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Contents

[edit] Birthdate

Google "Jay-Z Birthdate" and look at the results. Hova was born in 1969. Wikipedia is one of the very few places to list his birthdate as 1970. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 128.119.24.164 (talk) 01:17, 28 October 2009 (UTC)

Right because a Google search is a reliable source. SE KinG. User page. Talk. 01:23, 28 October 2009 (UTC)

Impressive sarcasm, but the cited source is just one of a thousand arbitrary sources. Anything that Google yields is at least as reliable as the current source, and there's a lot more corroborating evidence for 1969 than 1970. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 128.119.24.164 (talk) 04:57, 31 October 2009 (UTC)

[edit] Net Worth

This article doesn't include a statement about Jay-Z's net worth. According to the Panache Report, Jay-Z is the richest hip-hop artist, reaching a total of US$ 547 million for the year 2008. He regains this title, which was taken by Sean Combs for the year 2007. Here's the reference...

[1] —Preceding unsigned comment added by STiLL DRE (talkcontribs) 18:41, 22 May 2008 (UTC)

Jay-Z, before the sale of Rocawear, was reportedly worth about $340 million. In the two years after that, Forbes has stated that he made $82m the year he sold Rocawear for $204m (also refer to Roc Boys: "Take what the forbes figured, then figure more...")and then $35m in their latest rankings, in which he was still the highest earning rapper.

I do not claim to know all he spends on nor how much he pays in taxes nor even how much the recession has hurt his Net worth, but there simply is no way he could be worth as little as $150m. Even in 2004, he was said to be worth $286m.

I do believe however, that that Panache report is exaggerated.

Jay-Z should be worth in the region of $4.30. But please do some more research. The forbes article of the richest Black Americans was a very conservative, I dare say erroneous, estimate

Kanayo P. (talk) 22:24, 24 October 2009 (UTC) 2010 UPCOMING YEAR REMIX RELEASES OF HIS MUSIC AND LYRICS FROM DEF JAM MUSIC GROUP WHERE LA REID IS THE PRESIDENT SEE YA SOON —Preceding unsigned comment added by 162.89.0.47 (talk) 21:46, 30 November 2009 (UTC)

[edit] Jay-Z Launching Label With Apple

I know this is an old rumor but BoyGeniusReport.com—good friend of Just Blaze—is reporting that Jay and apple have reached an agreement. The announcement will alledgedly be made at Macworld on Jan. 14th. Nothing official though.[2][3] —Preceding unsigned comment added by Bren202 (talkcontribs) 03:34, 3 January 2008 (UTC) Though they might've been in talks it now seems highly unlikely given Jay-Z's recent Live Nation deal. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 193.173.142.166 (talk) 13:09, 17 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Big Daddy Kane

Why is there nothing in this article mentioning Jay-Z's relationship with BDK? The man was very influential in Jay's career. Nothing at all in his early years about being BDK's protege. This article is below a B. 71.188.95.90 (talk) 02:46, 23 January 2008 (UTC)

If you have the sources to back it up, add it. --Soetermans (talk) 17:49, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

Big Daddy Kane stated on Hot 97 that Jay-Z use to open up for him and that he tried to get him sign but record labels wouldn't give him a a chance. Also he stated he never thought that Jay-Z would become such a great artist and hiphop figure that he is today. So I wouldn't go as farr to call him BDK's protege. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Arsonds (talkcontribs) 05:46, 12 December 2008 (UTC)

[edit] The Blueprint 3?

There is a new Jay-z track floating around called "Aint I" and in the background he says Blueprint 3. does that means an LP for 2008? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.110.126.169 (talk) 16:23, 3 February 2008 (UTC)

It's been said by many that Ain't I is an old track, plus the writer didn't cite a source. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 128.211.190.171 (talk) 04:38, 15 February 2008 (UTC)

I agree. During the whole backround of the song, you hear him say this "New Jay-Z", "Off that Blueprint 3." Does that really make sense, but then again that sounds like Jay-Z. I think that we could create a page because there is a resonable amount of proof. More proof than half the pages for upcoming albums on wiki so far anyway.--Jmilisc9 (talk) 19:15, 1 March 2008 (UTC)

Also Jay-Z has a new song with Mary J. Blige and Swizz Beats titled "You're Welcome" that says it's going to be on The Blueprint 3. -blur —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.74.112.232 (talk) 19:05, 13 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Beware the Boys, Bin Laden & Reagan

From the Black Album section: "Re-released as "Beware of the Boys", the East-West hip-hop fusion track charted in North America. It was notable for Jay-Z's condemnation of the U.S. invasion of Iraq and laying some of the blame on the 9/11 attacks on the foreign policy of Ronald Reagan."

The song does no such thing. The lyrics are: "Before Bin Laden got Manhattan to blow / Before Ronald Reagan got Manhattan to blow". It seems to be an obvious reference to Reagan-era cocaine use in New York. If it does indicate laying the blame on Reagan, it can't possibly be attributed to the song. Did Jay-Z mention this in an interview? A citation is needed. The-bus (talk) 04:59, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Blueprint is not coming

That songs on the DJ Clue album was a lost over from a sessions for Timberlands last album. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 213.10.85.218 (talk) 18:04, 18 February 2008 (UTC)

Aug 7th 2008 Jay-Z has confirmed rumors and he is indeed working on his 11th and final album “The Blueprint 3″ via Def Jam. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.74.112.232 (talk) 10:02, 9 August 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Swagger Jacking

I think it should be noted in the controversy section that Jay-Z is known for stealing other artists lyrics,such as c-poppa. [4] —Preceding unsigned comment added by 134.71.145.155 (talk) 05:03, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

First, write new discussion at the bottom of the page. Second, that is one source by another rapper. That's not gonna do it for being in the article. --Soetermans (talk) 17:43, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

[edit] The Picture

The picture is in somewhat low-quality and it's stretched. Maybe someone can Photoshop it to slim it up to make it look good.

