Jay-Z is 56 years old as of October 2026. He was born on 4 December 1969.
Quick facts
Date of birth4 December 1969
Age56
NationalityAmerican
BirthplaceBrooklyn, United States
Editor's Take:
Jay-Z matters because he showed that a rapper could build lasting power beyond the recording booth. Emerging from Brooklyn housing projects, he turned an independent label into a springboard for a wider business career spanning clothing, bars, streaming and talent management. His time running Def Jam helped bring forward artists such as Rihanna and Ne-Yo, and he helped launch Kanye West's career. Critics often praise his wordplay and flow, while his rags-to-riches story shaped how many listeners saw hip-hop ambition. Becoming hip-hop's first billionaire in 2019 gave that story a striking conclusion.
Key Milestones
1996: Releases his debut album Reasonable Doubt
2003: Holds a billed retirement concert at Madison Square Garden after The Black Album
2008: Launches the entertainment agency Roc Nation
2019: Becomes hip-hop's first billionaire
2021: Honoured by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame alongside LL Cool J
Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, Jay-Z is known for his complex lyricism that often uses double entendres, wordplay, and braggadocio—built on a rags to riches narrative.
He grew up in the Marcy Houses in Brooklyn and began recording in the late 1980s as a protégé of Jaz-O.
He co-founded Roc-A-Fella Records and put out his debut album, Reasonable Doubt, in 1996.
He has won 25 Grammy Awards and holds 14 number-one albums on the Billboard 200.
Career highlights
1996Reasonable Doubt: Debut album on Roc-A-Fella
1999First Hot 100 No. 1: Guest spot on Mariah Carey's Heartbreaker
2001The Blueprint: Released 11 September; debuted at number one
2004Def Jam president: Took charge of the major label
2019Hip-hop billionaire: First rapper to reach that status
Did you know?When he headlined Britain's Glastonbury Festival, he opened his set with a cover of Oasis's "Wonderwall" after Noel Gallagher had criticised the booking.
