Biography of Jay-Z

Quick Facts

Name

Jay-Z

Occupation 

Rapper, Music Producer

Birth Date 

December 4, 1969

Place of Birth 

New York

Full Name

Shawn Corey Carter

Rapper and hip-hop entrepreneur Jay-Z is known for leading Def Jam Records, creating a clothing line and marrying singer Beyoncé Knowles.

Synopsis

Born Shawn Corey Carter in New York City on December 4, 1969, Jay-Z grew up in Brooklyn's drug-infested Marcy Projects. He used rap as an escape, and appeared on Yo! MTV Raps in 1989. After selling millions of records with his own Roc-A-Fella label, Jay-Z created his own clothing line. He wed popular singer and actress Beyoncé Knowles in 2008.

Early Life

Rapper Jay-Z was born Shawn Corey Carter on December 4, 1969, in Brooklyn, New York. "He was the last of my four children," Jay-Z's mother later recalled, "the only one who didn't give me any pain when I gave birth to him, and that's how I knew he was a special child." Jay-Z's father, Adnes Reeves, left the family when Jay-Z was only 11 years old. The young rapper was raised by his mother, Gloria Carter, in Brooklyn's drug-infested Marcy Projects.

During a rough adolescence, detailed in many of his autobiographical songs, Shawn Carter dealt drugs and flirted with gun violence. He attended Eli Whitney High School in Brooklyn, where he was a classmate of the soon-to-be-martyred rap legend Notorious B.I.G. As Jay-Z later remembered his childhood in one of his songs ("December 4th"), "I went to school, got good grades, could behave when I wanted/ But I had demons deep inside that would raise when confronted."

Rise to Hop-Hop Fame

Carter turned to rap at a very young age as an escape from the drugs, violence and poverty that surrounded him in the Marcy Projects. In 1989, he joined the rapper Jaz-O—an older performer who served as a kind of mentor—to record a song called "The Originators," which won the pair an appearance on an episode of Yo! MTV Raps. It was at this point that Shawn Carter embraced the nickname Jay-Z, which was simultaneously an homage to Jaz-O, a play on Carter's childhood nickname of "Jazzy," and a reference to the J/Z subway station near his Brooklyn home.

But even though he had a stage name, Jay-Z remained relatively anonymous until he and two friends, Damon Dash and Kareem Burke, founded their own record label, Roc-A-Fella Records, in 1996. In June of that year, Jay-Z released his debut album, Reasonable Doubt. Although the record only reached No. 23 on the Billboard charts, it is now considered a classic hip-hop album, featuring songs such as "Can't Knock the Hustle," featuring Mary J. Blige, and "Brooklyn's Finest," a collaboration with Notorious B.I.G. Reasonable Doubt established Jay-Z as an emerging star in hip-hop.

Two years later, Jay-Z achieved even broader success with the 1998 album Vol. 2 ... Hard Knock Life. The title track, which famously sampled its chorus from the Broadway musical Annie, became Jay-Z's most popular single to date and won him his first Grammy nomination. "Hard Knock Life" marked the beginning of a fruitful period in which Jay-Z would become the biggest name in hip-hop.

Over the span of those years, the rapper released a slew of No. 1 albums and hit singles. His most popular songs from this period include "Can I Get A ...", "Big Pimpin'", "I Just Wanna Love U", "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" and "03 Bonnie & Clyde", a duet with future bride Beyoncé Knowles. Jay-Z's most acclaimed album of this period was The Blueprint (2001), which would later land on many music critics' lists of the best albums of the decade.

Expanding Empire

In 2003, Jay-Z shocked the hip-hop world by releasing The Black Album and announcing that it would be his last solo record before retirement. Asked to explain his sudden exit from rap, Jay-Z said that he once derived inspiration from trying to outshine other great MCs, but had simply gotten bored due to a lack of competition. 

 

"The game ain't hot," he said. "I love when someone makes a hot album and then you've got to make a hot album. I love that. But it ain't hot."

