Jay-Z, born Shawn Carter, has solidified himself as an entrepreneur, performer, trendsetter, spokesman and philanthropist. Throughout his career, Jay-Z has opened doors for anyone with talent and determination, all while setting the pace in the world of music and fashion. With the formation of his own record company, Roc-A-Fella Records, and the subsequent release of his 1996 debut album, Reasonable Doubt, Jay-Z has cemented his reputation as one of the most formidable icons in entertainment. In the past years, Jay-Z has released eleven consecutive multi-platinum albums and has been an integral part of building Roc-A-Fella Records into a multi-million dollar business, housing the talents of platinum acts such as Beanie Sigal, Freeway and Memphis Bleek.

In addition to his musical success, he now adds restauranteur to his long list of ventures, as he joins Juan Perez in opening the upscale sports bar lounge The 40/40 Club. As a testament to his crossover success, Jay-Z became the first non-athlete to have a signature sneaker line. The S. Carter shoe broke Reebok's sales records and sold out throughout the company within the first hour of its debut in stores on April 18, 2003. Since 1996, Jay-Z has earned multiple Grammy, American Music, MTV Music Video, Soul Train and Billboard Awards. He is the first hip-hop artist to release an MTV Unplugged album, to appear on 60 Minutes, or to have a live televised Showtime concert. He even got Oprah to come to his childhood home of Marcy Projects to interview him!

His list of accomplishments continues to grow. Jay-Z headlined the most successful and highest-grossing arena all-hip-hop tour in history. Most importantly, the nationwide, 40+ city, Hard Knock Life Tour was completely violence-free. In addition to his personal success, Jay-Z continues to give back to his neighborhood and community. He formed Team Roc, an organization that creates after-school programs for underprivileged children and continues the annual Santa Claus Toy Drive. Always promoting education, Jay-Z has also launched the Shawn Carter Scholarship Fund,which offers outstanding students a chance to attend the college of their choice. More recently he performed a sold out show at Madison Square Garden where proceeds were donated to the children and wives of 9/11 victims.

"I'm blessed with all the success I've had, I know that. But I think anybody that came from the projects can look at my story and say: 'I can do that too.' I'm a regular guy. I used to play ball and get into a little bit of trouble. Now I own my own record label. I want kids coming up to see I'm doing my own thing and I'm successful at it. I would love for them to see it as something they can set their sights on." - Jay-Z.