’s President, and vacated the position effective of January 1, 2008.

Jay-Z co-founded Roc-A-Fella Records with partners Damon Dash and Kareem “Biggs” Burke. Def Jam purchased a 50% stake in the company in 1997 for a reported $1.5 million. In late 2004, Jay-Z, Dash and Biggs sold their remaining interests in Roc-A-Fella Records and the Def Jam Recordings by Island Def Jam chairman L. A. Reid. Reportedly this major industry move was prompted by disagreement between Jay-Z and Dash as to what new ventures Roc-A-Fella could undertake.

The publicized split between Jay-Z, Dash and Biggs led to the former partners sending jabs at each other in interviews. Dame Dash has made comments that after the break up he was portrayed as “Osama bin Laden” to ensure that rappers would stay with Jay-Z and not sign with him. Dash currently operates the recently-founded Dame Dash Music Group as a joint venture with Island Def Jam producing some former Roc-A-Fella artists.

In 1999, Jay-Z co-founded the urban clothing brand Rocawear with Roc-A-Fella Records partners Damon Dash and Kareem “Biggs” Burke. 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 co-founder Damon Dash. In March of 2007, Jay-Z sold the rights to the Rocawear brand to Iconix Brand Group, for $204 million. Jay-Z will retain his stake in the company and will continue to oversee the marketing, licensing and product development.

Jay-Z co-owns The 40/40 Club, an upscale sports bar that started in New York City and has since expanded to Atlantic City, NJ. Future plans will see 40/40 Clubs in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Singapore. Roc-A-Fella also distributes Armadale, a Scottish vodka, in the U.S.

On October 16, 2006, Jay-Z’s new commercial spot with Anheuser-Busch aired, featuring his latest single “Show Me What You Got”. Jay-Z will serve as co-brand director for Budweiser Select while collaborating with the company on strategic marketing programs and creative ad development. He will be providing direction on brand programs and ads that appear on TV, radio, print, and high-profile events.

Jay-Z is a part-owner of the New Jersey Nets NBA team paying a reported $4.5 million for his share. He is also interested in relocating the team to Brooklyn. In October 2005, he was reported in English media as considering buying a stake of Arsenal FC, an English football (soccer) team. However, at this point, this is still speculation. Jay-Z has invested in a real estate development venture called J Hotels which recently acquired a $66 million mid-block parcel in Chelsea, New York. Jay-Z and his partners are considering on constructing a high-end hotel or an art gallery building on the newly acquired site which has the potential to go up about 12 stories.

According to the New York Times, Jay-Z is finalizing a deal with concert promoter Live Nation for $150 million, one of the richest contracts ever awarded to a musician. This partnership, which will be named Roc Nation, will include financing for Jay-Z’s own entertainment ventures (which are expected to become a record label, talent/management agency, and music publishing company). Live Nation is expected to contribute $5 million a year in overhead for five years, with another $25 million available to finance Jay-Z’s acquisitions or investments. Roc Nation would then split profits with Live Nation. To finalize the deal, Jay-Z will depart from Def Jam Records after he turns in his last required album under his talent contract. Jay-Z is the first hip-hop artist to sign with Live Nation.

In 1999, Jay-Z was accused of stabbing record executive Lance “Un” Rivera for what Jay-Z perceived was Rivera’s bootlegging of Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter. The stabbing allegedly occurred at the record release party for Q-Tip’s debut solo album Amplified at the Kit Kat Klub, a now defunct night club in Times Square, New York City, on December 9. Jay-Z’s associates at the party were accused of causing a commotion within the club, which Jay-Z allegedly used as cover when he supposedly stabbed Rivera in the stomach with a five-inch (127 mm) blade.

Jay-Z initially denied the incident and pleaded not guilty when a grand jury returned the indictment. Jay-Z and his lawyers contended he was nowhere around Rivera during the incident and they had witnesses and videotape evidence from the club that showed Jay-Z’s whereabouts during the disturbance. Nevertheless, he later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge that resulted in a sentence of three years probation. Jay-Z makes reference to the trial and incident on his songs “Izzo (H.O.V.A.)”, on The Blueprint, “Threat”, on The Black Album, “I Did It My Way” on The Blueprint 2: The Curse, and “Dear Summer”, which was included in Memphis Bleek’s 2005 release 534. Nas references this on “Ether” with the lyrics: “your man stabbed ‘Un’ and made you take the blame.”

Jay-Z’s most public relationship to date has been with Beyoncé Knowles, member of Destiny’s Child and solo singer and actress. In 1998, Jay-Z was featured on a song by producer Timbaland, titled “Lobster & Scrimp”, which references Destiny’s Child’s first single “No, No, No”. His lyrics include “She said, ‘You’re stressin me now,’/Said, ‘No No No,’ then, ‘Yea yea yea’ like she Destiny’s Child.” In 1999, Jay-Z directed rapper Amil’s video for “I Got That”, in which Beyoncé was featured. In 2001, Jay-Z was featured on a song by Missy Elliott, titled “One Minute Man (Remix)”, in which he raps “Get your ‘Independent’ ass out of here – QUESTION?”, a reference to the Destiny’s Child 2000 single “Independent Women Part I”. 

Destiny’s Child was also seen in his 2001 video “Izzo (H.O.V.A.),” lip-syncing some of his raps. However, some fans mark their relationship as going public in their collaboration on “03 Bonnie & Clyde”, the first single off his 2002 album The Blueprint 2 – The Gift and the Curse. His lyrics include “Let’s lock this down like it’s supposed to be/ The ’03 Bonnie and Clyde, Hov and B.” Jay-Z returned the favor the next year on Beyoncé’s hit single “Crazy in Love” and as well as “That’s How You Like It” from her debut Dangerously in Love. On her second album, B-Day, he made appearances on the 2006 hits, “Deja Vu” and “Upgrade U”. In the video for the latter song, she comically imitates his appearance.

The couple generally avoids discussing their relationship. Beyoncé has stated that she believes that not publicly discussing their relationship has helped them. Jay-Z said in a People Magazine article, “We don’t play with our relationship.” They keep a low public profile despite being photographed at New Jersey Nets home games and while on vacation in Cannes in 2007. The pair were listed as a Power Couple on Time Magazine’s 100′s Most Influential People of 2006. On April 4, 2008, it was reported by People.com that Knowles and Jay-Z had been married at a private ceremony in New York City.

Joe Budden raised eyebrows on a remix of “Pump it Up” featuring Jay-Z where the rappers appeared to be “dissing” each other. This has led to speculations of bad blood between the two being a factor in the constant delays his second album has suffered, since Jay-Z was the President of Joe’s then parent label – Def Jam. However, both men have denied this. On the track “Talk 2 Em”, which leaked December 15, 2007, Budden took stabs at Jay-Z’s relevance as an artist and his abilities as Def Jam president. He said things like “No one’s buying your albums but you,” and, “Maybe it’s time to study your understudy.”

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