Jay-Z Timeline

1969 - 1986   Shawn Carter was born December 4^thand raised in the Marcy Houses projects in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York City.  His father left the family when Jay-Z is 12 years old, and is later referenced in a number of Jay-Z's songs.  Jay-Z briefly attend Eli Whitney High School with rapper Z, and then went to Westinghouse High School with Busta Rhymes and Notorious B.I.G.  Jay-Z started selling drugs, and dropped out of high school as he tried out the hustling lifestyle.

1986 Jay-Z and Jaz are two parts of a four-person rap group called Hi Potent.  They release a single called H.P. Gets Busy.

1989   Jay-Z is featured on Jaz's "Hawaiian Sophie"

1990   Jay-Z is featured on Jaz's "The Originators"

1994   Jay-Z appears on Big Daddy Kane's "Show and Prove" from the album Daddy's Home

1994 Original Flavor releases the single "Can I Get Open," and Jay-Z is featured

1994 Jay-Z releases "I Can't Get With That" video

1996   Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, Damon Dash, and Kareem Burke start Roc-A-Fella Records

1996 February 20   Jay-Z drops his first single called "Dead Presidents." This single is not to be confused with "Dead Presidents II" that appears on Jay-Z's debut album, Reasonable Doubt

1996 June 25 marks the release of Jay-Z's debut album, Reasonable Doubt

1997 November 4   Jay-Z's second studio album In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 is released

1998    The musical film Streets Is Watching is released, and it contains Jay-Z's earliest music videos

1998 September 29   Vol. 2... Hardknock Life is released after a stream of supportive singles

1999   Wins

Best Rap Album Grammy for Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life

1999   Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter and Damon Dash create Rocawear Clothing

1999 December 2   The Stabbing Incident -Jay-Z was accused of stabbing record executive Lance "Un" Rivera for what Jay-Z thought was Rivera'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 in New York City's Times Square.   Jay-Z denied any wrongdoing right after the incident.  He later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge that resulted in a sentence of three years probation.

(Related PDF: MTV Article)

1999 December 28   Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter is released and featured singles like  "Do It Again (Put Ya Hands Up)" feat. Beanie Sigel & Amil and "Big Pimpin'"

2000 October   The Dynasty: Roc La Familia is released and features a number of Roc-A-Fella Records artists

2001 September 11   The Blueprint is released on the same day as the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center

2002 March 26   A collaboration album with R. Kelly is released called The Best of Both Worlds

2002 November 12    Jay-Z releases The Blueprint²: The Gift & The Curse.  This is his seventh studio album

2002 December 10    Jay-Z releases "'03 Bonnie & Clyde" single which features Beyonce

2003 June 23   Jay-Z appears on Beyonce single "Crazy in Love"

2003 June   Along with Desiree Gonzalez and Juan Perez, Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter opens up an upscale sports bar called 40/40 in New York City

2003 November 14   Jay-Z releases eighth studio album The Black Album. It features a number of super producers such as Rick Rubin, Pharell, Kanye West, and Timbaland.  This album is supposed to mark Jay-z's retirement from raping

2004   Jay-Z becomes part owner of the New Jersey Nets basketball team

2004   Wins Best Rap/Sung Collaboration Grammy with Beyonce for "Crazy in Love." They both also win the Grammy for Best R&B Song for "Crazy in Love" as well.

2004 February   The Grey Album is released by Danger Mouse.  It is a mashup of Jay-Z's The Black Album vocals, beats, and unauthorized samples of the Beatles's White Albume

October 2004   Jay-Z and R. Kelly's Unfinished Business Tour breaks down when the two have a falling out at a Madison Square Garden show.  Jay-Z told the crowd how R.Kelly had been causing problems on the tour, and how Kelly is not needed.  He brought out stars like Ja Rule, Mary J. Blige, and Usher to make up for Kelly's departure.

(Related PDF: MTV Article)

2004 October 26   Unfinished Busness, the second Jay-Z and R. Kelly collaboration album is released

2004 November 5   The documentary Fade to Black is released to chronicle what was supposed to be Jay-Z's final concert at Madison Square Garden

2004 November 30   Jay-Z teams up with Linkin Park for a CD/DVD album called Collision Course

2005   Wins Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance for "99 Problems"

2005 July   Jay-Z performs at the Live 8 Concerts.  The DVD set of the star-studded concerts was released later that year

2005 October 25   The second 40/40 Club opens in Atlantic city

2006   Wins Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, "Numb/Encore" with Linkin Park

2006 November 20   Jay-Z releases Kingdom Come, his ninth studio album.

2007 November 6    Jay-Z releases tenth studio album entitled American Gangster.  This is his first concept album, and it references the film starring Denzel Washington.

 2007 December 2008   The third 40/40 Club opens in Las Vegas

2008   Wins Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, "Umbrella" with Rihanna

2008 April   Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter and Beyonce Knowles get married

2008 April 16 - 2008 December 7   Jay-Z, Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco, and Rihanna embark on a world tour called Glow In The Dark

2008 August   The Las Vegas 40/40 Club closes to waning patronage

2009   Wins Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or a Group for "Swagga Like Us" with T.I., Kanye West, and Lil Wayne

2009 September 8   Jay-Z releases his eleventh studio album "The Blueprint 3"

2009  Jay Z Leaves Def Jam and buys out his contract. He says: "We both won in the end. I thank him (Doug Morris) for allowing me to be a completely independent artist. Not every artist can say they own or are given the opportunity to own all of their music."

2010   Wins Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance, "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)" and he also wins Grammy's for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, "Run This Town" with Rihanna and Kanye West, and Best Rap Song, "Run This Town" with Rihanna and Kanye West