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— CH. 1 · BROOKLYN ROOTS AND MARCY HOUSES —

Jay-Z

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  • Shawn Corey Carter entered the world on the 4th of December 1969 within Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. He grew up inside the Marcy Houses public housing project where his mother Gloria raised him and three older siblings after their father Adnis Reeves left the family in 1980. The absence of a father figure shaped much of his early identity during those formative years. At age twelve he claimed to have shot his brother Eric in the shoulder over stolen jewelry according to lyrics from his 1997 album In My Lifetime Vol. 1. This incident occurred in 1982 when Jay-Z was just starting to navigate life in East New York. He attended Eli Whitney High School and George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School before dropping out of Trenton Central High School during his sophomore year. During this period he sold crack cocaine and survived being shot at three times while walking through these streets. His former friend went to prison for possessing drugs and weapons which cast a long shadow over his youth. Known locally as Jazzy he later adopted the stage name Jay-Z to honor his mentor Jaz-O who guided his early musical development.

  • Jay-Z began recording music in the late 1980s alongside fellow New York City-based rapper Jaz-O. He co-founded Roc-A-Fella Records in 1995 with Damon Dame Dash and Kareem Biggs Burke to release his first two studio albums without major label support. The label started by selling burned CDs out of his car before striking distribution deals that allowed wider reach. Reasonable Doubt arrived in 1996 featuring beats from DJ Premier and Super DJ Clark Kent plus an appearance by The Notorious B.I.G. It reached number 23 on the Billboard 200 chart and earned gold certification within its first year. In My Lifetime Vol. 1 followed in 1997 with production from Sean Combs and Ski earning platinum status across the United States. These early releases established his complex lyricism style built around double entendres wordplay and braggadocio. The album Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life released in 1998 became his most commercially successful work at that time selling over five million copies worldwide. It won a Grammy Award though Jay-Z boycotted the ceremony protesting DMX's lack of nomination and the academy's decision not to broadcast urban music categories.

  • Jay-Z spoke out against Prodigy after he took issue with lyrics from Money Cash Hoes in 2001. Prodigy felt those lines disparaged his shared dispute with Mobb Deep against Tupac Shakur Snoop Dogg and Death Row Records. At Summer Jam 2001 Jay-Z performed Takeover which served as a diss track targeting Nas Prodigy and Mobb Deep. He brought Michael Jackson onto stage during this concert while delivering lines referencing Nas who had criticized him on We Will Survive. A feud erupted between the two rappers until it ended by 2005 when record producer Mark Pitts helped settle their differences. On the 11th of September 2001 Jay-Z released The Blueprint which received a five-mic review from hip-hop magazine The Source. Written in just two days the album sold more than 427,000 copies debuting at number one on the Billboard 200. Four tracks were produced by Kanye West including Renegade featuring Eminem. The album reached double platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America and has since been selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry. In October 2001 Jay-Z pleaded guilty to aggravated assault for stabbing record producer Lance Rivera at the Kit Kat Klub in New York City.

  • Jay-Z became president and chief executive officer of Def Jam Recordings from 2004 to 2007 helping launch careers of Rihanna Ne-Yo and Kanye West. He co-founded Rocawear clothing retailer in 1999 selling rights to Iconix Brand Group for $204 million in March 2007 while retaining his stake. The 40/40 Club luxury bar chain opened in 2003 expanding to Atlantic City Chicago and eventually Las Vegas before closing that location due to declining attendance. Roc Nation launched as a multi-disciplinary entertainment agency in 2008 serving as both record label and talent management firm. In 2015 he acquired Aspiro Norwegian media technology company operating Tidal streaming service for $56 million. This move aimed to restore value to music by launching an artist-owned platform combining audio videos with curated editorial content. By 2019 Jay-Z became hip-hop's first billionaire through ventures spanning beverages real estate sports teams and record labels. His net worth reached $2.6 billion as of 2025 making him the richest musician alive today. He invested $200 million in Armand de Brignac champagne gaining full ownership of the gold bottle brand known among high-profile artists.