YaBoiKrakerz

[edit] NPOV dispute

I tagged this as non-neutral because it seems to me to have a very positive slant to it. Examples:

  • He is one of the most financially successful hip-hop artists and entrepreneurs in America. Jay-Z is the most successful example of the growing power of hip-hop. He has sold a total of 33 million copies worldwide.
  • Known for his flow and blending of street and popular style, he can compose lyrics without the use of pen and paper. His critically acclaimed album The Blueprint was written in only two days.
  • He also relied more on flow and brilliant wordplay, and he continued his penchant for mining beats from the popular producers of the day such as Swizz Beatz, an upstart in-house producer for Ruff Ryders, and Timbaland.
  • Through his lyricism, he was able to retain respect from some of his die-hard fans.

In addition, the Controversy section is noticably sparse and could use some expansion. -DMurphy (talk) 19:10, 27 April 2008 (UTC)

Regardless of how positive it may seem, these are mainly facts, not opinions.

  • 1) He is the most financially successful rapper to date.
  • 2) He states in several interviews, that he does not write songs the best rapper alive

compose the entire album

  • 4) Meh, that is slanted. Although he does have die hard fans.
  • 5) His controversy section can be more detailed, and it is missing quite a bit of information. But its hard to pin point and state facts based on celebrity gossip and non-researched blog entries. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 65.110.174.133 (talk) 20:31, 6 May 2008 (UTC)
In my opinion the tag should not be there. If you would like to edit the article everyone would welcome such edits so long as the edits are verifiable. However it sounds to me that you dislike this person due to your need to erase positives and expand the criticism section. Be that as it may, please refer to WP:CRITICISM before doing so. Also be sure to have the proper reliable sources when adding anything. Monkeytheboy (talk) 13:34, 23 May 2008 (UTC)

My thoughts: who ever put the tag in the first place and started this whole shindig could've just fixed the article him or herself. Be BOLD!. --Soetermans (talk) 12:31, 25 May 2008 (UTC)

  • I consider this matter resolved. And re:Soetermans, you could say that about almost any NPOV dispute. This is a very large article and I do not have time to copy-edit the entire thing for NPOV. I opened this debate to see what others' opinion on the matter is, and since it is clear that I was talking out of my arse, I am closing it. -DMurphy (talk) 19:54, 29 June 2008 (UTC)
Well, to each his own I suppose. --Soetermans | is listening | what he'd do now? 00:19, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Jim Jones

jim jones is definitely not an assosciated act of Jay Z they have beef with each other and have dissed each other numerous times such as Jay Z dissing Jim Jones on the song "Brooklyn High" and jim jones retaliationg on "we fly high beef remix" —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.209.253.33 (talk) 14:31, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

Please delete Jim Jones from Associated Acts. Though at one time, Jim Jones was affiliated with Dipset, which had artists on Roc-A-Fella, as of Cam'ron and Juelz Santana, but all Jim Jones albums were put out by Koch records and Jay-z and Jones have never recorded together, but have made dis tracks about the two. Viable canidates for associated artists from past to present include DMX & Ja Rule, the three made up Murder Inc., the group, not the label. Pharrell Williams and Just Blaze are both long time collaborators as well.Sharding14 (talk) 23:22, 15 July 2008 (UTC)
Why don't you do it yourself? --Soetermans | is listening | what he'd do now? 12:40, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Biography

The Biography in this article is inadequate. Half of it is completely unsited and simply takes information that is stated in songs on the Black Album. More information about how he got his start in music and early adult life would be appreciated. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 201.230.67.183 (talk) 07:09, 21 June 2008 (UTC)

First, add new section on the bottom of a talk page. Second, look it up and add it yourself. --Soetermans | is listening | what he'd do now? 14:43, 6 July 2008

u cannot compare jim joness and camron (UTC)

[edit] More Glastonbury information

As an addition to the Glastonbury controversy, it may be of value to say that Jay-Z responded to Gallagher by opening his show with a version of the Oasis hit song "Wonderwall". He entered the stage pretending to play a guitar and singing along to the lyrics, especially the sentences "I don't believe that anybody feels the way I do about you now" and "there are many things that I would like to say to you but I don't know how". YouTube linkFulanokochman (talk) 10:24, 30 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Associations & Known Works

I would like to see a list of what works or productions accumulated were. I would also like to see mention of his participation on other artists works in example (Rihanna - Umbrella featured Jay-Z). Any other published works such as screenplays, poems, movies which contain this artist or other relevant Known works within the commercial market. Although they are contained in the sub divisions separately there is no mention of this within the start of the main article. I would like to see a mention of his most famous items.ENOCHIAN BORG (talk) 20:30, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

First, add new section on the bottom of a talk page. Second, ofcourse that isn't part of the intro. An introduction is a small summary of the article, not every connection or work done by a person. --Soetermans | is listening | what he'd do now? 14:43, 6 July 2008 (UTC)

Some Assocaited groups he has been affiliated with, as stated before, Murder Inc., the rap group, with acts DMX & Ja-Rule. Also, his most infamous group was The Comission, which was him and Notorious BIG, with Diddy in the background. Sharding14 (talk) 23:26, 15 July 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Shot his brother

--Ron John (talk) 04:37, 8 July 2008 (UTC) What about some incident were he supposedly shot his brother? I asked DeHaven (former childhood friend) this question on his website and he confirmed this and it was over money. Anyone else know about this. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 195.226.227.100 (talk) 13:01, 5 July 2008 (UTC)

