• Jay-Z is a Grammy Award winning rapper and entrepreneur. He has sold over 33 million hip-hop albums worldwide. Jay-Z left Def Jam records in May of 2009, and began working out a contract with Sony Records soon thereafter. Leaving Def Jam cost him a reported $5 million, but he will remain in control of all his master recordings.Reuters: Rapper Jay-Z Close to a Deal with Sony (May 27, 2009)

  TMZ reported on August 19, 2009 that Jay-Z's body guard has been charged for his conduct in a confrontation with a television reporter in Croatia.http://www.tmz.com/2009/08/19/jay-zs-bodyguard-charged-for-tripod-toss/http://www.tmz.com/2009/08/19/jay-z-flips-after-his-bodyguard-fights-with-pap/

• 1. Name: Shawn Corey Carter
  2. Born: December 4, 1969
  3. Birth place: Brooklyn, New York
  4. Years active: 1989 - 2003, 2006 - present
  5. Spouse: Beyonce Knowles
  6. 1. 2008 earnings
     : $82 millionTV Guide: Jennifer Aniston Earned $27 Million in 2008 (April 9, 2008)
  7. Grammy Awards: Seven wins, 25 nominations
  8. Part owner of the New Jersey Nets NBA team
  9. Former CEO of Def Jam Recordings
  10. Co-founded Rocawear clothing in 1999
  11. Hosted a concert in Washington, D.C. the day before Barack Obama's inauguration

• Jay-Z and Chris Brown

  Jay-Z was reportedly angry at Chris Brown for his alleged assault of Rihanna on February 8, 2009. An unnamed source told Us Weekly magazine that, upon hearing the news, Jay-Z "hit the roof." The source went on to say: "Chris is a walking dead man. He messed with the wrong crew."Rap Basement: Jay-Z Vowes Revenge (February 11, 2009)

• Retirement

  Jay-Z announced his retirement from the music industry in 2003, but made a comeback just three years later with the album Kingdom Come selling 680,000 copies the first week.

• Notable Singles

  • 1998: "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)"
  • 1999: "Big Pimpin"
  • 2001: "Izzo (H.O.V.A)"
  • 2002: "03 Bonnie & Clyde"
  • 2003: "Excuse Me Miss"
  • 2003: "Change Clothes"
  • 2003: "99 Problems"
  • 2003: "Show Me What You Got"
  • 2007: "Blue Magic"
  • 2008: "I Know"

• Studio Albums

  • 1996: Reasonable Doubt
  • 1997: In My Lifetime, Vol. 1
  • 1998: Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life
  • 1999: Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter
  • 2000: The Dynasty: Roc La Familia
  • 2001: The Blueprint
  • 2002: 'The Blueprint²: The Gift & the Curse
  • 2003: The Black Album
  • 2006: Kingdom Come
  • 2007: American Gangster
  • 2009: The Blueprint 3

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