JAY Z

From the rough end of Brooklyn, Jay-Z's rise to become a multi-millionaire rap star and a powerful record company executive is the stuff of fairy tales. Attending the same school as The Notorious B.I.G. and Busta Rhymes, his freestyle raps earned him the nickname Jazzy. He amended this to Jay-Z in homage to his mentor Jaz-O and the J/Z subway lines intersecting near his home.

Although he was featured on Big Daddy Kane's album 'Daddy's Home', he was unable to get a record deal at this stage of his career. As a result he formed Roc-A-Fella Records with Damon Dash and Kareem Biggs and released his debut album 'Reasonable Doubt' in 1996. His major breakthrough hit 'Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)' turned him into a superstar triggering a series of crossover hits, high profile collaborations and the bestselling album 'The Blueprint'. Jay-Z announced his retirement following 2003's 'The Black Album' and was named president of Def Jam Records. However, he returned with 'Kingdom Come' in 2006 and went on to score his biggest hit with the New York anthem 'Empire State of Mind' featuring Alicia Keys in 2009, which won two Grammy Awards in 2011. After a collaboration with M.I.A. on 'XXXO', he began focusing on solo projects, with 'Blueprint 3' being released in 2010 followed by 'Magna Carta Holy Grail' in 2013, the latter receiving nine Grammy nominations.

In 2017 Jay-Z announced, through a series of cryptic poster advertisements, his 14th studio album '4:44'. Produced by No I.D. the album features tracks with Frank Ocean, Damian Marley and Beyoncé.