Early history
Originally from the infamous Marcy Houses projects in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood in Brooklyn in New York City, Shawn Carter was abandoned by his father Adnes Reeves when he was only twelve years old and he was consequently raised by his mother Gloria Carter. Jay-Z attended George Westinghouse High School in Downtown Brooklyn, NYC and Trenton Central High School in Trenton, New Jersey but did not graduate. He claims to have been caught up in selling drugs on the streets of New York in the Marcy Projects. In addition to this, Jay-Z has lyrically alluded to having sold crack cocaine and marijuana in Virginia and Maryland.
According to his mother, a young Jay-Z used to keep his siblings up at night banging out drum patterns on the kitchen table. Eventually, she bought him a boombox for his birthday and thus sparked his interest in music. He began freestyling, writing rhymes, and followed the music of many artists popular at the time.
In his neighborhood, Carter was known as "Jazzy," a nickname which eventually developed into his stage name, "Jay-Z." The moniker is also a homage to his musical partner Lee Dub (www.soundclick.com/kingdeezy) Jaz-O (a.k.a. the Jaz, Big Jaz) as well as to the J-Z subway lines that have a stop at Marcy Avenue in Brooklyn.
Jay-Z can be heard on several of The Jaz's early recordings, including 1988's "The Originators" and "Hawaiian Sophie", he also collaborated with Inglewood, California producer Three-1-Zero which began his popularity as an artist. His career had a jump start when he battled a rapper by the name of Zai. The battle caught the eye of many record labels, as Jay-Z was able to hold his own against Zai. He also made an appearance on a popular song by Big L, "Da Graveyard."
Commercial work
From the beginning of his commercial recording career, Jay-Z chose a route that many would consider untraditional. Rather than waiting to get signed to a major label, Jay-Z created Roc-A-Fella Records as his own independent label. After striking a deal with Priority to distribute his material, Jay-Z released his 1996 debut album Reasonable Doubt with beats from acclaimed producers such as DJ Premier and Clark Kent and a notable appearance by The Notorious B.I.G.. Although the album received critical acclaim, record sales were poor and were a disappointment.
After reaching a new distribution deal with Def Jam in 1997, Jay-Z released his follow-up In My Lifetime, Vol. 1. Executive produced by Diddy, it sold better than his previous effort even though Jay later explained that this was one of the worst periods of his life. He was reeling from the death of his close friend Biggie. Due to the glossy production on his sophomore album, many of the fans he'd earned previously now claimed he was selling out and catering to a more commercial audience. However, the album did feature some beats from producers who had worked with him on Reasonable Doubt, namely DJ Premier and Ski.
1998's Vol. 2: Hard Knock Life spawned the biggest hit of his career at the time, "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)." Critics would still accuse him of becoming even more commercial and egotistical, due to the lack of intellectual matter on this album. He also relied more heavily on flow, developing it further, and he continued his penchant for mining beats from the popular producers of the day such as Swizz Beatz and Timbaland. Charting hits from this album included "Can I Get A..." featuring Ja Rule and "Jigga What, Jigga Who.". Vol. 2 would eventually become Jay-Z's most commercially successful album, certifying platinum five times in the United States.
In 1999 Jay-Z released Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter. Despite continued criticism for his increasingly pop-oriented sound and a large number of collaborations that many felt crowded out Jay-Z himself, the album proved to be successful and went platinum three times. Through his lyricism, he was able to retain respect from some of his die-hard fans. Vol. 3 is remembered for its smash hit, "Big Pimpin" (feat UGK) and the negative remarks to then-underground New York rapper known as 50 Cent.
By this time, Jay-Z was seen as a hip-hop figurehead both by hardcore fans and by the corporations of rap due to his lyrics and his high album sales, achieving a pinnacle rarely held in rap music. The subject of much criticism, praise, popularity, condemnation, and discussion, Jay decided to begin developing other artists besides himself. Around 2000, he and Damon Dash signed various artists (including Beanie Sigel and Freeway) and began introducing them to the public. He next appeared on The Dynasty: Roc La Familia, which was intended as a compilation album to introduce these new artists, though the album had Jay-Z's name on it to strengthen sales and acclaim.
2001's The Blueprint is considered by many to be one of hip hop's "classic" albums, receiving the coveted "5 mic" review from The Source magazine. Released on September 11, 2001, the album managed to debut at #1, selling more than 450,000 albums in its first week.
The Blueprint was applauded for its production and the balance of "mainstream" and "hardcore" rap, receiving recognition from both audiences. Eminem was the only guest artist on the album, producing and rapping on the single "Renegade" (to which rival Nas would rap, "Eminem murdered you on your own shit" on "Ether.") The Blueprint also includes the popular "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" and "Takeover", a song which takes rivals Prodigy of Mobb Deep and Nas. A large portion of the material on this album was produced by Kanye West and represents one of West's first major breaks in the industry.