If it's been in the news, sure, but no gossip on Wikipedia. Just one person on a website, a "former childhood friend", won't suffice. --Soetermans | is listening | what he'd do now? 14:43, 6 July 2008 (UTC)

HA FOUND IT!!! Gotta love GOOGLE 60 MINS INTERVIEW JAY-Z admits to shooting brother--Ron John (talk) 19:22, 6 July 2008 (UTC)

I wouldn't say admitting - it just mentioned in the lines - but its a reliable source, so go ahead and add it! --Soetermans | is listening | what he'd do now? 20:52, 6 July 2008 (UTC)

Don't need you to tell me to add I already did dog.--Ron John (talk) 13:26, 7 July 2008 (UTC)

Eh? I'm not sure how to understand this... Did you call me "a dog" (i.e., a lowlife), or did you used the word dog as in the African American Vernacular English style dawg (i.e., friend)? Cause there's big difference between the two... --Soetermans | is listening | what he'd do now? 22:53, 7 July 2008 (UTC)

As in "Dawg" but what makes it African American vernacular? I thing your comment was racially motived...--Ron John (talk) 04:37, 8 July 2008 (UTC)

Okay, good! I wasn't being racially motivated, I just looked up the word and it said so right here: Dawg. I'm glad we understand each other! :-) --Soetermans | is listening | what he'd do now? 08:51, 8 July 2008 (UTC)

Wow, if anyone listened to Jay-Z music, they might know that he dedicated an entire verse to this incident in the song "You Must Love Me" on the album Volume 1: In My Lifetime. Sharding14 (talk) 22:24, 15 July 2008 (UTC) Sharding14 / Harding Prime

"You Must Love ME" by Jay-z Great song ("I just ran off in the dark..") but claiming something until people start believing it is a common ploy of the successful hustler. I'm not saying I don't believe Mr. Carter that he shot his brother or that he was shot at from six feet away. I would just love to actually know it's true instead of hearsay. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.68.77.36 (talk) 01:51, 5 April 2009 (UTC)

[edit] Family Life

Jay-Z has an older biological brother by both parents nick named EZ that he does nothing for. He purchased a Chrysler 300 for his nephew who would later crash and get killed in the vehicle. He has a sister. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Ronjohn (talkcontribs) 19:42, 6 July 2008 (UTC)

I don't think its necessary to put his siblings in the wiki article. He has 3 siblings though, 2 sisters: Annie and Micky (Michelle) and an older brother, Eric. He mentions them in a few songs. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 65.110.174.133 (talk) 17:48, 29 September 2008 (UTC)

His four nephews have always been a focal point for personal life within his verses thought out his musical career, and the death of one nephew, Colleek D. Luckie, was devastating to him, and he wrote an entire verse about his missing him on the Kingdom Come Track 'Lost One'. [www.nobodysmiling.com/hiphop/news/84859.php]

As family life goes as well, it should be added that he has married his long time girlfriend Beyonce Knowles. Or at least reported with citation. [5] 'Source: Beyoncé and Jay-Z Are Married'Sharding14 (talk) 23:10, 15 July 2008 (UTC)

[edit] 2008

Why not change the "2008" section to Glastonbury 2008? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.74.112.232 (talk) 14:15, 13 July 2008 (UTC)

Because you should probably add that he was named #2 Hottest MC in May by MTV, only being beaten out by his "Little Brother", Kanye West. That is definetly Worthy. As is being named Greatest Rapper of All-Time, by the same MTV panel that dedicated two 1-Hour programs for these lists with high acclaim.Sharding14 (talk) 22:27, 15 July 2008 (UTC)Sharding14 (talk) 23:10, 15 July 2008 (UTC)

Further more, the year isn't over. --Soetermans | is listening | what he'd do now? 12:40, 23 July 2008 (UTC)

[edit] I love how the "2009" date quote for Jay's next album

Links to a citation that says absolutely nothing about the date of the next album. Wikipedia excellence shines through per usual. Point to fact - and I'm sure some head could back me up - there's an interview being widely quoted stating that Jay is going to try and release his next in 4th quarter 2008 'if he can' and, if not, he'll drop 1st quarter 2009. If anything, the date should read "2008/2009". But a nice start would be to cite to an actual source as opposed to the usual wikipedia bullshit of thinking that puting any source next to any statement makes it credible because, after all, most people won't read it anyway. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.193.19.220 (talk) 02:53, 1 August 2008 (UTC)

Geez, stop your whining like a little baby and do it yourself. --Soetermans | is listening | what he'd do now? 21:14, 1 August 2008 (UTC)

[edit] What about The Blueprint 2.1 ????

The Blueprint 2.1 should be put on the main page under compalation albums. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.224.83.206 (talk) 20:57, 12 August 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Continued feud with Oasis

Could someone add that in response to Jay-Z singing wonderwall at glastonberry Noel Gallagher released this:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6mtHIDeKzQ&NR=1 which jay responded to in his new song "Jockin Jay-Z"(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQz_xqxjMd4) casecloser (talk) 07:16, 14 August 2008 (UTC)

no - he didn't. That isn't his voice. Just a fan editing over existing videos. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 77.199.56.125 (talk) 18:39, 19 August 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Aliases

His nicknames should be added - perhaps in the box with the background information or right at the beginning like this: "...better known as Jay-Z (aka Jigga, Jayhova, Hova etc.)" —Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.155.249.189 (talk) 19:36, 24 August 2008 (UTC)

We've been over this already, but maybe you're new to the discussion so I'll explain. There is no need for that, there is a distinct difference between a nickname and an alias. Aliasses can also be professionally known, nicknames are just for kicks, or image. See the corresponding WikiProject and template for guidelines. --Soetermans | is listening | what he'd do now? 07:02, 25 August 2008 (UTC)

