Biography

Born Shawn Corey Carter, JAŸ-Z is a globally celebrated music artist, rapper, philanthropist and entrepreneur. JAŸ-Z’s meteoric rise to international fame followed the release of his debut album, "Reasonable Doubt," in 1996. Since then, he has built an iconic career in the music and entertainment industry, establishing businesses and receiving numerous accolades for his work.

JAŸ-Z is co-founder and Chairman of Roc Nation. Established in 2008 as a record label, Roc Nation has become the world's most prominent entertainment company, gaining esteem for creating and launching the careers and brand deals of its elite clients, including music sensations Rihanna, Lil Uzi Vert, Christina Aguilera, and Megan Thee Stallion. Throughout Roc Nation's evolution, JAŸ-Z has played a pivotal role in its ongoing success at the forefront of the entertainment industry, bringing in talent and maintaining partnerships with major organizations, including the National Football League (NFL). Since 2019, Roc Nation has served as the NFL’s Live Music Entertainment Strategist, producing and curating the Super Bowl halftime show, including the 2026 show headlined by Bad Bunny.

Before the creation of Roc Nation, JAŸ-Z founded his first record label, Roc-A-Fella, in 1994, under which he released his first two albums. JAŸ-Z's cross-industry business ventures also include establishing clothing companies Rocawear and Paper Planes in 1997 and 2014, respectively. Further expanding his business portfolio, he acquired luxury spirits brand Armand de Brignac in 2014. JAŸ-Z is a co-owner of the music streaming service, TIDAL, and is a majority owner of the upscale lounge and bar, The 40/40 Club. He has also helped expand Roc Nation into sports management, representing professional athletes. JAŸ-Z conceptualized and hosted the Made in America festival, a historic, two-day event that first took place in 2012. Uplifting local businesses while promoting music and community in Philadelphia, Made in America brought in over $10 million in economic impact, attracting more than 80,000 festival attendees in its first year.

Regarded as one of the greatest hip-hop artists of all time, JAŸ-Z has been regularly recognized for his visionary music and artistic production. He was the first rapper to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2017, and the first living solo hip-hop artist inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2021. JAŸ-Z has won 21 BET Hip-Hop Awards, six Billboard Music Awards and three American Music Awards. He has won 25 GRAMMY Awards and received 89 nominations, making him one of the most awarded and nominated artists in GRAMMY history. Additionally, he has won nine BET Awards and two Emmy Awards for producing and directing Super Bowl halftime shows. In 2023, the immersive "Book Of HOV: A Tribute to Jay-Z" exhibit was held in celebration of his life at the Brooklyn Public Library, winning a Webby Award in 2024. JAŸ-Z also co-produced the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical "Fela!" alongside Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith.

An influential figure in music and pop culture, JAŸ-Z was honored at the 2024 GRAMMYs as the second recipient of the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award for his achievements, impact on hip-hop music and support for Black artists. During his acceptance speech, he advocated for greater fairness in award recognition. The following year, JAŸ-Z's album "Reasonable Doubt" was announced as one of the newest inductee recordings to the GRAMMY Hall of Fame. In recent years, his influence has continued both on and off the charts. He was ranked among Billboard’s Top Songwriters of the 21st Century in 2025 on the Hot 100, while his earlier work has remained culturally relevant, including a Cardi B release that sampled his 1997 track "Imaginary Players" and charted on the Billboard Hot 100.

Alongside these milestones, JAŸ-Z has remained selectively active in music, contributing guest verses to projects such as DJ Khaled’s 2026 album "Aalam of God" and returning to the stage as a headliner of the 2026 Roots Picnic. The excitement surrounding JAŸ-Z's return to the stage continued with sold-out shows at Yankee Stadium in July and later in Paris and Los Angeles in the fall of 2026.

JAŸ-Z's impact extends beyond the music. He has both created and supported many philanthropic organizations, particularly those surrounding social justice. Within Roc Nation, JAŸ-Z is actively involved in the company's charitable efforts through its philanthropic entity, Team Roc. He is a founding partner of REFORM Alliance, which supports initiatives around transforming the justice system's probation and parole policies to create real pathways after imprisonment. He also maintains a seat on the Advisory Board for the United Justice Coalition. In 2002, JAŸ-Z and his mother, Dr. Gloria Carter, created The Shawn Carter Foundation to assist individuals facing socio-economic hardships in tapping into their potential through higher education.
- IMDb mini biography by: J.M.

I'm not a businessman, I'm a business, man.

I come from the Marcy projects, in Brooklyn, which is considered a tough place to grow up, but this [showed me] how good we have it. The rappers who say, 'We're from the 'hood,' take it from me, you're not from the 'hood. You haven't seen people with no access to water. It really put things in perspective. - [His thoughts regarding trip taken to Africa in 2006 on his first world tour, where he discovered that 1.1 billion people don't have clean drinking water.]

[on his marriage to Beyoncé]This is my real life. I just ran into this place and we built this big beautiful mansion of a relationship that wasn't totally built on the 100 percent truth and it starts cracking. Things start happening that the public can see.Then we had to get to a point of, Okay, tear this down and let's start from the beginning.It's the hardest thing I've ever done.

[on why he played 4:44, his new album for Beyoncé before anyone else]We just got to a place where, in order for this to work, this can't be fake. Not one ounce. I'm not saying it wasn't uncomfortable because obviously it was.