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Jay-Z, born Shawn Corey Carter, is one of the world's most famous musicians. The rapper was born on December 4, 1969, in New York City and raised in the Marcy Houses, a public housing project in Brooklyn. He began his musical career in the 1980s under the guidance of another Brooklyn-based rapper, Jaz-O.
In 1994, Jay-Z founded Roc-A-Fella Records and released his first two albums, "Reasonable Doubt" and "In My Lifetime, Vol. 1." Both albums were popular and significantly boosted his fame. Over the years, he has released numerous projects that led him to hold the record for the most number-one albums by any solo artist on the Billboard 200 chart with 14 number-one albums. He has also collaborated with artists such as Linkin Park and his wife Beyoncé.
Beyond music, Jay-Z founded several ventures including Rocawear clothing company and the luxury bar chain 40/40 Club. These ventures have grown into multi-million dollar businesses. In 2019, he became the world's first hip-hop billionaire and currently has a net worth exceeding $2.5 billion.