During his hiatus from rapping, Jay-Z turned his attention to the business side of music, becoming president of Def Jam Recordings. As president of Def Jam, Jay-Z signed such popular acts as Rihanna, Ne-Yo and Young Jeezy and helped effect Kanye West's transition from producer to bestselling recording artist. But his reign at the venerable hip-hop label wasn't all smooth sailing.

 

Jay-Z resigned as Def Jam's president in 2007, complaining about the company's resistance to change from ineffectual business models. "You have record executives who've been sitting in their office for 20 years because of one act," he lamented.
 

Jay-Z's other, ongoing business ventures include the popular urban clothing line Rocawear and Roc-A-Fella films. He also owns the 40/40 Club, an upscale sports bar with locations in New York and Atlantic City, and is a part owner of the New Jersey Nets basketball franchise. As Jay-Z once rapped about his business empire, "I'm not a businessman/ I'm a business, man."

Comeback

In 2006, Jay-Z ended his retirement from making music, releasing the new album Kingdom Come. He soon released two more albums: American Gangster in 2007 and Blueprint 3 in 2010. This trio of later albums marked a significant departure from Jay-Z's earlier sound, incorporating stronger rock and soul influences in their production and offering lyrics tackling such mature subjects as the response to Hurricane Katrina; Barack Obama's 2008 election; and the perils of fame and fortune. 

Jay-Z says he's trying to adapt his music to befit his own middle age. "There's not a lot of people who have come of age in rap because it's only 30 years old," he says. "As more people come of age, hopefully the topics get broader and then the audience will stay around longer."

In 2008, Jay-Z signed a $150 million contract with the concert promotion company Live Nation. This super deal created a joint venture called Roc Nation, an entertainment company that handles nearly all aspects of its artists' careers. In addition to Jay-Z himself, Roc Nation manages Willow Smith and J. Cole among others.

More recently, Jay-Z proved that he had both commercial and critical staying power. He teamed up with another famous member of rap royalty, Kanye West, for 2011's Watch the Throne. The album proved to be a triple hit, topping the rap, R&B and pop charts that August. The song "Otis," which samples the late R&B singer Otis Redding, snagged several Grammy Award nominations and the recording was also nominated for Best Rap Album.

Two years after the release of a collaboration album with West, both rappers dropped solo albums within weeks of the other's release date. West's album, Yeezus (2013), was critically lauded for its innovation, while his mentor Jay-Z's album gained less than stellar reviews. The rappers 12th studio album, Magna Carta Holy Grail (2013), was seen as decent but failed to live up to the hip-hop stars larger-than-life reputation and his unhumbly titled album.

Personal Life

Very protective of his private life, Jay-Z did not publicly discuss his relationship with longtime girlfriend, popular singer and actress Beyoncé Knowles, for years. The couple even managed to keep the press away from their small wedding, which was held on April 4, 2008, in New York City. Only about 40 people attended the celebration at Jay-Z's penthouse apartment, including actress Gwyneth Paltrow and former Destiny's Child members Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams.

Since tying the knot, Jay-Z and Beyoncé became the subject of countless pregnancy rumors. They welcomed their first child, a daughter named Blue Ivy Carter, on January 7, 2012. Concerned about their privacy and safety, Jay-Z and Beyoncé rented part of New York's Lenox Hill Hospital and hired extra guards.

• Beyonce Biography

Shortly after the birth of his daughter, Jay-Z released a song in her honor on his website. On "Glory," he expressed his joy of becoming a father and revealed that Beyoncé had previously suffered a miscarriage. Jay-Z and Beyoncé also posted a message along with the song, saying "we are in heaven" and Blue's birth "was the best experience of both of our lives."

Biography of Linda Ronstadt

Quick Facts

Name

Linda Ronstadt

Occupation 

Singer

Birth Date 

July 15, 1946

Place of Birth 

Tuscon, Arizona

 

Linda Ronstadt is a 11-time Grammy Award winner and superstar of both pop and country music. Her 1974 album, Heart Like a Wheel, sold more than 1 million copies.