A feud between Jay-Z and Nas culminated in "Takeover", a diss from Jay-Z to Nas, in the fall of 2001. Many fans praised the diss as an effective method to shut down Nas's career for good. Nas responded with the diss track "Ether". He shocked fans by creating arguably an even more lethal track than Takeover, and had regained his respect. Over the course of the feud, Jay-Z claims that he and Allen Iverson slept with Carmen Bryan, the mother of Nas' daughter, Destiny. Nas, in turn, accused Jay of brown nosing other artists for fame, and then leaving them for dead once he was famous. This feud proved to be a huge draw in the world of hip-hop. The feud died down over 2002 and was finally resolved in October 2005.
Jay-Z's next solo album was 2002's The Blueprint²: The Gift & the Curse a sprawling double-album which was touted by fans as having too much 'filler' or unnecessary material. It was later reissued in a single-disc version, The Blueprint 2.1, which retained half of the tracks from the original. The album spawned two hit singles "Excuse Me Miss" and "03 Bonnie and Clyde" featuring Beyoncé Knowles.
In 2003, Jay-Z toured with 50 Cent, Busta Rhymes and Sean Paul while finishing work on what was announced as his final album, The Black Album. Notable songs on the album included "What More Can I Say," "Dirt Off Your Shoulder," "Change Clothes," and "99 Problems." That song was a cross-over hit comparable to The Beastie Boys' "No Sleep Till Brooklyn" which some believe pays homage to the now-rare old-school rap style. A few of the songs done on this album portray a more personal side of Jay-Z; for example, "Moment of Clarity" sheds light on his feelings towards his estranged father and coping with his death. It also deals with accusations that he sold out to reach a wider audience. "What More Can I Say" addresses the "biting" accusations with which many critics have impugned him.
In 2004, there was a runaway hit remix project by DJ Danger Mouse called The Grey Album in which Jay-Z's Black Album vocals were blended with instrumentals sampled exclusively from The Beatles' White Album (which subsequently embroiled the DJ in a lawsuit that was later dropped with EMI, the owner's to the Beatles' work). This was made possible by an a cappella version of the "Black Album" that Jay-Z released with the specific intent for others to mix. The success of "The Grey Album" led to a rainbow of Black Album remix projects including "The Red Album", "The Blue Album" and so forth.
Also in 2004, Jay-Z collaberated with the triple platinum selling band, Linkin Park. The project was named Collision Course, and contained a six track EP, as well as a making of DVD. Some of the mash ups tracks were entitled Dirt Off Your Shoulder/Lying From You, Jigga What/Faint, and Numb/Encore.
Jay-Z returned with his comeback album on November 21, 2006 titled Kingdom Come. Jay-Z's comeback single, "Show Me What You Got", was leaked on the Internet in early October 2006, scheduled to be released later on that month, received heavy air-play after its leak, causing the FBI to step in and investigate. Jay-Z worked with video director Hype Williams, and the single's video was directed by F. Gary Gray. The album features producers such as Just Blaze, Pharrell Williams, Kanye West, Dr. Dre and Coldplay's Chris Martin. This album has sold more than 2 million copies in the U.S. alone. Jay-Z made a guest appearance on the Fall Out Boy album Infinity On High. Jay-Z appeared on rapper T.I.'s album T.I. vs. T.I.P. on the song "Watch What You Say to Me".
Jay-Z released his tenth album entitled American Gangster on November 6, 2007. After viewing the film, he was heavily inspired to create a new "concept" album that depicts his experiences as a street-hustler. The album features production from Diddy & The Hitmen, Just Blaze, and The Neptunes, among others. Guest appearances include Beanie Sigel, Lil Wayne, and Nas. The album sold 425,861 copies in it's first week and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.
Recent years
It was announced on February 2, 2008, that Jay-Z would headline the 2008 Glastonbury Festival, becoming the first major hip hop artist to headline the British festival. Tickets sold out before the opening of the festival. One of the more outspoken critics of his selection was Noel Gallagher of Oasis fame, who criticized the organizers of the festival for scheduling Jay-Z as a headliner for the traditionally guitar-driven festival, stating "I'm sorry, but Jay-Z? No chance. Glastonbury has a tradition of guitar music and even when they throw the odd curve ball in on a Sunday night you go 'Kylie Minogue?' I don't know about it. But I'm not having hip hop at Glastonbury. It's wrong."
Controversy ensued in the months leading up to the event with artists, promoters and fans weighing in both for and against. Jay-Z responded to this saying, "We don't play guitars, Noel, but hip hop has put in its work like any other form of music. This headline show is just a natural progression. Rap music is still evolving. We have to respect each other's genre of music and move forward." In response to Gallagher's criticism, Jay-Z opened his Glastonbury set with a tongue-in-cheek cover of Oasis's iconic song "Wonderwall". His Glastonbury performance was heralded as a successful response to pre-festival criticism.
