50 Fun Facts About Jay-Z

What is Jay-Z's birth name?

Carter borrowed his stage name from his mentor Jaz-O; he was known as 'Jazzy' around the neighborhood first.

Jay-Z grew up in which Brooklyn public housing project?

Marcy sits in Bedford-Stuyvesant; the project is name-checked across his catalogue as the place the rags-to-riches story starts.

What is the name of Jay-Z's first child, born in January 2012?

Two days after the birth he released the song 'Glory', which credits the newborn as 'B.I.C' and includes her cries.

Which singer joined Jay-Z on his 2009 No. 1 hit 'Empire State of Mind'?

Mary J. Blige was also considered for the hook, but Jay-Z picked Keys after hearing the song's piano loop.

Which record label did Jay-Z co-found with Damon Dash and Kareem Burke?

Its name was a double entendre on Rockefeller and 'rocking a fella', coined by rapper Tone Hooker.

Which music streaming service did Jay-Z take over by buying Norway's Aspiro in 2015?

The pitch was an artist-owned platform that would 'restore the value to music'; Square bought a majority stake in 2021.

Which 1998 Jay-Z single samples a song from the musical Annie?

Produced by the 45 King, it was his biggest hit to that point — and he later produced the 2014 Annie film remake.

The hook of '99 Problems' was borrowed from a 1993 song by which rapper?

Ice-T later re-recorded his version over the Rick Rubin riff with Body Count to 'reclaim' the line.

Who produced '99 Problems', his first hip hop production in many years?

Rubin reached back to 1980s staples like Billy Squier's 'The Big Beat' and Mountain's 'Long Red' for the stripped-down beat.

Which Jay-Z album, released on September 11, 2001, was reportedly written in two days?

It earned a five-mic review from The Source and was added to the Library of Congress National Recording Registry in 2019.

Jay-Z served as president and CEO of which record label from 2004 to 2007?

Taking the job meant selling his remaining interest in Roc-A-Fella; he resigned on January 1, 2008.

Which Barbadian singer's career did Jay-Z help launch as a label president?

He later topped the Hot 100 as a guest on her 2007 single 'Umbrella'.

Which rock band teamed with Jay-Z for the 2004 mashup EP Collision Course?

Its single 'Numb/Encore' won a Grammy and was performed live with Paul McCartney adding lines from 'Yesterday'.

Jay-Z's diss track 'Takeover' ignited a famous feud with which rapper?

The two shook hands on stage at the 2005 'I Declare War' concert and performed 'Dead Presidents' blended with 'The World Is Yours'.

Jay-Z's 2003 'retirement party' concert was held at which venue?

All proceeds went to charity, and the night became the 2004 documentary Fade to Black.

Jay-Z's first US No. 1 came in 1999 as a guest on 'Heartbreaker' by which singer?

The song spent two weeks on top; his next two guest No. 1s were 'Crazy in Love' and 'Umbrella'.

Which 2000 Jay-Z album was originally meant to be a label compilation?

It introduced newcomer producers The Neptunes, Just Blaze, Kanye West and Bink, and marked his turn toward a more soulful sound.

Eminem both produced and rapped on which 2001 Jay-Z track?

Nas later used the song against him on 'Ether', claiming Eminem outshone Jay-Z on his own album.

How many Grammy Awards has Jay-Z won?

That is the eighth-most of all time and second among hip-hop artists.

Jay-Z sold the rights to his Rocawear clothing line to which company in 2007?

The deal was worth $204 million, and he kept a stake plus oversight of marketing and product development.

How much did Jay-Z pay to acquire Aspiro in 2015?

The purchase ran through Project Panther Bidco, a vehicle of his S. Carter Enterprises.

Which champagne brand did Jay-Z buy outright for $200 million in 2014?

The gold 'Ace of Spades' bottles had already been paying him millions a year in association fees since 2006.

Jay-Z was a part-owner of which NBA franchise from 2003 to 2013?

He paid a reported $1 million for his share and pushed the team's move from New Jersey to the Barclays Center.

Which Yankees second baseman left Scott Boras to sign with Roc Nation Sports at its launch?

The agency launched in 2013 as a partnership with Creative Artists Agency.