No, I second that. Jay-Z even wrote a song: Izzo (H.O.V.A) about his nickname J-Hova, where the chorus goes "H to the izz-O...V to the izz-A..." and it was one of his greatest hits. It would be a travesty to leave this highly important piece of information out of this article! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 192.48.10.6 (talk) 22:38, 21 April 2009 (UTC)

Again: no. On Wikipedia we work with consensus. What most Wikipedians agree upon is accepted as official policy. In this case, we Wikipedians decided to use only official names, not nicknames. If the two if you can change that consensus, then you can add all the nicknames you want. In the mean time, the article will only state his real name. --Soetermans | is listening | what he'd do now? 19:17, 22 April 2009 (UTC)

Agreed! We shall put it to a vote to ensure that "no individual exclusively controls any specific article", as per the third pillar of Wikipedia.
I cite the Wikipedia pages of well known sport stars and musicians:
- Kevin Garnett, who has his nicknames listed in the "Personal life" section.
- Babe Ruth, who's real name is George Herman Ruth, Jr. Furthermore, his nicknames are mentioned in the first paragraph.
- Hakeem Olajuwon, has his nickname of "The Dream" mentioned in the second paragraph.
- T.I., his alter ego T.I.P. is mentioned in the first paragraph.
- Frank Sinatra, has 4 of his nicknames (including 'Ol Blue Eyes) stated under "Background information"
While I am not hell-bent on proving a point, I do sincerely believe that these nicknames help people identify with well known public figures.
The nickname doesn't have to be mentioned in the very first paragraph as in many of the cases I've presented, however I feel Wikipedia would be doing a disservice to neglect mentioning an individual's well-known nickname.
I also understand that according to WP:Manual_of_Style, consistency need not be applied throughout the encyclopedia, however your claim that "Wikipedians decided to use only official names" is simply incorrect. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 192.48.10.6 (talk) 23:53, 23 April 2009 (UTC)

So... are his nicknames to be included or not? They're not in the article yet and I was trying to work out what "hov" was in one of his songs! Hov (disambig..) pointed to Jay-Z but in the Jay-Z article there's no mention of it <shrugs> just a bit confusing. 86.136.117.181 (talk) 12:19, 12 June 2009 (UTC)

I am not "taking control" of this article, I am merely following Wikipedia rules. Further more, a bunch of anonymous IPs can complain all they want, without any good citations it just won't happen. So again, NO. Why? Per WP:NOT, Wikipedia is not an indiscriminate collection of information. There isn't a single nickname of Jay-Z by which he is otherwise known he calls himself Hova, H to the Izzo, Jigga etc etc etc, in no professional magazine or other source is and will he be mentioned like that. If you want to write all the trivial information in the world, start your own Wikia. End of discussion. --Soetermans | is listening | what he'd do now? 08:49, 13 June 2009 (UTC)

[edit] 50 Million Worldwide Source

Can someone tell me if it's true the reference link won't work for me, and I don't think its reliable.--PUNk Limited (talk) 02:06, 18 October 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Support for Obama

I don't know where it would go in the article and some people may think it has no relevence but in today's The Independent newspaper there is a very interesting and thoughtful quote by Jay-Z about Barack Obama - "Rosa Parks sat so that Martin Luther King could walk. Martin Luther King walked so that Obama could run. Obama's running so that we all can fly. I can't wait until 5 November and I'm going to say 'Hello, Brother President'. I can't tell you who to vote for. All I can do is tell you to vote.". The source for this is http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/i-never-dared-dream-of-a-black-president-986839.html If anyone thinks that this could be fitted into the article somewhere then please do. --217.201.192.101 (talk) 23:01, 3 November 2008 (UTC)

This quote is not by itself so notable as to be added to this page, though I really like it. Yes, people are very taken by Obama and want to spread the message, but imagine if every person's web page was updated to add a significant quote they made about Obama. --LegitimateAndEvenCompelling (talk) 23:33, 3 November 2008 (UTC)
Jay-z didnt even make this up himself, he said in an interview with mtv that he took it from somewhere but didnt remember from where. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 209.132.170.142 (talk) 23:49, 18 February 2009 (UTC)

[edit] Spelling

There needs to be some spelling check. Under Star Roc it says, "...manhaten studio", and there are various other misspellings that I would have fixed but I guess I'm not established enough.

CarnivoreJ (talk) 08:30, 20 December 2008 (UTC)

Be bold. --Soetermans | is listening | what he'd do now? 11:58, 23 December 2008 (UTC)

I'm trying to be bold. It's a simple spelling mistake can't someone just fix it? CarnivoreJ (talk) 03:37, 26 December 2008 (UTC)

Being bold is doing it yourself. Of course you can drop a line at an article's talk page, but you could've easily done it yourself, right? --Soetermans | is listening | what he'd do now? 20:09, 27 December 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Photo caption date

There's a photo described as being of Jay-Z at Obama's January 2008 inaugural festivities. I'm pretty sure you mean to say 2009. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.200.161.107 (talk) 22:04, 30 January 2009 (UTC)

Fixed, thanks for the heads up. SE KinG. User page. Talk. 05:19, 31 January 2009 (UTC)

[edit] No source to show that Jay Z went to high school in Trenton

After that he attended George Westinghouse Information Technology High School in Downtown Brooklyn, with fellow rappers The Notorious B.I.G. and Busta Rhymes, and Trenton Central High School in Trenton, New Jersey, but did not graduate.[12] He claims to have been caught up in selling drugs, to which he refers in his music.[11]

I looked on that link provided, and it didn't say it was at Trenton Central High School. I looked at it a couple times. Perhaps they put the wrong link, or they linked that to him not graduating high school. I'm not sure. I went on the Trenton Central High School link page though, and it says there's a citation needed to proving Jay Z went to that school, which means there's no source. Jay Z's never said this and there's no record from that high school showing he was ever a student there, therefore I'll be removing the words and Trenton Central High School in Trenton, New Jersey. I'll believe the , but did not graduate part, because it sounds more believable.