He also headlined many other summer festivals in 2008, including Roskilde Festival in Denmark, Hove Festival in Norway and O2 Wireless Festival in London. During Kanye West's August 6, 2008 concert at Madison Square Garden, Jay-Z came out to perform a new song and he and Kanye proclaimed that it was to be on The Blueprint 3. On May 21, 2009, Jay-Z announced he would be parting ways with Def Jam, and had struck a multi-million dollar deal to sign with Live Nation, with whom he would start his Roc Nation imprint which would serve as a record label, talent/management agency, and music publishing company and also partnered up with production team Stargate to start a record label called StarRoc. Jay-Z's 11th studio album The Blueprint 3 was originally to be released on September 11, 2009, but was instead released in North America on September 8, 2009, due to increasing anticipation. Its international release followed on September 14. It is his 11th album to reach No.1 on the Billboard 200 and has surpassed Elvis Presley's previous record, making him the current solo artist record holder.
On October 9, 2009, Jay-Z kicked off his tour for The Blueprint 3, during which he supported his new album in North America. In a Shave Magazine review of his performance at Rexall Place in Edmonton, Jake Tomlinson expressed that "It was the type of smooth performance you would expect from the hip-hop superstar." The review gave this performance 4 stars. His North American tour continued until November 22, 2009. At his concert on November 8, 2009, at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion, Rihanna joined him on stage and performed "Hard" for the very first time, then performed "Run This Town" with Jay-Z. Among his success, Jay-Z has ventured into producing Broadway shows. Along with Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith, Jay-Z helped produced the play Fela!, a musical celebrating the work of the late Nigerian star Fela Kuti. Jay-Z said he was inspired by the power of Kuti's work and his life story, which resulted in his interest to help produce the musical. Fela! is a story about an African pioneer and political activist who made his first moves on the scene during the 1970s.
Jay-Z performing at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April 2010.
On January 23, 2010, Jay-Z released a track, "Stranded (Haiti Mon Amour)", with Rihanna, and U2's Bono and The Edge, as well as performing it at the Hope For Haiti Now telethon. In June 2010, Eminem and Jay-Z announced they would perform together in a pair of concerts in Detroit and New York. The event was dubbed The Home & Home Tour. The first two concerts rapidly sold out, prompting the scheduling of an additional show at each venue. Jay-Z was the supporting act for U2 on the Australian and New Zealand leg of their U2 360° Tour, beginning in Auckland, New Zealand in November 2010, followed by Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth in December. He also appeared on stage during U2 performances of "Sunday Bloody Sunday", and in Auckland also joined the band for a performance of "Scarlet", singing some lines of his song, "History". In August 2010, it was revealed that Jay-Z and Kanye West would be collaborating on a five-track EP entitled Watch the Throne. Although, it was later revealed by West that the project had become a full-length LP. Recording sessions for the album took place at various recording locations and began in November 2010. The first single released for the project was "H•A•M". The track was co-produced by Lex Luger and West himself. The track ended up being on the deluxe edition of the album. The follow-up to that was the second single "Otis", which premiered on Funkmaster Flex's Hot 97 radio show, and was later released to the iTunes Store eleven days later. The song's existence, along with several other tracks from the album, was confirmed during a listening session hosted by Jay-Z. The album was first released on the iTunes Store, five days prior to it being released in physical format, a strategy Jay-Z later said was used to block an internet leak. It debuted at No. 1 on the iTunes Store in 23 countries. It also broke Coldplay's record for most albums sold in one week on the online retailer, selling 290,000 copies on iTunes alone. It held that record, until Lil Wayne's Tha Carter IV was released twenty-one days later, selling only 10,000 copies more. It debuted on the US Billboard 200 chart at No. 1, selling 436,000 copies in its first week. The album received generally positive reviews. Jay-Z and West later gave a surprise performance of "Otis" at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards. In April 2011, Jay-Z launched a blog-like, lifestyle website by the name of Life + Times. It covers everything from music, to fashion, to technology, to sports. The site is curated based on Jay-Z's interests, and he himself works with a small staff to produce every single piece of content.
Jay-Z collaborated with M.I.A. on the single "XXXO", which achieved a fair level of success and went on to become remixed by several producers worldwide. In May 2012, Jay-Z and Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter announced that Jay-Z will be the curator and the headliner for the first annual "Budweiser Made in America" festival at Fairmount Park in Philadelphia on September 1 and 2, 2012. The performance will be produced by Live Nation and will assemble an eclectic lineup of “rock, hip hop, R&B, latin music and dance” musicians. Jay-Z and Rihanna are to be the two main headlining acts for BBC Radio 1's 2012 Hackney Weekend music festival on June 23 to 24. Jay-Z opened his set with an appearance from Rihanna, they performed "Run this Town". On September 6, "Clique" was released, a single for the album "Cruel Summer", by GOOD Music. Kanye West and Big Sean star alongside Jay-Z in the track. Jay-Z took the subway to his sold out show at The Barclays Center On October 6, 2012.[91] On November 12, 2012 Coldplay announced that they will be playing with Jay-Z at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on December 31.
