USean Corey Carter wazalwa ngoDisemba 4, 1969. UJay-Z wakhulela endaweni yaseBrooklyn lapho kwakunezidakamizwa eziningi. Wasebenzisa i-rap njengendlela yokubalekela futhi wavela ku-Yo! I-MTV Raps ngo-1989.
Ngemuva kokuthengisa izigidi zamarekhodi ngelebula yakhe ye-Roc-A-Fella, u-Jay-Z udale umugqa wezingubo. Ushade nomculi nomlingisikazi odumile uBeyoncé Knowles ngo-2008.
Impilo kaJay-Z esemncane
URapper Jay-Z wazalelwa eBrooklyn (New York). “Wayengowokugcina ezinganeni zami ezine,” kukhumbula unina kaJay-Z kamuva, “ukuphela kwakhe ongazange angilimaze lapho ngimzala, yingakho ngabona ukuthi wayeyingane ekhethekile.” Ubaba (u-Adnes Reeves) washiya umndeni lapho uJay-Z eneminyaka engu-11 kuphela ubudala. U-rapper osemusha wakhuliswa ngumama wakhe (uGloria Carter).
Ngesikhathi esemusha onzima, eningiliziwe ezingomeni zakhe eziningi ze-autobiographical, u-Sean Carter wayesebenzelana nezidakamizwa futhi wadlala ngezikhali ezihlukahlukene. Ufunde e-Eli Whitney High School eBrooklyn, lapho ayefunda khona nenganekwane ye-rap uNotious B.I.G.
Njengoba u-Jay-Z kamuva ekhumbula ebuntwaneni bakhe kwenye yezingoma zakhe "December 4": "Ngaya esikoleni, ngathola amamaki amahle, ngingenza njengensizwa ehloniphekile. Kodwa nganginamademoni ekujuleni kwami ayengavuswa ukushayisana.”
Umculi we-hip hop uJay-Z
UCarter waqala ukudlwengula esemncane kakhulu, ebalekela izidakamizwa, ubudlova, nobumpofu obumzungezile eMarcy Projects.
Ngo-1989, wajoyina i-rapper u-Jaz-O, umculi ophezulu owayesebenza njengomeluleki, ukuqopha The Originator. Ngenxa yakhe, lo mbhangqwana uvele esiqeshini se-Yo! I-MTV Raps. Kungalesi sikhathi lapho u-Sean Carter athatha khona isiteketiso esithi Jay-Z, kokubili okwakuwukuhlonipha i-Jaz-O, umdlalo wesidlaliso sikaCarter sasebuntwaneni esithi Jazzy, kanye nereferensi yesiteshi esingaphansi komhlaba i-J/Z eduze kwasekhaya eliseBrooklyn.
Ngaphandle kokuba negama lesiteji, uJay-Z wahlala engaziwa kwaze kwaba yilapho yena nabangane bakhe ababili, uDamon Dash noKareem Burke, benza iRoc-A-Fella Records ngo-1996. NgoJuni ngawo lowo nyaka, uJay-Z wakhipha i-albhamu yakhe yokuqala, ethi, Reasonable Doubt.
Nakuba irekhodi lifinyelele unombolo-23 kumashadi e-Billboard, manje selibhekwa njenge-albhamu yakudala ye-hip hop enezingoma ezifana ne-Can't Knock the Hustle ehambisana no-Mary J. Blige kanye ne-Brooklyn's Finest. Ukusebenzisana noNotorious BIG bekuhlelwe nguJay-Z.
Eminyakeni emibili kamuva, uJay-Z wazuza impumelelo eyengeziwe ngo-1998 Vol. 2…I-Hard Knock Life. Ingoma enesihloko bekuyiyodwa edume kakhulu, yazuza u-Jay-Z ukuqokwa kwakhe kokuqala kwe-Grammy. I-Hard Knock Life imake ukuqala kwenkathi eningi lapho umculi aba yigama elikhulu kunawo wonke ku-hip-hop.
Ngokuhamba kweminyaka, lo rapper ukhiphe ama-albhamu amaningi nezingoma ezingashadile. Izingoma zakhe ezidume kakhulu zithi Can I Get A…, Big Pimpin, I Just Wanna Love U, Izzo (HOVA) kanye no-03 Bonnie & Clyde. Kanye neyodwa nomakoti wakusasa uBeyoncé Knowles.
I-albhamu kaJay-Z eyaziwa kakhulu kusukela kulesi sikhathi kwakuyi-The Blueprint (2001), kamuva eyenza uhlu lwabagxeki abaningi bomculo lwama-albhamu ahamba phambili eshumi leminyaka.
Kusukela kumrepha uJay-Z kuya kosomabhizinisi
Ngo-2003, lo mculi wanyakazisa umhlaba we-hip-hop. Ukhiphe Icwecwe Elimnyama. Futhi umemezele ukuthi lena kuzoba i-albhamu yakhe yokugcina eyedwa ngaphambi kokuthatha umhlalaphansi.
Ecelwa ukuba achaze ngokushiya kwakhe isigubhukane emculweni, uJay-Z uthe wake wathola ugqozi ngokuzama ukudlula abanye o-MC abadumile. Kodwa wavele wabhoreka ngenxa yokungabi bikho kokuncintisana. “Umdlalo awushisi,” kusho yena. “Ngithanda ukuthi umuntu enze i-albhamu eshisayo bese kufanele wenze i-albhamu eshisa kakhulu. Ngiyayithanda. Kodwa manje akusenjalo, akushisi.”