With all due respect, especially for someone who supposedly grew up poor, it'd make no sense to move 90 miles away to go to some random high school. New Jersey's an expensive place, and the population decline Trenton's taken, both now and when Jay Z would have been in high school, is really bad. Typically, poor people, especially people who can't afford real estate, and are caught up in drugs, don't move away. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.73.230.11 (talk) 04:41, 14 February 2009 (UTC)

[edit] Business Accomplishments

Roc-a-Fella Records, Multi-million, multi platinum record


Rocawear, Established in 1999, grossed $3000 million in 2004 Armadale, Premium two grain, triple distilled Scottish vodka


40/40 club, Elite sports bar in NYC, and Atlantic city Rebook S. Carter Shoes, The fastest selling sneaker in Reebok History Roc-a-Fella Films, Released films, “Streets is Watching”, “Backstage” and “State Property” New Jersey Nets, He is part owner of the NBA Franchise

Added by Monica Jones April 30, 2009

That's nice, but what do you want to do with it? It won't be added to the article, because a wikitable of that content is unnecessary. And please sign your posts with ~~~~, or hit the "sign" button. --Soetermans | is listening | what he'd do now? 11:21, 1 May 2009 (UTC)

[edit] Beef with Lil' Wayne

This section is not correct and should be removed. The part that states that Lil' Wayne responded with a freetyle over "Ether" is totally wrong. That was recorded years (2003/2004) before any of those songs came out. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 132.19.75.25 (talk) 11:35, 9 June 2009 (UTC)

Currently it has an "uncited tag" hanging over it, perhaps you can provide sources? --Soetermans | is listening | what he'd do now? 12:37, 9 June 2009 (UTC)
this section should at least be updated since the track 'D.O.A. (Death of Autotune)' is a diss on Lil Wayne and Drake who writes for him and there overuse of the autotune. the original track contains lines "stop your blood clot cryin', the kid the dog everybody's diein' no lyin', ya boys jeans too tight, ya colors too bright, ya voice is to light" (a reference to Wayne's tattoos on his face of tears and that he claims to be a blood, the next line is a diss on the jeans wayne and drake wear, and bright colors wayne and drake are known to wear, and there voice as being light when using autotune). the second verse begins with 'this might need a verse from jeezy, i might send this out to the mixtape weezy' (young jeezy is known to have conflict with lil wayne, hence he would want to have a verse on this song, then he would send it to wayne or mixtape weezy.)

As a side note at the 2009 BET Awards, there was a surprise performance of DOA by Jay-Z in the slot before Wayne and Drake where scheduled to perform. in which he directly calls out Wanye & Drake when he changes the line to "im sending this out to Drake & Weezy". There are other slights throughout the song, but that should be enough to go off of. IP98.150.65.177 (talk) 01:21, 1 September 2009 (UTC)

I find your statement to be false for the following reasons. First of all, Lil' Wayne and Jay-Z ended their beef in 2007, so why would he diss Lil' Wayne now?, also most people who use autotune often use it to minupulate the robot effect which constitutes for the voice being light. The former two verses are comments about how auto-tune rappers/singers dress. Secondly, the Jeezy refrence is from the fact that he's rapping what's on his mind about autotune and those comments are about how the song could use a verse from Young Jeezy because he never commercializes his music and how this song might of been placed on a mixtape, based on how street it was. Thirdly, why would Jay-Z want to diss Lil' Wayne now? He said that he liked people who used autotune with an eye for melody. Kanye West, Lil' Wayne and T-Pain being examples, and the main reason for doing the song is because he saw it had become a gimmick, I'd also like to state that any lines specificly calling out Drake & Weezy post-2007 aren't supposed to mean that the song is intended as a diss song for them, as Drake doesn't even use autotune, and any other "slights" that are through the song will have an equal reason for being incorrect. Therefore I think that most of what you said is WP:OR and some of what I said could be original research too and I don't think it should be added to the section. Taylor Karras (talk) 01:45, 1 September 2009 (UTC)

first off drake uses autotune, obviously you don't listen to mixtapes or you would know that. and since he hasnt even put out an album you would need them to know his music. i would say he used on 60% of his tracks. secondly i think you need to go back and read the lyrics http://www.metrolyrics.com/doa-lyrics-jayz.html ... i understand that they ended their beef but since then jay-z has been on radio shows dissing him for using autotune too much...he doesn't say your voice is light. the quote is, "stop your blood clot crying, the kid the dog everybody dying no lying, your nigga's jeans too tight, your colors too bright, your voice too light." the fact that he says too inflects that something is wrong with it. and i dont think that all people who use autotune wear bright colors and tight pants really just lil' wayne. the next verse i think says a little as well since right after telling you that there colors are to bright he says "i might wear black four years straight". not that alone says much now look at the next verse "hold up this might need a verse from jeezy, i might send this to the mix tape Weezy, Get somebody from BMF [a gang with known affiliation to Young Jeezy] to talk on this, give this to a Blood [a gang that lil' wanye says he is a part of], Let a Crip walk [the main rival of the bloods and the dance they do spelling the word crip on the floor with their feet] on it" Jay-Z is giving/sending it to Weezy and his gang, and he is willing to have Young Jeezy & BMF be on the track. and he is letting Crips do their gangs dance to it. i wouldnt call it original research since it is a published track. if that isnt good enough for a beef or conflict than i would suggest that you remove them from the site altogether since that is the way that rap artist communicate when they are battling, with tracks. And battling is one of the foundations of HipHop so i wouldn't suggest removing them. IP98.150.65.177 (talk) 00:06, 3 September 2009 (UTC)

