What year was Jay-Z born?

Jay-Z was born in 1969. His birth name is Shawn Corey Carter, and he was born on December 4 in Brooklyn, New York City.

He grew up in the Marcy Houses, a public housing complex in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn. Before becoming a global recording artist, Carter developed his reputation in New York's competitive hip-hop scene. He later helped establish Roc-A-Fella Records and released his debut album, Reasonable Doubt, in 1996.

Jay-Z's birth year is sometimes confused with the years of his early albums or major career milestones. He was 26 when Reasonable Doubt appeared and turned 30 in 1999, around the period when his commercial success expanded dramatically. His precise birthday also makes 1969 the single canonical answer to this question, rather than an estimate based on his career timeline.

Jay-Z became one of hip-hop's most commercially successful figures, while also building businesses in music, fashion, sports, and entertainment.