Shawn Corey Carter, known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper and entrepreneur. Born and raised in New York City, he was named the greatest rapper of all time by Billboard and Vibe in 2023. He served as the president and chief executive officer of Def Jam Recordings from 2004 to 2007 before founding the entertainment company, Roc Nation the following year.
As a protégé of fellow New York City-based rapper Jaz-O, Jay-Z began his musical career in the late 1980s; he co-founded the record label Roc-A-Fella Records in 1994 to release his first two studio albums Reasonable Doubt and In My Lifetime, Vol. 1, both of which were met with critical acclaim. His following albums, including The Blueprint, The Black Album, American Gangster, and 4:44 each debuted atop the Billboard 200; Jay-Z holds the record for the most number-one albums of any solo artist on the chart. He has also released the collaborative albums The Best of Both Worlds and Unfinished Business with singer R. Kelly, Collision Course with Linkin Park, Watch the Throne with Kanye West, and Everything Is Love with his wife Beyoncé.