9 Things You Didn’t Know About Jay-Z

Jay-Z is The 3rd Biggest-Selling Rap Artist.

Jay-Z was recognized as the third best-selling rap artist of all time, after Eminem and Tupac, with over 28 million units sold worldwide.

Billboard Magazine ranked Jay-Z as the 10th most successful artist of the 2000–20009 decade, the 5th top solo male artist and the 4th top rapper after Eminem, Nelly, and 50 Cent. Eminem, Nelly, and 50 Cent.

The Rolling Stone magazine ranked Shawn Carter as the 88th-greatest artist of all time, and three of his albums rank among The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Shawn Carter ranks as The Richest Hip-Hop Artist.

According to Forbes, in 2018, Jay-Z became the richest Hip Hop artist in America with an estimated net worth of $900 million.

• Beyoncé and Jay-Z are officially a billion-dollar couple, whose combined net worth is $1.25 billion.

He is also the second wealthiest rap artist of all time, beaten only by Sean Combs, aka Puff Daddy, who holds the crown for many years.

After 14-years of music career, Jay-Z scored His First #1 Single

After 14-years of career, in November 2009, the track ‘Empire State of Mind’ became Jay-Z’s first #1 on Billboard Hot 100 chart, holding its position for five consecutive weeks.

‘Empire State of Mind’ is the first Billboard Hot 100 No.1 single to reference New York City in its title, and it also stands as the last No.1 single for the 2000s (decade).

• The NY anthem released in October 2009 from his 11th studio album, The Blueprint 3, received three Grammy nominations and ended-up winning Best Rap Song and Best Rap/Song Collaboration.

Shawn Carter ranks as the “King” Of Billboard Top 200 Album chart

 Since 2009, Jay-Z holds the world record for the most No.1 albums by a solo artist on the US Billboard 200, with 14.

• Thanks to the album The Blueprint 3, he surpassed Bruce Springsteen (11) and Barbra Streisand (11), who tied for the previous record.

Shawn Carter also holds the record title for most consecutive No.1 studio albums on The Billboard 200 with 11.

• Overall, Jay-Z ranks second after the Beatles, who have 19 chart-toppers, with the most No.1 albums among all the music acts.

Jay-Z created a Color. 

In 2007 Pantone has registered a color named Jay-Z blue.

Jay-Z blue color is a combination of sky and cobalt, with a “pearlescent quality and mesmerizing blue” according to the statement of Vice-President of Pantone.

Shawn Carter’s color was created during the deal with General Motors, but unfortunately, the code is confidential, and it doesn’t appear on the Pantone color wheel.

About Jay-Z, and his relation The Notorious B.I.G.

Jay-Z was a close friend with Biggie Smalls, one of the greatest rappers ever. According to Shawn Carter, they spoke on phone in the night when The Notorious B.I.G., was shot deadly, in March 1997, in Los Angeles.

•  Biggie began promoting a clothing line titled Brooklyn Mint, which products were plus-sized but the production stopped after he died.
•  In 2004, Jay-Z together with Biggie’s managers, relaunched the clothing line, selling T-shirts with images of Biggie Smalls.  A part of the money goes to Biggie’s foundation titled, the Christopher Wallace Foundation.

 Jay-Z, Notorious B.I.G and Busta Rhymes went to the same high school, at Westinghouse Career and Technical Education in Brooklyn, New York.

Jay-Z Bought A Dragon Egg For His Wife, Beyoncé

There is a high possibility to be true, according to the statement of the famous British actress Emilia Clarke, who plays the role of Daenerys Targaryen in the TV show Game Of Thrones.

 She once said: “I tried unsuccessfully to steal one of the egg props for myself, but apparently Jay Z bought one for Beyonce. I don’t know”.

If this is true, we can suppose that Beyonce is a Targaryen fan. And now, I can’t stop asking myself, which dragon egg she received… Is it Drogon, Viserion, or Rhaegal’s egg?

Jay-Z’s Father Died In Same Night He Inaugurated The Opening Of His Night Club.

 Jay-Z owns The 40/40 Club, a chain of sports bars and lounges that started on 25th Street, New York.

 In 2003, on the opening night of his first club, a big tragedy occurred, Jay-Z’s father died.

In 2017, Jay-Z released the song “Adnis” from his 4:44 album, giving us a closer view of the painful relationship he had with his father, who left the family when Shawn was only 12 years old.

 They later reconciled, but sadly Reeves lost his life soon after struggling with alcoholism.

Shawn Carter became The Subject Of A College Course titled “Sociology of Hip-Hop: Jay-Z.”

You can find out more about Jay Z and his career at a course called “Sociology of Hip-Hop: Jay-Z” held by professor and author Michael Eric Dyson at Georgetown University.

“We wanted to take up a serious investigation of Jay-Z’s art and craft,” Dyson said for The Nation.

Students can learn about how Jay-Z’s body of work deals with race, ethnicity, economic equality, and social injustice.