He served as president and chief executive officer of Def Jam Recordings from 2004 to 2007, and founded the entertainment company Roc Nation the following year.

[10][11][12] He has also released the collaborative albums The Best of Both Worlds (2002) and Unfinished Business (2004) with singer R. Kelly,[13] Collision Course (2004) with Linkin Park, Watch the Throne (2011) with Kanye West, and Everything Is Love (2018) with his wife Beyoncé.

Written in just two days,[53] the album sold more than 427,000 copies, debuted at number one on the Billboard 200[54] and reached double platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America.

[56] In October 2001, Jay-Z pleaded guilty to aggravated assault for stabbing record producer Lance Rivera at the Kit Kat Klub in New York City in 1999.

Other performers included collaborators the Roots (in the form of his backing band), Missy Elliott, Memphis Bleek, Beanie Siegel, Freeway, Mary J. Blige, Beyoncé, Twista, Ghostface Killah, Foxy Brown, Pharrell Williams and R. Kelly, with appearances by Voletta Wallace and Afeni Shakur, the mothers of the Notorious B.I.G.

The EP sold over 1 million copies in the U.S.[45] Jay-Z was the executive producer of The Rising Tied, the debut album of Fort Minor, the hip hop side project of Linkin Park rapper Mike Shinoda.

As he had previously "declared war" on other artists taking lyrical shots at him at other events, many believed that the Powerhouse show would represent an all-out assault by Jay-Z upon his rivals.

The album features production from Just Blaze, Pharrell, Kanye West, Dr. Dre and Coldplay's Chris Martin (single entitled "Beach Chair").

After viewing the Ridley Scott film of the same name, Jay-Z was heavily inspired to create a new "concept" album that depicts his experiences as a street-hustler.

"[77] Also notable about the "Blue Magic" music video was Jay-Z flashing €500 notes; Harvard Business School professor Rawi Abdelal called this a "turning point in American pop culture's response to globalization."

"[81] As controversy mounted, Jay-Z replied, "We don't play guitars, Noel, but hip hop has put in its work like any other form of music.

"[82] Jay-Z opened his Glastonbury set with a tongue-in-cheek cover of Oasis's iconic song "Wonderwall",[83] and went on to deliver a performance heralded as a successful response to pre-festival criticism.

[118] In early June 2017, posters were displayed in New York City and Los Angeles, and banner ads were placed on the Internet promoting a Tidal-related project titled 4:44.

[119] A teaser ad was aired during the NBA Finals on June 7 featuring actors Mahershala Ali, Lupita Nyong'o and Danny Glover in a one-minute video, ending in "4:44 – 6.30.17, Exclusively on Tidal".

On July 5, the album was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), in recognition of one million copies purchased by Sprint and offered to consumers as free downloads.

Ten days later, at their final London performance, the pair unveiled Everything Is Love, their much-awaited joint studio album, credited under the name The Carters.

[134] Known for his lyrical prowess which often utilises double entendres, witty wordplays, and mixes messages with braggadocio, his music often describes his rise from poverty to vast wealth.

He is also known to write lyrics in his head, as described by Pusha T of Clipse in How to Rap,[144] a style popular with many MCs such as The Notorious B.I.G.,[144] Everlast,[145] Bobby Creekwater[146] and Guerilla Black.

[146] Shock G of Digital Underground describes Jay-Z's live performance style, saying he "rarely breaks a sweat, and instead uses smoothness and clever wordplay to keep the audience interested and entertained".

[148][149] Jay-Z has also established himself as a successful entrepreneur with a business empire spanning a variety of industries from clothing lines, beverages, real estate, sport teams, and record labels.

[179][180] Jay-Z's cited Pan's athletic background (he was a team captain of his high school basketball team and played in college), his multitude of musical styles, his influence in the Taiwanese American community, and his business acumen and portfolio (including being the founder and chief executive of software company Camigo Media and a co-founder of streetwear boutique N.P.C [New Project Center]), as reasons why his bid was successful.

[187] Among the music content is the Decoded series, originating from Jay-Z's memoir of the same name and featuring a select rapper deciphering their own lyrics.

[190] As part of his deal with Weinstein company, he produced a documentary series on the life of Kalief Browder who was imprisoned for three years and committed suicide upon his release.

[193] In 2010, he announced plans to expand his 40/40 Club sports bar chain into as many as 20 airports, joining his Roc Nation business partners, husband and wife Juan and Desiree Perez, in a deal with Delaware North.

[201] In November 2020, it was announced that Jay-Z would be join TPCO Holding Corp., a newly formed cannabis products company, in the role of "Chief Visionary Officer".

3..., allegedly stabbed him at the Kit Kat Klub, a now-defunct night club in Times Square, New York City, during a release party for Q-Tip's album Amplified.

[222][223] When he was indicted in Manhattan Criminal Court in late January 2000, he pleaded not guilty; he and his lawyers contended that they had witnesses and videotapes proving he had been nowhere near Rivera during the incident.

'"[229] In December 2024, Jay-Z, along with Sean "Diddy" Combs, was accused in a civil lawsuit of raping a 13-year-old girl at an MTV Video Music Awards after-party in 2000.

[243] In August 2006, he met with Kofi Annan, then Secretary-General of the United Nations at the organization's New York City headquarters, where he pledged to use his upcoming world tour to raise awareness of the global water shortage, a challenge he learned about following a visit to Africa by Bono, the lead singer of U2.

[261] Musician and civil rights activist Harry Belafonte was critical of Jay-Z and Beyoncé for what he saw as their safe political stances, saying that they "have turned their back on social responsibility".