IntroductionofJay-Z:

　　ShawnCoreyCarter(bornDecember4,1969),[1]betterknownashisstagename,Jay-Z,isanAmericanhiphopartistandbusinessman.HeistheformerCEOofDefJamRecordings[2]andRoc-A-FellaRecords.Heco-ownsThe40/40ClubandtheNewJerseyNets.HeisoneofthemostfinanciallysuccessfulhiphopartistsandentrepreneursinAmerica,[3]havingsoldover26millionunitsintheUnitedStatesandreceivingseveralGrammyAwardsforhismusicalwork.[4]Alongwithhisfinancialandmusicalsuccess,Jay-Zisknownforbeinginvolvedinmanyquarrelswithotherartistintherapindustry,themostwellknownbeingbetweenhimandfellowNewYorkrapperNas,whichwaseventuallysettledin2005.

　　Jay-Z'scrowningachievement,hisdebutalbumReasonableDoubt,isrankedbyRollingStoneas#248onits"500GreatestAlbumsofAllTime".Hiscriticallyacclaimedalbum,TheBlueprint,waswritteninonlytwodays.[5]Afterannouncinghisretirementfromrecordingmusicin2003,hereturnedinlate2006withthealbumKingdomCome,whichsold680,000copiesinitsfirstweek,Jay-Z'shighest-sellingalbuminaone-weekperiod.[6]MTVnamedhimnumberoneontheirlistofthegreatestMCsofalltime.[3]InApril2008,Jay-ZwasreportedlyonthevergeofapartnershipwithLiveNationfor$150million—amongthemostexpensivecontractseverawardedtoamusician.CartermarriedBeyoncéKnowlesonApril4,2008.[8]

　　Earlyyears

　　OriginallyfromMarcyHouseshousingprojectintheBedford-StuyvesantneighborhoodofBrooklyninNewYorkCity,[9]Jay-ZwasabandonedbyhisfatherAdnesReevesandshothisbrotherintheshoulderforstealinghisjewelry[10]whenhewastwelveyearsold.[11]Jay-ZattendedEliWhitneyHighSchoolinBrooklyn,alongwithrapperAZ,untilitwascloseddown.AfterthatheattendedGeorgeWestinghouseInformationTechnologyHighSchoolinDowntownBrooklyn,withfellowrappersTheNotoriousB.I.G.andBustaRhymes,andTrentonCentralHighSchoolinTrenton,NewJersey,butdidnotgraduate.[12]Heclaimstohavebeencaughtupinsellingdrugs,towhichherefersinhismusic.[11]

　　Jay-ZwithafriendinTrenton,NewJersey,circa1988.AccordingtohismotherGloriaCarter,ayoungJay-Zusedtowakehissiblingsupatnightbangingoutdrumpatternsonthekitchentable.Eventually,sheboughthimaboomboxforhisbirthdayandthussparkedhisinterestinmusic.Hebeganfreestyling,writingrhymes,andfollowedthemusicofmanyartistspopularatthetime.ItisstatedthathebeatBustaRhymesinarapbattle,butalsohaslosttoDMX.Ontopofthat,BoneThugs-N-HarmonymemberBizzyBonewassnatchedbyhisemployerandtakentoNewYorktobattleJay-Z;Bizzyreportedlywasvictoriousinthebattle.[citationneeded]

　　Inhisneighborhood,Carterwasknownas"Jazzy",anicknamethateventuallydevelopedintohisstagename,"Jay-Z".Themonikerisalsoanhomagetohismusicalmentor,Jaz-O(a.k.a.Jaz,BigJaz),aswellastotheJ/ZsubwaylinesthathaveastopatMarcyAvenueinBrooklyn.[9]

　　Jay-ZcanbeheardonseveralofJaz-O'searlyrecordingsinthelate1980sandearly1990s,including"TheOriginators"and"HawaiianSophie".HiscareerhadajumpstartwhenhebattledarapperbythenameofZai.Thebattlecaughttheeyeofmanyrecordlabels,asJay-ZwasabletoholdhisownagainstZai.Hefirstbecameknowntoawideaudiencebybeingfeaturedonthepossecut"ShowandProve"onthe1994Bi