On September 23, 2010, Q-Tip confirmed working on Jay-Z's follow up album to The Blueprint 3, saying the album was to hit stores by spring 2011. The album has not yet been released; it has been confirmed 3 songs have been recorded and one of which features Frank Ocean. In May 2012 it was reported that Jay-Z is working on new music with Roc Nation producer Jahlil Beats. In an interview with XXL, Beats stated: "Me and Jay-Z been going back and forth. He picked a couple of my joints that he’s working on. I don’t even wanna say too much about Jay, but we definitely working on some stuff. I haven’t even sent him a bunch of beats. I sent him my favorite stuff. He hit me right back like, ‘Yo, I’ma go in on this,’ or, ‘I like this.’” The album has been named one of the most anticipated albums of 2013 by Complex Magazine, MTV and XXL Magazine. Production will come from Jahlil Beats, Kanye West, Rick Rubin, Swizz Beatz, Timbaland and Pharrell Williams. Jay-Z also made an appearance on Justin Timberlake's comeback single Suit & Tie from his third studio album The 20/20 Experience, the song itself was produced by both Jay-Z and Timberlake's mutual friend, Timbaland.[97] During the fifth game of the 2013 NBA Finals, Carter announced that his twelfth studio album would be titled, Magna Carta... Holy Grail and would be released on July 4, 2013. He has been in the studio with various artists such as Drake, Nas, and Justin Timberlake working on the album.[98] In December 2013, it was announced that Jay-Z had received nine nominations at the 2014 Grammy Awards, more than any other artist. Jay-Z appeared on his Beyoncé's self-titled fifth studio album, Beyoncé, with a feature on the song "Drunk in Love". They performed this song together at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards opening.
Technique
In his earliest appearances, Jay-Z's style was less polished; he had a propensity for rhyming fast, which gradually lessened over the years. By 1996, he had become more known for his metaphors and similes, as well as being a rapper to stress the ordeals of the drug-dealer's life. Later, flow would become a big part of his style.
He has often pointed to his ability to switch from emotionally provocative material like "Song Cry" to mainstream topics, such as "Big Pimpin", as a sign that he straddles a line between material and intelligent rhymes that not a lot of artists have been able to do. However, he has been criticized for selling out to reach a mainstream audience, and he has acknowledged this on the song "Moment of Clarity".
Recently, producers and artists alike have been praising Jay-Z's ability to create verse after verse completely in his head without the aid of a pen and paper. His ability to memorize and recite verbatim line after line of lyrics is praised.
Retirement
On November 25, 2003, Jay-Z held a concert at Madison Square Garden, which would later be the focus of his film Fade to Black. This concert was his "retirement party." All proceeds went to charity. Other performers included collaborators like The Roots (in the form of his backing band), Missy Elliott, Memphis Bleek, Beanie Siegel, Freeway, Mary J. Blige, Beyonce, Twista, Ghostface Killah, Foxy Brown, Pharrell and R. Kelly with special appearances by Violetta Wallace and Afeni Shakur; the mothers of Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur respectively.
While Jay-Z had attested to a retirement from making new studio albums, various side projects and appearances soon followed. Included in these were a greatest hits record, mash-up projects and concert appearances with R. Kelly, Linkin Park and Phish. These appearances have kept Jay's name in the spotlight and furthered peoples' speculation that he would not remain retired for long.
Jay-Z was the executive producer of Fort Minor's debut album The Rising Tied. Mike Shinoda got together with Jay-Z himself, as well as his Linkin Park bandmate Brad Delson, and they went over what tracks they thought should make the album. Some of the tracks on the album include Remember The Name, Petrified, Believe Me, Where'd You Go and Right Now.
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the release of Reasonable Doubt, Jay-Z performed a show at Radio City Music Hall on June 25th, 2006 and a rehearsal show at New York's Nokia Theatre one day prior. These shows will be followed by a world tour in September, calling at various cities throughout Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. While locations for the tour have been confirmed, no dates have yet been given apart from 4 dates in the UK and 1 in Ireland.
"I Declare War" concert
Having been such a visible artist in the late '90s through the early 2000s, Jay has been the subject of more rap-related controversy than most artists in mainstream hip-hop. Some of these have been resolved, some are ongoing, and some have simply dissipated.
On October 27, 2005, Jay-Z headlined New York's Power 105.1 annual concert, Powerhouse. The concert was entitled the "I Declare War" Concert leading to intense speculation in the weeks preceding the event to whom exactly Jay-Z would declare war on. As he had previously "declared war" on other artists taking lyrical shots at him at other events, many believed that the Powerhouse show would represent an all-out assault by Jay upon his rivals. However, an anticipated response to subliminal shots taken by The Game and Cam'ron never materialized.
The theme of the concert was Jay-Z's position as President and CEO of Def Jam, complete with an on-stage mock-up of the Oval Office. Many artists made appearances such as the old roster of Rocafella records artists, Ne-Yo, Teairra Mari, T.I., Young Jeezy, Akon, Kanye West, Paul Wall, the LOX, and P. Diddy.
