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"He was the last of my four children," Jay-Z's mother, Gloria Carter, later recalled, "the only one who didn't give me any pain when I gave birth to him, and that's how I knew he was a special child." His father, Adnes Reeves, left the family when Jay-Z was only 11 years old. Rapper Jay-Z was born Shawn Corey Carter on December 4, 1969, in Brooklyn, New York. He wed popular singer and actress Beyoncé in 2008. After selling millions of records with his Roc-a-Fella label, Jay-Z created his own clothing line and founded an entertainment company. He used rap as an escape, appearing for the first time on Yo! MTV Raps in 1989. Jay-Z is an American rapper, songwriter and producer who grew up in Brooklyn's drug-infested Marcy Projects. In addition to his award-winning hip-hop albums, Jay-Z is known for an array of successful business interests, as well as his marriage to singer Beyoncé. People complicate things.” “When you make music, you're constantly on the psychiatrist's couch, so to speak.” “I would rather lose on the side of hope than win on the side of the favorite.” If one of those things is off, it can stop you from becoming who you were meant to be.” “I've always said that if I became successful, I'd come back here, grab somebody, and show him how it can be done.” “It's harder for me to write music that everyone can relate to because I don't live a typical life anymore.” “Be true to yourself and keep things simple. I still do that now.” “There's the gift, there's the spirit, and there's the work-all three have to come together. “I never lost sense of who I was, not for a day, not before I had a record deal, and certainly not after.” “The day that Barack Obama became president, the gangsta became less relevant.” “Maybe I am old fashioned, but a record is a piece of music from start to finish and that’s what I set out to create.” “Performing or playing baseball and basketball took my mind out of my environment.
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