What is the title of Jay-Z's 2010 memoir?

It was co-written with dream hampton and mixes memoir with annotated lyrics.

Jay-Z opened his 2008 Glastonbury set with a tongue-in-cheek cover of which song?

The guitar he strummed that night later went on display at the Book of HOV exhibit in the Brooklyn Library.

Which Oasis member condemned Glastonbury for booking Jay-Z to headline in 2008?

Jay-Z's reply: 'We don't play guitars, Noel, but hip hop has put in its work like any other form of music.'

What is the title of Jay-Z and Kanye West's 2011 collaborative album?

It started as a five-track EP and was released on iTunes five days before physical copies to block a leak.

Which soul singer is credited as a guest on Jay-Z and Kanye West's 2011 album via sampled vocals?

The single named after him premiered on Funkmaster Flex's Hot 97 show before hitting iTunes.

Under the name The Carters, Jay-Z and his wife released which 2018 album?

They unveiled it at their final London show of the On the Run II Tour, with a video shot in the Louvre.

Which producer helmed Jay-Z's 2017 album 4:44?

It was recorded between December 2016 and June 2017, with James Blake contributing to the bonus tracks.

Jay-Z's album 4:44 launched as an exclusive for customers of which US mobile carrier?

Sprint bought a million copies and gave them away, which earned the album a platinum certification within a week.

Jay-Z's 2013 album was first given away via an app to customers of which electronics company?

Magna Carta Holy Grail arrived on July 4, 2013, four days before it went on general sale.

How many copies did Magna Carta Holy Grail sell in its first week in the US?

Forecasts had been 350,000 to 400,000; he announced the album during the NBA Finals.

Which 2006 comeback album gave Jay-Z his biggest sales week ever, at 680,000 copies?

Its single 'Show Me What You Got' leaked early, and the FBI stepped in to investigate.

Jay-Z's 2007 concept album American Gangster was inspired by a film by which director?

It is not the film's soundtrack, though Def Jam distributed both.

In 1999 Jay-Z was accused of stabbing executive Lance Rivera at which New York club?

He pleaded guilty to third-degree assault and got three years' probation; in 2023 Rivera said Jay-Z was not the stabber.

What was the name of Jay-Z's father, who left the family when he was 11?

The two reconciled before Reeves died in 2003; the 4:44 teaser clip was a song called 'Adnis'.

Jay-Z adopted his stage name in homage to which mentor?

He is audible on Jaz-O's late-1980s records like 'Hawaiian Sophie', and developed his fast 'triplet time' flow with him.

What was Jay-Z's first official rap single, released in 1995?

The B-side 'I Can't Get with That' also got a music video that was never released.

At what position did Reasonable Doubt peak on the Billboard 200?

It spent 18 weeks on the chart, went platinum, and is widely seen as his best work.

Whose record for No. 1 albums did Jay-Z surpass with his 11th chart-topper in 2009?

He now has 14 No. 1 albums, the third-most in Billboard 200 history.

In 2006 Jay-Z was enstooled with which Nigerian chieftaincy title?

The title roughly translates as 'chief of music' in Hausa.

How old was Jay-Z's daughter when 'Glory' made her the youngest person on a Billboard chart?

The Neptunes-produced song debuted at No. 74 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and detailed the couple's earlier miscarriage.

Which architect designed the $200 million Malibu house the Carters bought in 2023?

It set the record for the most expensive home ever sold in California.

Jay-Z co-produced and rapped on 'Suit & Tie', the 2013 comeback single of which singer?

The pair then co-headlined the Legends of the Summer stadium tour that July.

Jay-Z first reached a wide audience on the 1994 posse cut 'Show and Prove' by which rapper?

Kane let him freestyle on stage during outfit changes, though Kane insists he was never a traditional hype man.

Jay-Z became the first rapper inducted into which institution?

He was only the eighth hip-hop act to reach the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in 2021.

Jay-Z entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021 alongside which fellow rapper?

The two had traded battles back in the early 1990s.

In which year did Jay-Z become hip-hop's first billionaire?

Forbes now rates him the wealthiest music artist in history, worth an estimated $2.8 billion.