Shawn Corey Carter, known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, songwriter, record executive, businessman, and media proprietor.

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Carter is widely regarded as one of the most influential hip-hop artists in history and is also well known for being the former CEO of Def Jam Recordings, cultivating major industry artists such as Rihanna and Rick Ross.

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Jay-Z is one of the world's best-selling music artists, with over 50 million albums and 75 million singles sold worldwide.

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He has won a total of 23 Grammy Awards, the most by a rapper, and holds the record for the most number-one albums by a solo artist on the Billboard 200, with 14.

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He has been ranked by Billboard and fellow music publication Rolling Stone as one of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

Born: 4 December 1969