Music Bloodline

Jay-Z

New York rap artist with a hugely successful solo career and numerous high-profile collaborations.

Biography

Embodying the rags-to-riches rap dream, Jay-Z pulled himself up by his bootstraps to become the reigning rapper of New York City and, in turn, a major-label executive following his short-lived retirement from music-making. In the wake of his 1996 debut, Reasonable Doubt, Jay-Z's albums sold millions with each release, and his hits made him omnipresent on urban radio and video television. He and his Roc-a-Fella associates greatly influenced the industry and established many of the trends that pervaded during the late '90s and early 2000s. ~ Jason Birchmeier