|  Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter
prophesied his fate in 1996 on his debut album,
Reasonable Doubt, when he proclaimed
on wax that you "Can't Knock the Hustle." Almost
a decade later, the prolific rapper has established
a solid reputation for his lyrical ingenuity,
passion and prowess, which is evident throughout
his diverse portfolio of career-breaking recordings.
His distinct and witty play on words coupled with
his unforgettable New York dialect have become
ingrained in the fiber of hip-hop music. The multi-platinum,
Grammy award-winning artist, entrepreneur, trendsetter
and philanthropist has become not only a man of
tremendous social value but also an icon for today's
brand of 21st century success.
It has often been said that if one wants to write
a great song, one must live life first. If this
is true, Jay-Z has lived the lives of many men.
Whether it was from his view from the top or the
bottom, Jay-Z has analyzed and explored the world
over, chronicling it to music. His winning songs
are constructed around impeccable hooks and dexterous
rhymes with a pinch of boastfulness thrown in
for good measure.
But the magnitude of Jay-Z's artistic intensity
doesn't lie in his ability to lay flawless
lyric to paper; the magic is found in his proficiency
to record phrases in the mind; the place where
his music is born. Jay-Z, who is known to hum
a song before approaching the mic without writing
down one single word, was forced to commit brilliant
thoughts to memory. "I used to get ideas
and I used to be running around, I used to be
outside. I wasn't nowhere where I could
write," he has said. "Sometimes I
used to run in the store, write ‘em on a
paper bag, put it in my pocket. But you only can
put so many paper bags in your pocket, you know
- and so I had to start memorizing."
An impeccable MC whose name commands respect,
Jay-Z has set the world ablaze with his innate
gift to consistently coin and popularize slick
maxims that are used in corporate suites and on
city streets; changing the face of hip-hop. From
suburban kids chanting "Hard Knock Life," the
ghetto anthem built around the tune from the Broadway
musical Annie, to street hustlers "Big
Pimpin'" while screaming, "Money Ain't A Thang,"
Jay-Z, who currently has everyone brushing off
their shoulders, has sold over 17 million records
worldwide.
Jay-Z's ascendance to fame is nothing less
than extraordinary. Throughout the dusk of the
1990's and into the dawn of the new millennium,
Jay-Z has continually pumped out hit product after
hit product, hit album after hit album and more
importantly, hit song after hit song.
As a platinum card carrying member of the royal
family of hip-hop, he has reigned over Billboard
charts with crown jewel singles that arouse throngs
of people to move their feet and bob their heads
simultaneously. As the author of these groundbreaking
chart toppers, his lyrics are often dissected
for further examination, discussed on the Internet,
translated in every possible language and imitated
by his cult following. Jay-Z's global celebrity
and remarkable talent have significantly influenced
the rap industry, igniting many of the trends
that are heard throughout music as a whole.
In addition to the prestigious accolades he
continues to collect like platinum plaques for
his clever performances, his songwriting skills
are the heart muscle of his success. Jay-Z's name
alone, is arguably one of the most recognized
in rap music history having collaborated with
the late "Christopher ‘Biggie' Wallace,"
Eminem, Beyoncé, R. Kelly, Ja Rule, Jermaine
Dupri, Ludacris, UGK, Missy Elliott, Mariah Carey
and Too $hort, to name a few; and he continues
to collaborate and pen tunes for some of the biggest
names in hip-hop (Dr. Dre, Foxy Brown, Ma$e).
With an astonishingly diverse and devoted fan
base and having produced a new album every eight
months for the last six years, Jay-Z has long
cemented the fact that he is truly one of the
greatest rapper's alive.
ASCAP presents its prestigious Golden Note Award
to Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter whose groundbreaking achievements
as a songwriter and artist have aided in redefining
the voice and words of hip-hop and earned him
an enduring place in American popular music worldwide.
by Tamiko Hope
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Partial Discography
(Albums)
Reasonable Doubt, 1996
In My Lifetime, Vol. 1, 1997
Vol. 2: Hard Knock Life, 1998
Vol. 3: Life and Times S. Carter, 1999
The Dynasty: Roc la Familia, 2000
The Blueprint, 2001
MTV Unplugged, 2001
The Blueprint2: The Gift & the Curse, 2002
The Blueprint 2.1, 2003
The Black Album, 2003
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GRAMMY Awards
"Crazy In Love"
Best R&B Song, 2003
"Crazy In Love"
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, 2003
Vol. 2...Hard Knock
Life
Best Rap Album, 1998
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Hit Songs - Partial
"Can't Knock The Hustle" 1996
"Ain't No N****/Dead Presidents" 1996
"Big Bad Mamma" 1997
"Feelin' It" 1997
"I'll Be" 1997
"Who U Wit" 1997
"Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)" 1998
"Can I Get A..." 1998
"Money Ain't A Thang" 1998
"Jigga My N***" 1999
Still D.R.E. 1999
"I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)" 2000
"Do It Again (Put Ya Hands Up)" 2000
"Big Pimpin'" 2000
"Fiesta" 2001
"Izzo (H.O.V.A)" 2001
"Girls, Girls, Girls" 2001
"Jigga" 2002
"03 Bonnie & Clyde" 2002
"Baby Boy" 2003,
"Crazy In Love" 2003
"Excuse Me Miss" 2003
"Change Clothes" 2004
"Dirt Off Your Shoulder" 2004
"99 Problems" 2004
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