Born Shawn Corey Carter on Dec. 4, 1969, in Brooklyn, New York.

JAŸ-Z won his first Grammy in 1999, winning the Grammy for Best Rap Album for his 1998 breakthrough album Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life, which went to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and has gone six times platinum.

JAŸ-Z made his Grammy performance debut at the 48th Grammy Awards in 2006 when he teamed with Linkin Park and Paul McCartney for a medley of "Numb/Encore" and "Yesterday."

Counting 25 Grammy wins, JAŸ-Z stands as one of the rappers with the most Grammy wins.

In 2024, JAŸ-Z received the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award for his illustrious career and far-reaching influence in the music industry. He was the second individual honored with the award.

JAŸ-Z’s debut album Reasonable Doubt was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2025.

The Recording Academy’s New York Chapter recognized JAŸ-Z, Mariah Carey, Yoko Ono and John Lennon, and film composer Howard Shore as 2005 recipients of the Recording Academy Honors.

In 2017, JAŸ-Z became the first rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

In 2010, JAŸ-Z was nominated for a Tony Award for his role as a co-producer of the Broadway musical “Fela!” He has won two Emmy Awards for Super Bowl halftime shows — first in 2022 as an executive producer and again in 2023 as a director.

JAŸ-Z is co-founder and chairman of Roc Nation, a global entertainment company that is renowned for creating and fostering the careers and brands of recording artists, producers, songwriters, and athletes. Roc Nation represents Grammy Award winners such as Alicia Keys, Rihanna, Christina Aguilera, and Megan Thee Stallion.

In 2002, JAŸ-Z founded the Shawn Carter Foundation with his mother, Hon. Dr. Gloria Carter, to create accessible pathways for students to pursue higher education. The Foundation’s key offerings include a scholarship fund, HBCU bus tours, study abroad experiences, a fellowship program in the legal field, a wealth-building financial literacy program, and community outreach and initiatives.