At the conclusion of the concert, Jay-Z put many beefs to rest to the surprise of hip-hop fans. Instead of declaring war, he declared that he was the "United Nations of this rap shit." The most significant development in this show was closure to the infamous beef between Jay-Z and Nas. The two former rivals shook hands and shared the stage together to perform Jay-Z's "Dead Presidents" blended with Nas's song "The World is Yours," from which "Dead Presidents" had sampled the vocals on the chorus. (Nas's verses were rapped over the "Dead Presidents" beat in the vein of a mix song done by DJ Statik Selektah.) Nas later performed songs of his own.
Beefs between other artists were also brought to a close (or put on hold) at the Powerhouse show. The event brought together for the first time in years, P. Diddy and The LOX, both who had a longstanding animosity due to a contract agreement between P. Diddy and The Lox and the latter's departure from Bad Boy Entertainment. Shortly after the concert, the beef was fully rectified.
The event also saw the return of Beanie Sigel from incarceration. There had been some speculation that Beanie Sigel was going to depart from Rocafella Records, but this concert proved otherwise. Beanie and The LOX's Jadakiss also officially ended their own beef when they, Jay-Z, the rest of the LOX and Sauce Money (who had been thought to have some animosity towards Jay) all performed the song "Reservoir Dogs."
Hip-Hop entrepreneur
Apart from being former President and CEO of Def Jam Recordings, Jay-Z is also one of the owners and founders of the Roc-A-Fella empire, which includes Roc-A-Fella Records, Roc-La-Familia, Roc-A-Fella Films and Rocawear.
At heart, Jay-Z is an entrepreneur like his fellow hip-hop-moguls-turned-friends Russell Simmons and Sean "Diddy" Combs, who also have business holdings such as record companies and clothing lines. He redirected the hip hop culture from hooded sweatshirts and baggy jeans to button-ups and crisp jeans, and received GQ's International Man of the Year award.
Roc-A-Fella Records
Jay-Z co-founded Roc-A-Fella Records with partners Damon Dash and Kareem "Biggs" Burke. Def Jam purchased a 50% stake in the company in 1997 for a reported $1.5 million.
In late 2004, Jay-Z, Dame Dash and Biggs sold their remaining interests in Roc-A-Fella Records and the label was retained as an Island Def Jam imprint. Soon thereafter Jay-Z was appointed the new President and CEO of Def Jam Recordings by Island Def Jam chairman L.A. Reid. Reportedly this major industry move was prompted by disagreement between Jay-Z and Dash as to what new ventures Roc-A-Fella could undertake.
The publicized split between Jay, Dash and Biggs led to the former partners sending jabs at each other in interviews. Dame Dash has made comment that after the break up he was portrayed as "Osama Bin Laden" to ensure that rappers would stay with Jay and not sign with him. Dash currently operates the recently-founded Dame Dash Music Group as a joint venture with Island Def Jam producing former Roc-A-Fella artists such as Beanie Sigel.
Universal Music Group announced on December 24th, 2007 that Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter stepped down from his post as president of Def Jam Records. The rapper, 38, served as CEO of the historic hip hop label since 2005. He will continue to work as a solo artist under the Roc-A-Fella / Def Jam umbrella, Reuters reports. Universal did not give a reason for his departure.
Rocawear and fashion
Co-founded in 1999 by Jay-Z, Damon Dash and Kareem "Biggs" Burke, Rocawear designed for and sought out a share of the lucrative urban fashion market already being capitalized on by labels like Phat Farm.
In 2005, Jay-Z bought out Rocawear co-founder Dash for an estimated $30 million and has sought to expand the company's reach by developing the S. Carter high-end clothing line. Jay also has a line of Reebok sneakers aptly named The S.Carter Collection, which holds the record for fastest-selling Reebok shoe in history and made him the first non-athlete to have a signature line of sneakers. In the spring of 2006, he is in collaboration with Swiss luxury-watch maker Audemars Piguet.
Entertainment and lifestyle
Jay-Z co-owns The 40/40 Club, an upscale sports bar which started in New York City and has since expanded to Atlantic City, NJ. Future plans will see 40/40 Clubs in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Singapore. Roc-A-Fella also distributes Armadale, a Scottish vodka, in the U.S.
Jay-Z is a part owner of the New Jersey Nets NBA team, and is one of the franchise owners interested in relocating the team to Brooklyn. In October 2005, he was reported in English media as considering a takeover of Arsenal F.C., an English football team.
Personal life
Criminal charges
Jay-Z was accused of stabbing record executive Lance "Un" Riviera for what he perceived was Riveria's bootlegging of Vol 3...Life and Times of S. Carter. The stabbing allegedly occurred at the record release party for Q-Tip's debut solo album Amplified at the Kit Kat Klub, a now defunct night club in Times Square, New York City, on December 9, 1999. Jay-Z's associates at the party were accused of causing a commotion within the club, which Jay-Z allegedly used as cover when he supposedly stabbed Riviera in the stomach with a five-inch blade.
