JAY-Z
JAY-Z (born Shawn Corey Carter) is an American rapper, record executive and entrepreneur. He released his debut album, Reasonable Doubt, in 1996, served as president of Def Jam Recordings from 2004 to 2007, and in 2008 founded the entertainment company Roc Nation, which he chairs. He led the purchase of the streaming service Tidal and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2021. In October 2026 the NFLNFLThe NFL (National Football League) is a U.S. professional American football league of 32 clubs. Founded in 1920 as the APFA and renamed in 1922, it is organized into the AFC and NFC, with the season culminating in the Super Bowl.Open the full entry named him headliner of the February 2027 Super Bowl halftime show.
Contents13 sections
Key facts
December 4, 1969Born in Brooklyn
JAY-Z was born Shawn Corey Carter on December 4, 1969, in Brooklyn, New York, and grew up in the Marcy Projects, raised mainly by his mother.[1]
1996–1999Debut album and the Hard Knock Life tour
His debut album, Reasonable Doubt, came out in 1996, followed by Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life in 1998; the 1999 Hard Knock Life tour was the highest-grossing hip-hop tour up to that time.[2]
October–December 2001: Guilty plea and probation over a 1999 stabbing
On October 16, 2001, he admitted in a New York court to stabbing record producer Lance “Un” Rivera in a nightclub brawl on December 2, 1999; on December 6 the court sentenced him to three years’ probation.[3]
2004–2007President of Def Jam Recordings
In 2004 he became president of Def Jam Recordings, stepping down in 2007 shortly after releasing American Gangster.[1]
2008Founding Roc Nation and marrying Beyoncé
Roc Nation was founded in 2008 and works in artist management, music publishing, touring and production; its website lists him as a founder and as chairman.[4]
That year he married the singer Beyoncé; they have three children.[1]
2015Leading the purchase of Tidal
The streaming service Tidal was founded in Norway in 2014 and bought the following year for $56 million by an artist consortium led by him, with artist-owners including Rihanna and Madonna.[5]
2021Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
In 2021 he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a performer, presented by comedian Dave Chappelle; the Hall said he created the template for the hip-hop mogul.[2]
March 4, 2021Square buys a majority of Tidal
Square announced it would pay $297 million in cash and stock for a majority stake in Tidal, with him joining Square’s board as part of the deal.[5]
December 2024–February 2025Civil lawsuit withdrawn
In December 2024 an anonymous woman added him to her civil suit against Sean “Diddy” Combs, alleging the two assaulted her in 2000; he denied it. She voluntarily withdrew the suit on February 14, 2025.[6]
July 12, 2026Delayed show at Yankee Stadium
His show at New York’s Yankee Stadium was delayed for hours after hundreds of people without tickets rushed the entrances, starting at 12:17 a.m. the next day; he explained to the audience that he had waited to make sure no one was trampled.[7]
October 24, 2026Remarks on ticket rumors and AI at SoFi Stadium
Closing his October 24 show at SoFi Stadium in California, he responded to pre-show screenshots of cheap tickets by telling fans to trust their own eyes and ears, and said artificial intelligence was mimicking people: “We got real intelligence, not artificial intelligence.”[8]
October 26, 2026Named Super Bowl halftime headliner
The NFL, Apple Music and Roc Nation announced that he would headline the Super Bowl halftime show at SoFi Stadium on February 14, 2027, executive produced by Roc Nation. Roc Nation has worked with the NFL on the show since 2019, when he said to Commissioner Roger Goodell that if the deal was about him performing, they could end the conversation.[9]
Sources
- JAY-Z (opens in a new window)
- JAŸ-Z | Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (opens in a new window)
- JAY-Z GETS THREE YEARS PROBATION (opens in a new window)
- About - ROC NATION (opens in a new window)
- Jack Dorsey’s Square, Inc. is buying a majority stake in Jay-Z’s streaming service Tidal (opens in a new window)
- Jay-Z and Sean Combs rape lawsuit dismissed (opens in a new window)
- Jay-Z show in New York delayed hours after fans rush entrances (opens in a new window)
- Jay-Z Speaks Out Against AI And Disputes Reports Of Soft Ticket Sales: “Question Everything” (opens in a new window)
- Jay-Z picks himself as Super Bowl halftime show performer (opens in a new window)