Synopsis

Born in Arizona in 1946, Linda Ronstadt found success with her 1974 album, Heart Like a Wheel, which included such hits as "You're No Good" and "When Will I Be Loved." The album went platinum—selling more than 1 million copies—as did her next few projects, establishing her as a music superstar during the 1970s. She continued to experiment with different styles, such as in Adieu False Heart (2006), a Cajun-inspired work.In 2013, Ronstadt revealed that she could no longer sing because she had Parkinson's disease. She also published her memoir Simple Dreams that same year.

Early Life and Career

Singer Linda Ronstadt was born on July 15, 1946, in Tucson, Arizona, and grew up surrounded by music. One of Ronstadt's early musical influences was the Mexican songs her father taught her and her siblings. Her mother played the ukulele and her father played the guitar. Following in her father's footsteps, she learned to play guitar. She also performed with her brother and sister as a trio.

After graduating from Catalina High School, Ronstadt enrolled at the University of Arizona in Tucson where she met Bob Kimmel. The pair left college to move in Los Angeles where they formed the Stone Poneys with Kenny Edwards. This folk trio released their first album in 1967. The group enjoyed a modest success with their second album Evergreen Vol. 2, which was also released in 1967. Their only hit was "Different Drum," which was written by Michael Nesmith of the Monkees.

Hit Singer of the 1970s

By the end of the 1960s, Ronstadt had become a solo act. She put out several albums before finally landing on the charts with Heart Like a Wheel (1974). The album had several hits, including "You're No Good" and "When Will I Be Loved." The recording went platinum—meaning it sold more than one million copies. Ronstadt quickly became one of the music superstar of the 1970s.

In 1975, Ronstadt continued to enjoy success on the album charts with Prisoner in Disguise. The recording featured the Neil Young cover "Love Is a Rose" and her take on the Smokey Robinson classic "The Tracks of My Tears." With 1976's Hasten Down the Wind, Ronstadt took on the Buddy Holly classic "That'll Be the Day" and "Crazy" by Willie Nelson. Simple Dreams (1977) featured the Roy Orbison-penned "Blue Bayou," which became a major hit, along with her popular covers of Buddy Holly's "It's So Easy," Warren Zevon's "Poor Poor Pitiful Me," and The Rolling Stones' "Tumbing Dice."

Later Career

In the 1980s, Ronstadt tried her hand at pop standards. She worked with famed arranger Nelson Riddle, with whom she put out three albums: Lush Life (1982), What's New (1983) and For Sentimental Reasons (1986). She also explored her Hispanic heritage by recording a Spanish-language album, Canciones de Mi Padre (1987), which was filled with traditional Mexican songs like the ones her father loved. Two other Spanish-language albums followed: Mas Canciones (1990) and Frenesi (1992). In 1989, Ronstadt won a Primetime Emmy Award for outstanding individual performance in a variety or music program, for her work on the television series Great Performances (1970), which has been airing on PBS since the early 1970s.

Ronstadt continued to experiment with different musical styles. In collaboration with Ann Savoy, she took on Cajun music in her latest album Adieu False Heart (2006). Since then, Ronstadt has focused more on her personal life, choosing to spend more time with her family. She adopted two children, Clementine and Carlos, when she was in her early forties. For many years, she lived in her hometown of Tucson with her kids. She now lives in San Francisco. Despite relationships with former California governor Jerry Brown and filmmaker George Lucas, Ronstadt never married. She told The New York Times that "I'm very bad at compromise, and there's a lot of compromise in marriage."

In August 2013, Ronstadt revealed the reason she had been absent from the music scene in recent years. She has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, which she says has prevented her from singing. "I couldn’t sing and I couldn’t figure out why," Ronstadt explained to aarp.org. "I think I’ve had it for seven or eight years already, because of the symptoms that I’ve had. Then I had a shoulder operation, so I thought that’s why my hands were trembling."

That fall, Ronstadt delved into other aspects of her life in her autobiography, Simple Dreams. The book follows her journey to becoming a music legend, but it does not touch on her illness. Despite the physical challenges she faces with Parkinson's, Ronstadt went out on a book tour to promote her memoir. The book provides readers with an inside look at her youth in Arizona, her early days in the L.A. music scene and her life as a pop star in the 1970s and 1980s.