Jay-Z
Real name: Shawn Corey Carter
Birthday: December 4, 1969
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY

Jay-z Biography:
Jay-Z was born Shawn Corey Carter, on December 4, 1969 and was raised in the Marcy Projects of Brooklyn, New York. 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. During his school days, he befriended a young Christopher Wallace, who grew up to be known as the Notorious B.I.G.

In 1990, he appeared on records by his close friend Jaz ("The Originators") and Original Flavor ("Can I Get Open’), and later scored an underground hit single with 1995"s "In My Lifetime".

As a hustler in his rough neighborhood, Jay-Z used his money to finance a career in music and followed his confident instincts by starting his own record label at a time when this practice simply wasn’t done on such an ambitious scale. His label, Roc-A-Fella, took a lot of work from him. He first got a deal with Payday Records for distribution, but he soon realised how terrible that deal was and ran out. He then quickly got a deal with Priority, who published and distributed ‘Reasonable Doubt’. Roc-A-Fella became a marketable brand itself, spawning a lucrative clothing line Roca Wear.

Jay-Z set-up his own Roc-A-Fella imprint in 1996 with entrepreneur Damon Dash and Kareem "Biggs" Burke. He then quickly got a deal with Priority, who published and distributed “Reasonable Doubt” his debut set, witch went on to achieve gold sales and produced the US number 50 pop single "Ain’t No Nigga"/"Dead Presidents", featuring future rap star Foxy Brown. The follow-up “In My Lifetime, Vol. 1” was released in the aftermath of Notorious B.I.G.’s murder, and debuted at US number 3 in November 1997. Featuring guest appearances from Puff Daddy, Lil’ Kim, Too Short, BLACKstreet and DJ Premier, this sombre and intensely personal album included the stand-out tracks "You Must Love Me" and "Where I’m From".

Although in demand as a guest artist, Jay-Z found the time to write, produce, and direct the semi-autobiographical short Streets Is Watching. The gold-selling soundtrack introduced several of Roc-A-Fella’s rising stars, including Memphis Bleek. With his third album, “Vol. 2 : Hard Knock Life”, Jay-Z answered his critics, creating an album full of guest superstar rappers like DMX, Too Short, and Jermaine Dupri, and the hottest producers of the moment like Swizz Beatz and Timbaland as well as making sure to include a small handful of radio-ready singles.

“Hard Knock Life” became the rapper’s breakthrough album, selling over 300,000 copies in just its first week before going on to sell several hundred thousand more copies thanks to a series of massive hits : "Money Ain’t a Thang," " Can I Get A... ," "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)," and "Cash, Money, Hoes."

In 1999, Jay-Z began launching the careers of the artists on his Roc-a-Fella label : DJ Clue ?, Beanie Sigel, and Memphis Bleek. He also released his fourth album, “Vol. 3 : Life and Times of S. Carter” , which sold a staggering number of units and generated multiple singles. The Vol 3 was a confident album that found Jay-Z moving away from the somewhat formulaic approach of his previous album. Jay-Z went on tour along with DMX, Method Man & Redman. There were plenty of guest rappers on the ’Hard Knock Life Tour’ and it became the most successful rap tour for years.

Jay-Z made a strong comeback in late 2000 with his next album, “The Dynasty : Roc la Familia”, which was aided enormously by the phenomenal success of its Neptunes-produced lead single, "I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)." This album’s commercial success once again affirmed Jay-Z’s reign over the rap game. Jay-Z’s remarkable roll continued with 2001’s “The Blueprint”, another stellar work putting him out front as the current leader of the genre...

Jay-z Discography:

Jay-Z albums:
1996: Reasonable Doubt
1997: In My Lifetime, Vol. 1
1998: Streets Is Watching (Soundtrack)
1998: Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life
1999: Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter
2000: The Dynasty: Roc La Familia
2001: The Blueprint
2001: Unplugged
2002: The Best of Both Worlds (with R. Kelly)
2002: The Blueprint 2: The Gift and the Curse
2002: The Blueprint 2.1
2003: The Black Album
2004: Unfinished Business (with R. Kelly)
2004: Collision Course (with Linkin Park)
2006: Kingdom Come
2007: Jay-Z American Gangster

Jay-Z Miscellaneous tracks :

