Jay-Z
Birthday: December 4, 1969 (age 38)Bio
Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969) better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is a rapper and current 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 basketball team.
Known for his smooth flow and blending of street and popular style, he can compose lyrics without the use of pen and paper. His critically acclaimed album, The Blueprint, was allegedly written in only two days. After Jay-Z announced 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.
His albums include Reasonable Doubt (1996), In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 (1997), Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life (1998), Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter (1999), The Dynasty: Roc La Familia (2000), The Blueprint (2001), The Blueprint²: The Gift & the Curse (2002), The Black Album (2003), Collision Course (2004), Kingdom Come (2006) and American Gangster (2007).
Jay-Z is an award-winning rap artist, but is perhaps better known as one of the most financially successful entrepreneurs in America.
Along with Damon "Dame" Dash and Kareem "Biggs" Burke, Jay-Z was one of the founders of Roc-A-Fella Records, a hip hop record label. Jay-Z is the richest hip hop Entertainer (followed by Sean "Puffy" Combs, a.k.a. Diddy), with a net-worth estimated at more than $500 million.
