Biographic - Sunday March 8, 2015 Comic Strip Licensing and Permissions

Transcript

Shawn Corey Carter was born on December 4, 1969, and raised in the tough marcy projects of Brooklyn, New York. He attended the same school as Busta Rhymes and Notorious B.I.G where he developed an interest in music and freestyle rap. By 1990, his nickname "Jazzy" had developed into his stage name Jay Z, and he began to make appearances on records. Scoring an underground hit wiht the 1995 single "In My Lifetime." he opted not to sign with a major label and formed his own record label, Roc-A-Fella. It was the start of an empire that has made him one of the richest moguls in music. His first two albums established Jay Z as one of raps fastest rising stars, but it was 1998s multiplatinum "Vol 2... Hard Knock Life." Propelled by the hit singles "Can I Get A..." "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)" the letter sampling the familiar "Annie" show tune- that boosted him to superstar status. It was the first of him 13 chart-topping albums to date! He has also collaborated on hits with a panoply of stars, from DMX to Mary J. Bleige, from The Spice Girls to Mariah Carey, and from Justin Timberlake to Kanye West... as well as the superstar who went to become his wife, Beyonce Knowles. He has earned multiple awards, including 21 Grammys. His role as music mogul, heading up Roc-A-Fella and later Def Jam, he has launched the careers of the likes of Rhianna and Ne-yo. His business interests range from Clothing lines- he founded the hugely successful brand Rocawear- to real estate and upscale sports management, launching his own agency.

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