Jay-Z initially denied the incident and pled not guilty when a grand jury returned the indictment. Jay-Z and his lawyers contended he was nowhere around Riviera during the incident and they had witnesses and videotape evidence from the club that showed Jay-Z's whereabouts during the disturbance. Nevertheless, he later pled guilty to a misdemeanor charge which resulted in a sentence of three months probation. The New York Post reported that Jay-Z had bought out Riviera for $600,000 to cease his cooperation with prosecutors, and without the cooperation of the victim, prosecutors had to cut a plea deal that would not interfere with Jay-Z's touring plans. Riviera also dropped a civil suit, where he asked for $40 million.
Jay-Z makes reference to the trial and incident on his songs "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)", off The Blueprint, and "Dear Summer", which was included in Memphis Bleek's 2005 release 534.
Rival rapper Cam'ron has since claimed on his song "You Gotta Love It" that Jay-Z had actually "stabbed Un over Charli Baltimore". Some media moguls have criticized Jay-Z for not fulfilling his position as a role model due to these incidents.
Romantic life
Jay-Z is married to American R&B singer Beyoncé. In 2002, Jay-Z and Beyoncé collaborated for the song "'03 Bonnie & Clyde". Jay-Z also appeared on Beyoncé's hit single "Crazy in Love" and as well as "That's How You Like It" from her debut Dangerously in Love. On her second album, B'Day, he made appearances on the 2006 hits, "Déjà Vu" and "Upgrade U". In the video for the latter song, she comically imitates his appearance. The couple generally avoid discussing their relationship. Beyoncé has stated that she believes that not publicly discussing their relationship has helped them. Jay-Z said in a People article, "We don't play with our relationship." They kept a low profile while dating, and married quietly in April 2008. It became a matter of public record on April 22, 2008, but Beyoncé did not publicly debut her $5 million Lorraine Schwartz-designed wedding ring until the Fashion Rocks concert on September 5, 2008 in New York City.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z were listed as the most powerful couple for TIME magazine's 100 most influential people of 2006. In January 2009, Forbes ranked them as Hollywood's top-earning couple. They also made it to the top of the list the following year.
On January 7, 2012, she gave birth to their daughter, named Blue Ivy Carter. On January 9, 2012, Jay-Z released "Glory", a song dedicated to their child, on his social website LifeandTimes.com.
A Week Ago
Jay-Z Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That's right
Uh-huh-uh, it was all good just a week ago
Last week I had everything
Uh, uh-huh-uh, had this all good just a week ago
I had the money, had the cars, the bitches
Uh-huh, yeah, it was all good just a week ago
And the jewelry
Uh-huh, uh uh, yo
Bitch!
Growing up in the hood just my dog and me
We used to hustle in the hood for, all to see
Problems, I called on him, he called on me
We wasn't quite partners, I hit him off my P
Let him unlocked doors, off my keys
Yeah we spoke, much more than cordially
Man he broke bread with me, my business spreads with me
The Feds came to get me, we both fled quickly
Wasn't quick enough to jump over the hedges with me
Got caught, and that's when our relationship strained
Used to call me from the joint 'til he ran out of change
And when he called collect and I heard his name
I quickly accepted, but when I reached the phone
He's talkin' reckless, I can sense deceit in his tone
I said, "Damn dog, what, nine weeks and you're home?"
He said, "Main man, you think shit's sweet 'cause you're home"
I just sat, spat no more speech in the phone
The crackers up there bleaching your dome, you're reaching
I said, "The world don't stop I've got to keep keep on"
From there I sensed the beef was on
I ran to the spot, store to add some more features on my phone
To see if I had bugs and leeches on my phone
Can't be too safe cause niggas is two-faced
And they show the other side when they catch a new case
It's on
It was cool when you had hella weed to smoke
And you bought a new home where you could keep the folks
I don't see how this side of you could be provoked
(Uh-huh, uh-huh, it was all good just a week ago)
Funny what, seven days can change
A stand up nigga, now you sit down to aim
Used to have a firm grip now you dropping names
Uh-huh, uh-huh (It was all good just a week ago)
Like I put the toast to your head and made you sell
We both came in this game, blind as hell
I did a little better, had more clientele
Told you put away some cheddar now you crying for bail
Seventeen and I'm holding on to around a mil'
I could bail out and blow trial and come around on the pill
Had niggas thinking I was from Uptown for real
I had so much hustle plus I was down to ill
Like a Brooklyn nigga, straight out of Brownsville
Down and dirty, down to fight 'til round thirty
Freezing on them corners still holding my crack
Looking up and down the block, the fuck is the dough at?
