Biography | Jay Z

JAY Z

Born: Shawn Corey Carter, December 4, 1969 (age 45) Brooklyn, New York, U.S.

Occupation: Rapper, record producer, entrepreneur

Years active: 1990–present

Net worth: US$510–520 million (2014)[1]

Spouse(s): Beyoncé (m. 2008)

Children: 1

Website: lifeandtimes.com

Genres : Hip hop

Instruments: Vocals

Labels: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam, Roc Nation

Associated acts: Beyoncé, Foxy Brown, Jaz-O, Justin Timberlake, Kanye West, Linkin Park, Memphis Bleek, Pharrell Williams, R. Kelly, Rihanna, Big L, The Notorious B.I.G

He is one of the world's best-selling artists of all time, having sold more than 100 million records, while receiving 21 Grammy Awards for his musical work, and numerous additional nominations. Consistently ranked as one of the greatest rappers ever, he was ranked number one by MTV in their list of The Greatest MCs of All-Time in 2006.

As an entrepreneur and investor, Jay Z co-owns the 40/40 Club, and is the co-creator of the clothing line Rocawear. He is the former president of Def Jam Recordings, co-founder of Roc-A-Fella Records, and the founder of Roc Nation. He also founded the sports agency Roc Nation Sports and is a certified NBA and MLB sports agent.

Jay Z married American R&B singer Beyoncé in 2008. They have a daughter named Blue Ivy Carter, born January 7, 2012.

He and his three siblings were raised by their mother, Gloria Carter, after their father abandoned the family. He claims in his lyrics that in 1982, at the age of 12, he shot his older brother in the shoulder for stealing his jewelry. Carter attended Eli Whitney High School in Brooklyn, along with future rapper AZ, until it was closed down. After that he attended George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School in Downtown Brooklyn, with fellow future rappers The Notorious B.I.G. and Busta Rhymes, and Trenton Central High School in Trenton, New Jersey, but did not graduate. In his music he refers to having been involved in selling crack cocaine. He has also said he had been shot at three times during this time in his life.

According to his mother, Carter used to wake up his siblings at night banging out drum patterns on the kitchen table. Eventually, she bought him a boom box for his birthday, sparking his interest in music. He began freestyling, writing lyrics, and followed the music of many artists popular at the time. In his neighborhood, Carter was known as "Jazzy", a nickname that eventually developed into his showbiz/stage name, "Jay-Z".