If I Can’t (Remix) -50 Cent
I Miss You (Remix) -Aaliyah
4 Da Fam -Amil
Heard it All Before -Amil
That’s Right -Amil
Be Alone No More -Another Level
Playa -Beanie Sigel
Still Got Love For You -Beanie Sigel
Think It’s a Game -Beanie Sigel
Raw and Uncut -Beanie Sigel
Crazy in Love -Beyonce
That’s How You Like It -Beyonce
Show and Prove -Big Daddy Kane
For My Thugs -Big Kap + Flex
Da Graveyard -Big L
Call Me (Hip-Hop Mix) -BlackStreet
Love & Life Intro -Blige Mary J.
Why We Die -Busta Rhymes

Welcome to New York City -Cam’Ron
Heartbreak -Carey, Mariah
All of My Days -Changing Faces
Hell Yeah (Remix) -Dead Prez
Change the Game (Remix) -DJ Clue
Gangsta Shit -DJ Clue
Jay-Z Freestyle -DJ Clue
Road Dawgs -DJ Clue
H.O.V.A. -DJ Envy
Blackout -DMX
Bonnie & Clyde Part II -Foxy Brown
I’ll Be -Foxy Brown
What We Do -Freeway
You Got Me -Freeway
Jay-Z Freestyle -Funkmaster Flex
Intro (7th Deadly Sin) -Ice-T
You Rock My World (Remix) -Jackson, M.
Always On Time (Remix) -Ja Rule
It’s Murda -Ja Rule
Kill ’Em All -Ja Rule
Foundation -The Jaz a.k.a. Big Jaz
Fun -The Jaz
Hawaiian Sophie -The Jaz
Let’s Go -Jaz-O
The Originators -The Jaz
Money Ain’t a Thing -Jermaine Dupri
Keep it Real -Jon B
Ha (Jay-Z Remix) -Juvenile

Never Let Me Down -Kanye West
Storm -Kravitz, Lenny
4 My Niggaz -Lil’ Cease
Big Momma Thang -Lil’ Kim
Queen Bitch 2 (Remix) -Lil’ Kim
So Right (rmx) -The LOX
Mi Amor -Martinez, Angie
Cheat On You -Mase
1, 2 Y’all -Memphis Bleek
All Types of Shit -Memphis Bleek
Change Up -Memphis Bleek
Do My -Memphis Bleek
Everything’s a Go -Memphis Bleek
Is That Yo Chick ? -Memphis Bleek
Is That .. (The Lost..) -Memphis Bleek
Murda Murda -Memphis Bleek
My Mind Right (Remix) -Memphis Bleek
P.Y.T. -Memphis Bleek
What You Think of That -Memphis Bleek
Single Life -Mic Geronimo
Time to Build -Mic Geronimo
Back in the Day -Missy Elliott
One Minute Man (Remix) -Missy Elliott
Wake Up -Missy Elliott
4 Alarm Blaze -M.O.P.
Count it Off -Ms. Jade
Holla Holla (Remix) -The Murderers
Best of Me (Holla Main Mix) -Mya

I Love the Dough -Notorious B.I.G.
Bonafied -O.C.
No Love Lost -O’Neal, Shaquille
Can I Get Open -Original Flavor
Flip Flop Rock -OutKast
Beware of the Boys -Panjabi MC
Do You Like It, Do You Want It -Puff Daddy
Young G’s -Puff Daddy
It’s Obvious -Rell
All of My Days -R. Kelly
Fiesta (Remix) -R. Kelly
We Ride -R. Kelly
Face Off 2000 -Sauce Money
Pre-Game -Sauce Money
Get Out -Scarface
Guess Who’s Back -Scarface
I Don’t Wanna Be Alone (Remix) -Shai
You Know What We Bout -Silkk the Shocker
Lollipop -Snoop Dogg
Jay-Z -Sway & King Tech
You’re the One (Special Mix)- SWV

Get By (Remix) -Talib Kweli
Lobster and Scrimp -Timbaland
Party People -Timbaland & Magoo
Here We Go (J.D. Remix) -Too $hort
Frontin’ -Williams, Pharrell
Never Take Me Alive -Young Gunz
Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop (Remix) -Young Gunz

Jay-z Filmography:
Streets Is Watching (1998)
Hard Knock Life (2000)
State Property (2002)
Paper Soldiers (2002)
Fade To Black (2004)

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