To the contrary, I've listened to Drake and he is not an abuser of auto-tune. Also why would he diss him when he appears on the album. Also have you taken a look at T-Pain and Kanye West looks, that's pretty much what I'm talking about, the clothes he wear are so bright and colorful that he might associate them with auto-tune. Also, he said that the song is mixtape worthy and he is referencing Lil' Wayne indirectly. Also a blood refrence could mean anything, not just Lil' Wayne. Did you forget that The Game is also a blood? So basically it could mean anybody who's a blood, not just Lil' Wayne as it would mean he would be saying that he would be giving it to Lil' Wayne, twice. Also the part where you say Jay-Z supposedly goes on radio shows and disses Lil' Wayne for using too much autotune is not logical, if you think that, then he should also be dissing Kanye West for using too much autotune, hell he should even be dissing T-Pain for using too much autotune, and he was the originator for auto-tune. You also have not read the article nor many of the interviews he posted about the song. Jay-Z has never said that he hated Weezy for using autotune, he was one of the ones who liked him using auto-tune because he had an eye for melody, in fact he said that a Wendy's commercial that used autotune was when he realized it was a gimmick. The logic behind the lyrics could mean anything and the fact that it's a published track does not mean that what you're saying is true, it's just speculation to what a certain part means, only when an interview comes out confirming that it's a diss on Lil' Wayne, then it's a diss on Lil' Wayne. If you belive what you said, then you might as well belive that Eminem dissed Soulja Boy on a track he made (hint: he confirmed it was not him). Also I listened to a few diss songs and I know a diss when I hear it, and also he said that the real competition is Eminem and Nas. Anyways, please don't re-add it without adding a valid source that is not a link to a lyrics page. Thank you. Taylor Karras (talk) 09:32, 3 September 2009 (UTC)

not to differ but you need to go back and listen to the first interview hov did with 97 right after the song premiered... he does not mention wayne once. he mentions kanye and t-pain... and the song isn't dissing t-pain for using it as i said.. not to mention t-pain was on stage with jay-z while he perfomed the song at summer jamz 09... the song says your t-painin' to much... how could t-pain be t-paining... in the first interview he said that it was cool when kanye made 808 and complemented t-pain for using it... then he says that other people after that have over used it and its about moving forward.... before this they are all laughing about the people that jay-z killed with the video... and yes other people where tight pants and bright colors (not just autotune users like you inferred).. and the game is a blood and there are alot of other bloods..... there is only one blood, with tears going down his face, that wears bright colored clothes, that has a beef with jeezy... has a light voice on almost all his recent releases, who has a hook about standing in the project hallway on a track, who's rapps have melodies. it is not one thing but the culmination of them... only one person has it all. oh and weezy made a dis track over the DOA beat already... for that matter so has t-pain and he appeared on the stage with jay-z while he played doa...you can hardly trust what you see or read from these rappers can you.. now on the next radio interview when asked about wayne specifically asked if it was a diss towards wayne he said it wasn't a diss towards anyone... and then he said it 'was a dis towards the over use of autotune and said that t-pain kayne and "even" weezy' was his quote then he said if it was taken as a diss to either t-pain or wayne so be it as long as it got "the game moving forward message across, they could be casualties"... like i said then t-pain took offense anyway and has also put out a dis verse over the beat... maybe this track could easily be misconstrued by someone without a mind for poetry... i don't want to argue anymore, no further response needed, and for the record i never added anything i mearly remarked on how this section and mark my words here, it will be updated eventually. Anyways, please don't ask me not to re-add something i never added in the first place. this is a talk page. isn't my putting it up here what this page is for, to talk out things that should or shouldn't be added. do you mind that we did that.IP98.150.65.177 (talk) 19:59, 4 September 2009 (UTC)

[edit] Origins of nickname

The article asserts that his nickname, Jay-Z, derives in part from the JMZ subway line, which has a stop at Marcy Avenue. The citation is to his Allmusic biography, which does not make any reference to the subway line. And if in fact the subway has anything to do with his name, the relevant station to refer to would be the Myrtle Avenue stop, which is the closest JMZ station to the Marcy Houses. Does anyone have a better citation on this? Merkinmuffly (talk) 16:26, 9 June 2009 (UTC)

[edit] Jay-Z Age?

Why does it say 1973? That would make him a year younger than Biggie which is absurd. He was born in 1969. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 97.124.206.153 (talk) 03:54, 29 June 2009 (UTC)

Date has been changed to 1970 per source. If you provide a reliable source that says 1969, feel free to edit. SE KinG. User page. Talk. 05:15, 29 June 2009 (UTC)

[edit] Nas won the Hot 97 contest not Jay-Z

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffDDbEJAEIg

Jay-Z nearly crying after he lost to NaS. It's proof man...


Trevor 24.91.125.16 (talk) 07:10, 1 July 2009 (UTC)

[edit] Years active

Years active should be changed to at least 1994 because he appeared on Big Daddy Kane's album that year. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.216.183.206 (talk) 00:13, 4 July 2009 (UTC)

[edit] The Game Fued Still Going

The Game did Freestyle at a live concert in Spain where he got the crowd to chant "Fuck you Jigga You old ass nigga" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDe0cMmG2Os

and he released the song I'm So Wavy where he diss Beyonce, Amber Rose, & Jay-z


[edit] considering 'Relationship with Rihanna' to be added to article

Rihanna is Jay-Z's protege and means more to him than any other artist he produced. I think information should be gathered about the beginning of their relationship, 'til now; her as his protege. What are ya'll thoughts? Forever Kenny (talk) —Preceding undated comment added 21:33, 24 July 2009 (UTC).

