Rapper, music producer, actor, dad – Jay-Z does just about everything! Find out more cool stuff about this larger than life celeb in Kidzworld’s Jay-Z Fun Facts!
Did You Know...
- Jay-Z is a stage name (obviously), his real name is Shawn Corey Knowles-Carter (that’s right he took on Beyonce’s name after marriage)
- He married R&B superstar and diva Beyonce Knowles in 2008
- Shawn Carter grew up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn
- Jay-Z’s mom said he used to keep his siblings up by banging out rhythms on everything, so she eventually got her son a boom box which inspired him to start writing lyrics
- In 2012 Forbes magazine estimated his net worth at $500 million
- His stage name Jay-Z actually comes from his childhood nickname, “Jazzy,” and partly from his musical mentor Jaz-O
- Jay-Z can be heard on some of Jaz-O’s tracks, like “Hawaiian Sophie” and “The Originators”
- He went to the same high school as The Notorious B.I.G. and Busta Rhymes
- His first official rap single was “In My Lifetime”
- Before he landed a record deal, Jay-Z sold his music out of his car, and by ’95 found two partners to go in on Roc-A-Fella Records with him and came out with the record Reasonable Doubt
- By ’97 Def Jam helped Jay-Z reach a wider audience and he released the album In My Lifetime, Vol.1 which went on to become platinum in the U.S.
- He was born December 4th, 1969
- In 1998 he released Vol.2...Hard Knock Life which featured the ultra-popular singles “Hard Knock Life” and “Can I Get A...” featuring Ja Rule and Amil
- He has received 17 Grammy Awards for his musical work
- Jay-Z performed a duet with Mariah Carey in 1999, “Heartbreaker”
- He had a feud with rapper Nas
- Jay-Z “retired” in 2003 after his Back to Black album, and the documentary Fade to Black focuses on his potential last performance at Madison Square Gardens
- He returned in 2006 with the comeback album Kingdom Come after leaving Def Jam Records
- Jay-Z has said that he was influenced by his parents soul records, like Marvin Gaye and Donna Hathaway
- Jay-Z co-created the clothing line Rocawear
- He used to be CEO of Def Jam Records, and went on to found Roc-A-Fella Records and Roc Nation
- His daughter Blue Ivy Carter was born in January 2012
- He published a memoir called Decoded in 2010
- He is a part owner of the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets
- Jay-Z was ranked #1 in MTV’s Greatest MC’s of All Time
- Rolling Stone rated him the 88th Greatest Artist of All Time
- Jay-Z is featured on “Suit and Tie” off Justin Timberlake’s album 20/20
- He is currently working on his 12th studio album which is rumoured to feature R&B singer Frank Ocean
- In 2013 he plans to launch his own sports agency, Roc Nation Sports
Jay-Z with daughter Blue Ivy
Check out Jay-Z's unforgettable homage to his hometown, "Empire State of Mind" (featuring Alicia Keys) below!
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