Came from flat broke to letting the dough stack
You tell them feds I said I'm never going back
I'm from Marcy, and Marcy don't raise no rats
You know the consequences of your acts, you can't be serious
It was cool when you had hella weed to smoke
And you bought a new home where you could keep the folks
I don't see how this side of you could be provoked
(Uh-huh, uh-huh, it was all good just a week ago)
Funny what, seven days can change
A stand up nigga, now you sit down to aim
Used to have a firm grip now you dropping names
Uh-huh, uh-huh (It was all good just a week ago)
The lawyer I retained you said you leaking some things
All this after a week in the bang
I'm mad at myself 'cause I didn't spot the weak and lame
I would of bet the house you wouldn't speak a thing
Nigga this was the oath, to the top of broke
Even pricked our finger, anything that got between us
We 'sposed to cock the ninas, what happened to that?
Instead you copped out to a misdemeanor
Fuck it, the same thing make you laugh make you cry
That's right, the same game that make you mad could make you die
It's a dice game, and sometimes you crap
Who would of thought you'd get popped one time and rat?
Now you know that's bad when your sister is mad
And your son gotta grow up like, "This is my dad?"
The labeling of a snitch is a lifetime scar
You'll always be in jail nigga, just minus the bars
It was cool when you had hella weed to smoke
And you bought a new home where you could keep the folks
I don't see how this side of you could be provoked
(Uh-huh, uh-huh, it was all good just a week ago)
Funny what, seven days can change
A stand up nigga, now you sit down to aim
Used to have a firm grip now you dropping names
Uh-huh, uh-huh (It was all good just a week ago)
Shit is crazy man
All these niggas out here snitching
We was one step away from taking this crack money
And recycling it through the ghettos
And building back up our own hoods
Now all you niggas start snitching on each other
I got partners doing 15-20
Wouldn't to been doing SHIT
If you didn't snitch
Bitch!
It's about time y'all check that shit out man
It ain't all good
Shut your mouth
Just watch the game
And don't snitch
It sure will do a lot for you
Believe that baby
Jay-z, Short Dawg's in the house main
You know I got it
Got it goin on
We got the money
Ain't got nuthin' to do with crime baby
But I'm recognizing
You rat bastard!
The lyrics to Jay-Z's "A Week Ago" describe the betrayal of a former friend who turned to snitching, resulting in their previous luxurious lifestyle being turned upside down. The song details how Jay-Z (and the friend) came up in the hood, hustling and helping each other out. However, once Jay-Z’s friend got caught by the authorities, he began cooperating with them and consequently, their friendship became strained. Their once close bond evidenced by the “oath” to never rat was forever damaged once the betrayal occurred. The lyrics are a stark reminder of the dangers of the street life and the consequences that come with it. The song portrays a message of loyalty and how betrayal of that bond can lead to a lifetime of regret and pain.
The first verse details how Jay-Z and his friend used to hustle together and take care of each other, but their morals differed when one of them eventually got caught. The second verse is a direct insult to the friend, calling him a “rat” and discussing the negative consequences that accompany snitching, as well as the lasting effect it has on the snitch’s reputation among their peers. In the last verse, Jay-Z delves in-depth about the damage that snitching has caused to their friendship, stating that his friend's betrayal was so bad that even his sister is mad with him, and his son has to grow up knowing that his father is a snitch.
Line by Line Meaning
Uh-huh
That's right
Uh-huh-uh, it was all good just a week ago
Things were going well a week ago
Last week I had everything
I had everything I wanted
Uh, uh-huh-uh, had this all good just a week ago
I had everything going for me a week ago
I had the money, had the cars, the bitches
I had money, cars, and women
Uh-huh, yeah, it was all good just a week ago
It was all good a week ago
And the jewelry
And then my motherfucking niggas started snitching
I had jewelry and then my friends started telling the authorities my secrets
Uh-huh, uh uh, yo
Bitch!
I can't believe it, betrayal hurts
Growing up in the hood just my dog and me
We used to hustle in the hood for, all to see
Problems, I called on him, he called on me
We wasn't quite partners, I hit him off my P
I grew up with my friend, we used to hustle together. We weren't exactly partners but we had each other's backs.
Let him unlocked doors, off my keys
Yeah we spoke, much more than cordially
Man he broke bread with me, my business spreads with me
The Feds came to get me, we both fled quickly
I trusted him so much that I let him use my keys. We spoke frequently and he was always involved in my business dealings. When the law came, we both ran.
Wasn't quick enough to jump over the hedges with me
Got caught, and that's when our relationship strained
Used to call me from the joint 'til he ran out of change
He couldn't jump the hedges with me and was caught by the law - that's when our relationship changed. He used to call me collect from prison but eventually ran out of money.
And when he called collect and I heard his name
I quickly accepted, but when I reached the phone
He's talkin' reckless, I can sense deceit in his tone
I was eager to talk to him, but when he called he was speaking recklessly and I could tell he was lying.
I said, "Damn dog, what, nine weeks and you're home?"
He said, "Main man, you think shit's sweet 'cause you're home"
I just sat, spat no more speech in the phone
The crackers up there bleaching your dome, you're reaching
I was shocked that he was out of prison so soon. He tried to act like everything was fine because I was out, but I didn't believe him and stayed silent. I knew the authorities were brainwashing him, so he was reaching.