[edit] The Blueprint 3 section

Can someone please make a stand alone Blueprint 3 segment in the music career section instead of grouping it with the Glastonbury segment. The album is more than confirmed. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.251.35.52 (talk) 03:03, 4 August 2009 (UTC)

[edit] Marriage to Beyonce

Jay-Z and Beyonce got married lately. I think that there should be a spouse section in each of their background information box.

Hallie S.

116.227.133.129 (talk) 03:15, 6 September 2009 (UTC)

Done. Thank you for the tip :-).--Commander Keane (talk) 04:51, 6 September 2009 (UTC)
Okay, my change got reverted per the discussion previosuly. So it is not possible to include a spouse for a musician. Why actors have it I don't know :P. Template talk:Infobox musical artist is the place to discuss whether or into a spouse should be in the infobox.--Commander Keane (talk) 07:56, 6 September 2009 (UTC)

[edit] DOB

JAY-Z IS 40 THIS DEC, WHY IS HIS DOB WRONG? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 90.212.89.102 (talk) 22:31, 16 September 2009 (UTC)

[edit] Jay-Z Tours????

shouldn't there be a section on his tours??? because i know he's done alot of tours. and he has an upcoming fall tour. 67.181.180.193 (talk) 03:25, 18 September 2009 (UTC)

a tour section has been added. Drivera28 (talk) 23:46, 23 September 2009 (UTC)

[edit] 11th album

Jay Z has 11 number one albums not 9 which is stated in the article. Those 11 number one albums beat Elvis Presleys record. It should be added to this article. Heres proof

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/accesshollywood/090917/entertainment/jay_z_beats_elvis_for_no_1_albums_record

http://www.billboard.com/column/chartbeat/chart-beat-thursday-jay-z-the-beatles-glee-1004013732.story

http://www.accesshollywood.com/jay-z-beats-elvis-for-no-1-albums-record_article_23080

http://thecelebritycafe.com/features/33646.html

http://www.sohh.com/2009/09/jay-z_asks_fans_to_give_k.html

http://omg.yahoo.com/news/jay-z-beats-elvis-for-no-1-albums-record/28019

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/8/20090908/ten-jay-z-is-the-king-31c8aba.html A Star Is Here (talk) 09:29, 20 September 2009 (UTC)

I dispute that. If we're counting studio albums, Reasonable Doubt peaked at number 23 on the Billboard 200, and and In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 reached number 3 on the Billboard 200 charts. If you have sources otherwise that state that both albums are number one, please post them and change the information shown. Taylor Karras (talk) 09:54, 20 September 2009 (UTC)


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay-Z_discography Heres proof from Wiki

Reasonable Doubt and In my lifetime did'nt go to number one but "Unfinished Business" and "Collision Course" did. A Star Is Here (talk) 22:24, 20 September 2009 (UTC)

[edit] Recent controversy over alleged masonry

Is it notable that there appears to be a massive amount of stuff going around about Jay-Z being a Mason? Most of the theories come from his hand gestures mixed with some of his lyrics. His hand sign is usually referred to as the "Diamond Cutter", but the image with him staring through it like the all seeing eye is rather odd. I'm not trying to start a debate over conspiracy theories, I'm just wondering if it is notable, or if people could give me info about him being involved in any groups. Here is the image I was referring to earlier http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6bw5m6fZShI/SLPl-j34wnI/AAAAAAAAAec/3sRyVOUIS1I/s400/jay-z+hova.jpg

Any news article that mentions rumors about him being a mason? Cause mostly everbody has seen that hand sign in his covers, his live shows, his videos and his images. We need more proof than that, otherwise it's original research. Taylor Karras (talk) 01:12, 23 September 2009 (UTC)


he has links to illuminati occult group and his recent video "run this town" proves it. where he dones a "do what thou wilt" sweat shirt which is affialated with the "ordo templi orientis" occult group. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 41.219.209.99 (talk) 07:31, 15 October 2009 (UTC)

But can you find a good source that has brought up any of this that makes it able to be included in this article and is reliable? It has to be from a trusted source. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.19.201.242 (talk) 02:06, 29 November 2009 (UTC)

He's a member of Ordo Templi Orientis but good luck getting a source, unless you happen to be one of the three or four people in the US with the membership rolls. 65.45.140.26 (talk) 07:07, 3 December 2009 (UTC)

[edit] Minor Edits

Since this is locked, I'll put this here and maybe others can add theirs too

  • DJ Premier has his own article, a link would be handy where he's mentioned in 1996-1997 block. Robbrooks —Preceding undated comment added 16:05, 2 October 2009 (UTC).

[edit] GA Review

This review is transcluded from Talk:Jay-Z/GA1. The edit link for this section can be used to add comments to the review.


GA review (see here for criteria)

Fail due to meeting #3 and #4 the of quick-fail criteria.