Ngesikhathi sokuma kwe-rap, lo mculi wagxila ohlangothini lomculo webhizinisi ngokuba umongameli we-Def Jam Recordings. Njengenhloko ye-Def Jam, usayine amaphrojekthi adumile: Rihanna, Ne-Yo kanye noYoung Jeezy. Uphinde wasiza ukwenza ushintsho ku-Kanye West. Kodwa ukubusa kwakhe kulebula ehlonishwayo ye-hip-hop akuzange kube bushelelezi. UJay-Z wehla njengomongameli weDef Jam ngo-2007.
Amanye amaphrojekthi ebhizinisi aqhubekayo eciko ahlanganisa izingubo zokugqoka zasemadolobheni ezidumile i-Rocawear ne-Roc-A-Fella. Futhi ungumnikazi we-upscale sports bar 40/40 Club, etholakala eNew York nase-Atlantic City, futhi ungumnikazi we-franchise ye-basketball ye-New Jersey Nets. Njengoba uJay-Z wake washo mayelana nombuso wakhe webhizinisi: "Angiyena usomabhizinisi - ngiyibhizinisi mina, mfo."
Ukubuya kuka-Jay Z
Ngo-2006, uJay-Z wayeka ukwenza umculo, wakhipha i-albhamu entsha ethi, Kingdom Come. Ngokushesha wakhipha amanye ama-albhamu amabili: i-American Gangster ngo-2007 kanye ne-Blueprint 3 ngo-2010.
Lawa ma-albhamu amathathu akamuva amake ukusuka kumsindo wokuqala ka-Jay-Z, ohlanganisa i-rock and soul. Futhi enikeza izingqikithi ezivuthiwe njengempendulo yeSiphepho uKatrina; ukukhethwa kukaBarack Obama ngo-2008; izingozi zodumo nengcebo. UJay-Z ukhuluma ngokuzama ukushintsha umculo wakhe ukuze uvumelane neminyaka yakhe ephakathi.
“Ababaningi abantu bomculo we-rap asebefinyelele eminyakeni yobudala, ngoba uneminyaka engu-30 kuphela,” usho kanje. “Njengoba bekhula abantu, siyethemba ukuthi izihloko zizokwanda bese kwanda abalaleli.”
Ngo-2008, u-Jay-Z wasayina isivumelwano se- $ 150 million nenkampani yokukhangisa ikhonsathi i-Live Nation. Lesi sivumelwano esihle kakhulu sidale ibhizinisi elihlanganyelwe phakathi kwe-Roc Nation (inkampani yokuzijabulisa eyayiphethe izici zemisebenzi yamaciko). Ngaphandle kuka-Jay-Z, i-Roc Nation iphethe u-Willow Smith no-J. Cole.
Iciko lifakazele ukuthi linakho kokubili ukuqina kwezohwebo nokubalulekile. Uhlanganyele nomunye ummeleli owaziwayo wenkosi ye-rap, u-Kanye West, ngo-2011 ku-Watch the Throne. I-albhamu iphenduke yaba yingoma ephindwe kathathu, idlula i-rap, i-R&B namashadi e-pop ngo-Agasti.
Ingoma ethi Otis, eyisampula yomufi u-Otis Redding, ithole izindondo eziningi zamaGrammy. Ukuqopha kuphinde kwaqokwa kwi-Best Rap Album.
Eminyakeni emibili ngemuva kokukhipha i-albhamu noWest, bobabili ama-rapper bakhipha ama-albhamu eyedwa kungakapheli amasonto idethi yokukhishwa kwe-albhamu. I-albhamu kaWest ethi Yeezus (2013) yanconywa ngokuqamba izinto ezintsha. Ngenkathi i-albhamu yomeluleki wakhe u-Jay-Z ithole ukubuyekezwa okungathandeki. I-albhamu yesitudiyo ye-12 kaRappers Magna Carta i-Holy Grail (2013) ithathwe njengefanelekile. Kodwa wehlulekile ukuphila ngokuvumelana nedumela le-hip-hop.
Impilo yomuntu siqu kaJay Z
Ekhathazeke kakhulu ngempilo yakhe yomuntu siqu, uJay-Z akazange axoxe esidlangalaleni ngobudlelwano bakhe nentombi yakhe, umculi odumile nomlingisikazi uBeyoncé Knowles iminyaka.
Lo mbhangqwana ukwazile ukuvikela abezindaba emshadweni wabo omncane, owenzeka ngo-Ephreli 4, 2008 eNew York. Balinganiselwa ku-40 abantu abebehambele lo mgubho efulethini likaJay-Z. Kubandakanya umlingisi uGwyneth Paltrow kanye namalungu angaphambili e-Destiny's Child uKelly Rowland noMichelle Williams.
Ngemva kokuqala umndeni, uJay-Z noBeyonce baba yindaba yamahemuhemu amaningi okukhulelwa. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, baba nendodakazi okuthiwa uBlue Ivy Carter (Januwari 7, 2012). Ngenxa yokukhathazeka ngobumfihlo nokuvikeleka, lo mbhangqwana waqasha ingxenye yesibhedlela i-Lenox Hill eNew York futhi waqasha onogada abengeziwe.
Ngemva nje kokuzalwa kwendodakazi yakhe, uJay-Z wakhipha ingoma yokumhlonipha kuwebhusayithi yakhe. E-Glory, wabelane ngenjabulo yokuba ngubaba futhi wakhuluma ngokuthi uBeyoncé wayeke waphuphunyelwa yisisu. U-Jay-Z no-Beyonce baphinde bathumela umyalezo onengoma ethi "we're in heaven" futhi "ukuzala uBlue bekuyinto engcono kakhulu empilweni yethu."