I said, "The world don't stop I've got to keep keep on"
From there I sensed the beef was on
I ran to the spot, store to add some more features on my phone
To see if I had bugs and leeches on my phone
I knew life went on and I had to continue doing what I was doing. I sensed that there was a problem between us, so I went to the store to add more features to my phone and check it for bugs.
Can't be too safe cause niggas is two-faced
And they show the other side when they catch a new case
It's on
You can never be too careful because people are disloyal and will show their true colors when they get in trouble.
It was cool when you had hella weed to smoke
And you bought a new home where you could keep the folks
I don't see how this side of you could be provoked
(Uh-huh, uh-huh, it was all good just a week ago)
I was cool with you when you had a lot of weed and bought a new home, I can't understand why you would turn on me now and snitch.
Funny what, seven days can change
A stand up nigga, now you sit down to aim
Used to have a firm grip now you dropping names
Uh-huh, uh-huh (It was all good just a week ago)
It's remarkable how things can change in just a week. You used to be trustworthy, but now you're aiming to betray me and dropping names.
Like I put the toast to your head and made you sell
We both came in this game, blind as hell
I did a little better, had more clientele
Told you put away some cheddar now you crying for bail
I didn't force you to sell drugs at gunpoint. We both started off naive in this business, but I had more clients and did better financially than you. I told you to save some money, but now you're broke and need bail.
Seventeen and I'm holding on to around a mil'
I could bail out and blow trial and come around on the pill
Had niggas thinking I was from Uptown for real
I had so much hustle plus I was down to ill
I was just 17 years old but had around a million dollars. I could have bailed out and scam my way out of the trial. People thought I was from Uptown because of how much I hustled and how good I was at it.
Like a Brooklyn nigga, straight out of Brownsville
Down and dirty, down to fight 'til round thirty
Freezing on them corners still holding my crack
Looking up and down the block, the fuck is the dough at?
I'm like a typical Brooklynite from Brownsville. I'm down and gritty, willing to fight until the very end. I'm holding my crack outside, shivering and looking for customers.
Came from flat broke to letting the dough stack
You tell them feds I said I'm never going back
I'm from Marcy, and Marcy don't raise no rats
You know the consequences of your acts, you can't be serious
I came from having nothing to stacking money. Tell the authorities I won't return to prison. I'm from Marcy Projects where we don't snitch. You must know the gravity of your actions, you can't be serious.
The lawyer I retained you said you leaking some things
All this after a week in the bang
I'm mad at myself 'cause I didn't spot the weak and lame
I would of bet the house you wouldn't speak a thing
The lawyer I hired told me that you're giving out information after only a week in jail. I'm mad at myself for not seeing that you were weak and had a tendency to betray me. I would have never guessed that you would snitch.
Nigga this was the oath, to the top of broke
Even pricked our finger, anything that got between us
We 'sposed to cock the ninas, what happened to that?
Instead you copped out to a misdemeanor
We took a blood oath to always have each other's back, even when we were broke. We were supposed to always be ready to fight, but what happened to that? Instead, you sold me out for a minor crime.
Fuck it, the same thing make you laugh make you cry
That's right, the same game that make you mad could make you die
It's a dice game, and sometimes you crap
Who would of thought you'd get popped one time and rat?
The same thing that makes you happy can also make you sad. The same business that angers you could also be the cause of your death. It's a risky game, and sometimes you lose. Who would have thought that you would snitch after getting caught just once?
Now you know that's bad when your sister is mad
And your son gotta grow up like, "This is my dad?"
The labeling of a snitch is a lifetime scar
You'll always be in jail nigga, just minus the bars
It's bad when even your family is disappointed in you. Your son will grow up knowing that you're a snitch. Being called a snitch is a reputational scar that lasts a lifetime. You'll always be in prison in the eyes of others, even if you're not physically there.
Shit is crazy man
All these niggas out here snitching
We was one step away from taking this crack money
And recycling it through the ghettos
And building back up our own hoods
Now all you niggas start snitching on each other
I got partners doing 15-20
Wouldn't to been doing SHIT
If you didn't snitch
It's about time y'all check that shit out man
It ain't all good
Shut your mouth
Just watch the game
And don't snitch
It sure will do a lot for you
Believe that baby
Jay-z, Short Dawg's in the house main
You know I got it
Got it goin on
We got the money
Ain't got nuthin' to do with crime baby
But I'm recognizing
You rat bastard!
Things are crazy these days with everyone snitching. We were close to using our drug money to help our community, but now everyone is selling each other out to the authorities. I have friends who are serving long prison sentences because of snitches. If you don't want to go to jail, keep your mouth shut and don't snitch. Jay-z and Too $hort have money, but it's not from committing crimes. I'm calling out the person who betrayed me as a rat.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network
Written by: Shawn Carter, Ernie Isley, Marvin Isley, O'kelly Isley, Ronald Isley, Rudolph Isley, Christopher Jasper
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind