#VitalFactz: Happy Birthday - Jay-Z
Happy Birthday @S_C_ Jay-Z. Born Shawn Corey Carter December 4, 1969. Shawn first got his start in the game when his one time mentor Jonathan Burks a.k.a. Jaz-O included him on his single from 1990 The Originators. In 1995 He (along with Damon "Dame" Dash & Kareem "Biggs" Burke) founded Roc-A-Fella Records June of 1996 Jay-Z released his debut album Reasonable Doubt, which would eventually go on to reach Platinum Status. It included hits such as Dead Presidents, Ain't No Nigga, Feelin' It & Can't Knock The Hustle. In November of the following year He released another Platinum seller In My Lifetime, Vol. 1. However, it was his third album Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life in 1998 that would turn out to be his most successful to date sales-wise having sold over 5 million copies in the US. It peaked at #1 on both the Billboard's Hot 200 Albums Chart & the R&B albums Chart, the first of 11 consecutive albums to reach that peak as well. This album also earned him a Grammy Award in 1999 for Best Rap Album (the first of 21 Grammy's he would eventually win) & included the singles Can I Get A...., Nigga What, Nigga Who & The Title track (Hard Knock Life). In December of '99 he dropped the Triple Platinum Album Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter, which included the hits Do It Again & Big Pimpin'. In 2000 Roc-A-Fella release the The Dynasty: Roc La Familia which included the singles Change The Game & I Just Wanna Love U (Give It To Me). His following 2 Double Platinum releases The Blueprint & The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse included the singles IZZO., Song Cry, '03 Bonnie & Clyde (Ft. Beyonce) & Excuse Me Miss. In 2004 he released (what was supposed to be) his "final" album The Triple Platinum selling The Black Album with the singles Dirt Of Your Shoulder & Change Clothes. In 2006 he would re-emerge with his comeback Album Kingdom Come which included Show Me What You Got & Lost One. In 2009 The Blueprint 3 was released. It included 2 of his biggest hits, the 5-time Platinum selling collaboration with Alicia Keyes Empire State Of Mind (for which he won Multiple Grammy's) & the Triple Platinum selling collaboration Run This Town with Rihanna & Kanye West (for which he also earned Multiple Grammy's). Jay-Z has had Platinum (& better) success with every album he has released as a solo artist as well as Platinum success with his collaborations with R. Kelly (The Best Of Both Worlds, Unfinished Business) & Kanye West (Watch The Throne). His most recent album 4:44 has earned him 8 more Grammy nominations for the upcoming 60th Grammy Awards ceremony to be held at Madison Square Garden in New York City (the first one held here since 2003) on January 28, 2018.
