Home TV Radio Talk Where I Live A-Z Index

28 May 2006  Text only Accessibility help  BBC Homepage Latest » Album Of The Week: Pet Shop Boys; Proms 2006 Music »  Artist Profiles

Music  News  Reviews  Listen  Gigs/Concerts  TV/Radio  Artist Profiles  Features  In Your Area About the BBC Contact Us Help Like this page? Send it to a friend!

everything you need to know about Jay-Z Brooklyn born rapper Jay-Z, real name Shawn Carter, is undeniably one of the biggest names in recent rap history. After a street-hardened childhood, he went on to start Roc-A-Fella Records with Damon Dash and Kareem "Biggs" Burke. He has rolled out hit album after hit album ever since, collaborating with anyone who's anyone along the way. Listen [in RealAudio] need audio help? 99 Problems from The Black Album (9861556) Change Clothes from The Black Album (9861556) Born: 1969 "Anything I set out to do, I set out to be the best. And as far as rap, I don’t feel like anyone can do what I do better." Listen to BBC 1Xtra's audio biography of Jay-Z within bbc.co.uk music: Jay-Z biography Jay-Z discography Profiles A-Z elsewhere on bbc.co.uk: Jay-Z minisite on TOTP Jay-Z news at Radio 1 elsewhere on the web: Roc-A-Fella records The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites. JAY-Z IN ONE MINUTE Jay-Z began releasing records in the late 80s, funding himself by hustling on the street. He wrote, produced and directed the semi-autobiographical short film 'Streets Is Watching' in 1998. His single "Hard Knock Life" featured a sample from the musical 'Annie'. He has a long running, antagonistic lyrical feud with rapper Nas. He guested on Beyoncé's summer 2003 classic "Crazy In Love", as well as the Neptunes' "Frontin'". Jay-Z won 4 MTV Awards for the "99 Problems" video in 2004. The Black Album was remixed by DJ Dangermouse using samples from The Beatles' White Album to produce The Grey Album, and was in turn downloaded by hundreds of thousands of fans. He has vowed that The Black Album will be his last. related by time: Eminem P Diddy related by location: Foxy Brown Notorious B.I.G. related by genre: Urban news, reviews and listings The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites. Jay-Z GOOD RECORDINGS Reasonable Doubt (1996, Roc-A-Fella) An honest, brash debut depiction of street-life. The Blueprint (2001, Roc-A-Fella) Fresh beats, flawless rhymes. His masterpiece. The Black Album (2004, Roc-A-Fella) A final blend of poignancy and prowess. More Like This? Try the artists by A-Z page (listed by surname or group name) or find artists grouped by genre of music Artist Search: Search for profiles, biographies and discographies on 15 000 artists across all genres. Enter a name: Album Search Advanced Classical Search How to get about the Music site: Music: for all the latest happenings in the world of music Home | News | Reviews | Concerts/Gigs | TV/Radio More Music: delving a little deeper into the world around music Profiles | Features Search: If you're looking for a particular artist, composer, or group Try the search box to the right, or the Artist Profiles. Music » Artist Profiles All pictures are copyrighted - picture credits

About the BBC | Help | Terms of Use | Privacy & Cookies Policy