  1. It is reasonably well written.
    a (prose): Fail b (MoS): Pass
    There's a {{copyedit}} banner in the Business Ventures section of the article and a {{fact}} tag in the body of this section, one of the reasons why this article quick-failed GA. This article needs a lot of work on grammar and formatting. Ex#1: In the lead there's a period before and after ref 4. Ex#2: Ref 9 and 10 are separated by a period like this --> [9].[10] Ex#3: He began freestyling, writing rhymes, and followed the music of many artists popular at the time. Using the term "freestyling" is OK because it's wikilinked it so people who aren't familiar with the term can read about what it is. "Writing rhymes" is not OK because it's slang. Read policy here. "Writing lyrics" would be better. Ex#4: I just don't believe in good music and bad music, I've always said that.". and said that he would be interested in collaborating with Oasis in the future. There's a period before and after the quotation mark followed by "and" which is lowercase and almost never used to begin a sentence.
  2. It is factually accurate and verifiable.
    a (references): Pass b (citations to reliable sources): Fail c (OR): Neutral
    Needs more inline citations. Some paragraphs have two citations. Some paragraphs have only one citation. I saw two paragraphs with no citations. Also ref 5, ref 23, and ref 65 are dead links that don't exist anymore.
  3. It is broad in its coverage.
    a (major aspects): Pass b (focused): Pass
  4. It follows the neutral point of view policy.
    Fair representation without bias: Pass
  5. It is stable.
    No edit wars, etc.: Fail
    The article is locked from anonymous editing. I don't think I can call it stable if it's locked. Another reason why it quick-failed.
  6. It is illustrated by images, where possible and appropriate.
    a (images are tagged and non-free images have fair use rationales): Pass b (appropriate use with suitable captions): Pass
  7. Overall:
    Pass/Fail: Fail
    I suggest nominating this article for peer review. It needs the attention of a good copy editor. Also the list for Arts-related GA nominations is very long so it's better to get a peer review before renominating anyway. Susan Carter Holmes is fine but note that the Shawn Carter (actor) page doesn't exist. It doesn't make sense to have a directory message at the top of the article directing people to an article that's not there. Also [[Prodigy]] links to a disambiguation page rather than an article.
After updating the talk page to reflect the GA nomination outcome I realized that this article already went through a peer review in August. The references/citations issue was brought up then. Before renominating this article for GA status please implement the suggestions already brought up in the peer review.

// Gbern3 (talk) 18:37, 9 October 2009 (UTC)

[edit] Please fix the spelling of "involved" in the 'Early Years' section.

In the sentence below under the 'Early Years' section, please change the spelling of "involved":

FROM: Jay-Z was also invovled in and won several battles with rapper LL Cool J in the early 90's as part of a plan to get a sought-after record deal.

TO: Jay-Z was also involved in and won several battles with rapper LL Cool J in the early 90's as part of a plan to get a sought-after record deal.

Ikiqi (talk) 17:15, 16 October 2009 (UTC)

[edit] Confusing Grammar in a Sentence

In the Early Life section, this paragraph begins: "Originally from Marcy Houses housing project in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York City,[1] Jay-Z was abandoned by his father and at 12 years old, he had shot his brother in the shoulder for stealing his jewelry."

The flow of this sentence does not feel right, and feels like a run-on. I would suggest: "Jay-Z is originally from Marcy Houses housing project in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York City.[1] As a child, he was abandoned by his father and when he was 12 years old, Jay-Z shot his brother in the shoulder for stealing his jewelry."

Just my suggestion. Crazyoldben (talk) 21:24, 29 October 2009 (UTC)

[edit] Pictures

I think the pictures used in revision 1 here are better than the ones used in revision A here. I prefer R1 because the alternative is in profile, and somewhat difficult to recognize. TK prefers RA because my prefered version is off low quality (see here). We could also possibly use images found on commons. Thoughts? Deserted Cities (talk) 02:37, 9 November 2009 (UTC)

That's not the only reason. The other is that the image you suggested seems appropriate for the section it's currently in and a lead image needs to show the subject clearly and also be encyclopedic. Check out this edit by known vandal Rcool35, the lead image doesn't focus on the subject and it's a portrait image. This is my reason and a profile image isn't difficult to recognize, he has an easily recognizable face in my opinion. Taylor Karras (talk) 06:11, 9 November 2009 (UTC)
My prefered one shows the subject clearly; yours is missing half is face. The edit you linked to is much worse than mine; the subject is too far away and off-center. Deserted Cities (talk) 06:29, 9 November 2009 (UTC)
This is not an argument but a clarification. If half of his face is missing then there would only be one eye, two of his eyes are clearly visible therfore half of his face is not missing. Taylor Karras (talk) 06:56, 9 November 2009 (UTC)
Okay. Would you agree we need a better picture though? I think both our preferred ones are less than ideal. Deserted Cities (talk) 06:59, 9 November 2009 (UTC)
I agree but I've searched on Flickr for Jay-Z pictures and most of them are blurry, don't show the subject well and are not of high quality. Plus a lot of them are CC-BY-NC-SA which means they're not allowed to be on Wikipedia because they have to be CC-BY-SA. This is currently the best we got. Taylor Karras (talk) 07:05, 9 November 2009 (UTC)
Yea I just did a quick search on flikr. I could only find copyrighted images we can't use here. Deserted Cities (talk) 15:09, 9 November 2009 (UTC)


[edit] Linkin Park

I noticed the page didn't have anything about Linkin Park. They've done some stuff together (Look it up on YouTube). Do you think we should add it?--69.24.166.19 (talk) 21:55, 9 November 2009 (UTC)

Jay-Z is also a freemason just like Kanye,Rihanna,Beyonce and many more.He is evil

where is that fact in this page? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.83.64.41 (talk) 01:38, 20 November 2009 (UTC)

Jay-Z is not and never has been a free mason, that YouTube video posted as evidence is fan-made, cites no reliable sources and is in fact non-notable. Please stop suggesting that he is a free mason and that he is evil. Taylor Karras (talk) 11:27, 27 November 2009 (UTC)

[edit] Jay Z is turning 40 tomorrow

Jay Z's birthday is coming up. Gotta update the age. Sniper12890 (talk) 22:05, 3 December 2009 (UTC)

Actually, Template:Birth date and age updates it automatically with time. Andrewlp1991 (talk) 04:48, 4 December 2009 (UTC)



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