JAY-Z

American rapper and entrepreneur, Shawn Corey Carter, better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is one of the biggest names in 'Rap' and in the genre of hip-hop. His albums have approximately sold over 50 million copies globally and he has received a number of awards. As an entrepreneur, he owns the 40/40 Club, Def Jam Records, Roc Nation Sports, Roc-A-Fella and he is also a qualified NBA sports representative. He is currently married to singer/actress Beyonce Knowles.

Jay-Z released his debut album, 'Reasonable Doubt' in 1996. It is widely considered one of the greatest albums of all time. The title track of the album 'Hard Knock Life' is considered Jay-Z's most successful commercial single till date. In the new millennium, he released 'The Dynasty: Roc La Familia', which was originally supposed to feature a number of artists but ended up featuring only Jay- Z. From 2001 to 2005, Jay-Z sold millions of copies of his famous records. During this time, he announced that he would be taking a break from the music industry. The following year, he returned with the album, 'Kingdom Come.' He also opened a chain of sports bars and lounges called '40/40 Club.’ In 2005, he promoted New York's Power 105.1 annual concert, 'Powerhouse.' In 2006, he took over the urban clothing brand, 'Rocawear', which he later sold to the Iconix Brand Group for a whopping $204 million. The following year, he resigned from the position of 'President' of Def Jam Records. In 2010, Jay-Z collaborated with Rihanna, Bono and The Edge to release the track, 'Stranded' for the 'Hope for Haiti Now' fund-raiser. He started his Roc Nation watermark; a montage and music publishing company.