Shawn Corey Carter, now known as his stage name Jay-Z, was raised in Brooklyn, New York. A classic rag to riches story, Jay-Z worked with hundreds of the best producers and rappers until he finally earned enough money to do it all on his own. He is now one of the most famous, well respected, and talented rappers on the planet. He is also one of the most financially successful hip-hop artists and entrepreneurs in America. Today his net worth is over $ 150 million dollars.

Jay-Z announced his retirement early in 2004, leaving fans upset, but also leaving them with a ton of hits and albums. Over the course of his retirement, he ended up collaborating with Linkin Park, R. Kelly, and other top artists. Not even three years after his “retirement” Jay-Z announced he was releasing his ninth studio album, Kingdom Come, on November 21, 2006.

Jay-Z has sold over thirty million copies of his albums in the U.S alone and holds the record for the most number one albums by a solo artist on the Billboard 200. He has also received ten Grammy Awards for his musical work. Jay-Z was ranked as the 10th best overall artist of 2000-2009 decade, 5th top solo male artist, and 4th top rapper by Billboard Magazine.

Along with his musical success, Jay-Z co-owns The 40/40 Club, the NBA’s New Jersey Nets, and is also the creator of the clothing line Rocawear. He is not only the former CEO of Def Jam Recordings, but he is one of the three founders of Roc-A-Fella Records. Roc-A-Fella Records introduced such artists as Kayne West and Young Jeezy. He also married American R&B singer and actress Beyoncé Knowles in 2008.

The Blueprint 3 is Jay-Z’s most recent album, which was released in September 2009. The album includes hits like “Empire State of Mind” featuring Alicia Keys, “Run This Town” featuring Rihanna and “Young Forever” featuring Mr. Hudson. He is currently on his nationwide BP3 Tour 2010 and is keeping his huge fan base entertained from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, to Los Angeles, California.