  • Jay-Z and singer Beyoncé Knowles collaborated on '03 Bonnie & Clyde released in 2002 appearing together on Crazy in Love the following year. They kept a low profile while dating until marrying the 4th of April 2008 in a private ceremony held in Tribeca New York City. Their relationship became public record on the 22nd of April 2008 though Beyoncé did not reveal her US$5 million Lorraine Schwartz-designed wedding ring until the 5th of September 2008 at Fashion Rocks concert. Since their marriage they generally avoid discussing their relationship publicly believing this approach helps maintain privacy. Blue Ivy Carter born the 7th of January 2012 at Lenox Hill Hospital became youngest person in Billboard history charting at two days old via Glory song dedicated to her birth. Twins Rumi and Sir arrived the 18th of June 2017 confirmed by Mathew Knowles Beyoncé's father. The couple purchased an $88 million home in Bel Air Los Angeles later buying a Malibu residence designed by architect Tadao Ando for $200 million establishing California's most expensive sale record. Plans emerged in 2025 for permanent relocation to United Kingdom Cotswolds region following Beyoncé's transition into country music.

  • On the 2nd of December 1999 Jay-Z allegedly stabbed Lance Un Rivera in the stomach with a blade during release party for Q-Tip album Amplified at Kit Kat Klub nightclub in Times Square New York City. He surrendered to police the next evening placed under arrest then released on $50,000 bail before pleading not guilty in Manhattan Criminal Court late January 2000. Witnesses claimed he was nowhere near Rivera yet he eventually pleaded guilty accepting three-year probation sentence instead of prison time. In 2023 Rivera stated Jay-Z lied claiming he wasn't actually the one who stabbed him noting it never fit his history. Nas also claimed years earlier that Jay-Z took blame for someone else stabbing Un during their feud. An anonymous woman identified as Jane Doe filed lawsuit October 2024 accusing two celebrities sexual assault at MTV Video Music Awards after-party in 2000 naming Jay-Z defendant months later. She acknowledged mistakes in recollection details while maintaining core accusation true despite inconsistencies including father pickup claim and Benji Madden attendance dispute. Photographs showed Jay-Z and Combs separate after-parties though precise whereabouts remain unverified. The suit officially dropped the 14th of February 2025 voluntarily dismissed without settlement allowing no future refiling.

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Common questions

When and where was Jay-Z born?

Shawn Corey Carter entered the world on the 4th of December 1969 within Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. He grew up inside the Marcy Houses public housing project in New York City.

What happened when Jay-Z was twelve years old?

At age twelve he claimed to have shot his brother Eric in the shoulder over stolen jewelry according to lyrics from his 1997 album In My Lifetime Vol. 1. This incident occurred in 1982 when Jay-Z was just starting to navigate life in East New York.

How did Jay-Z start his music career and what label did he co-found?

Jay-Z began recording music in the late 1980s alongside fellow New York City-based rapper Jaz-O. He co-founded Roc-A-Fella Records in 1995 with Damon Dame Dash and Kareem Biggs Burke to release his first two studio albums without major label support.

Why did Jay-Z plead guilty to aggravated assault in October 2001?

In October 2001 Jay-Z pleaded guilty to aggravated assault for stabbing record producer Lance Rivera at the Kit Kat Klub in New York City. He accepted a three-year probation sentence instead of prison time after surrendering to police the next evening.

When did Jay-Z marry Beyoncé and how many children do they have?

They married on the 4th of April 2008 in a private ceremony held in Tribeca New York City. Their children include Blue Ivy Carter born the 7th of January 2012 and twins Rumi and Sir who arrived the 18th of June 2017.

What legal issues involving Jay-Z were resolved in February 2025?

An anonymous woman identified as Jane Doe filed a lawsuit in October 2024 accusing Jay-Z of sexual assault but officially dropped the suit on the 14th of February 2025 voluntarily dismissed without settlement allowing no future refiling.

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