Throughout the decades, Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter has been cementing his name on the Mount Rushmore of hip-hop. Hailing from New York City, the East Coast rap pioneer's influence on the rap game started all the way back in 1996 when he released his career-defining debut album, Reasonable Doubt. Since then, the rap mogul has released at least thirteen studio albums and launched the careers of some of the biggest names in music, including Rihanna, Kanye West, and more.
It's been a while since Jay-Z released his last album as a solo artist, 4:44. While many rap artists have struggled to keep up with the momentum once they hit the latter stage of their career, the Grammy-nominated record solidified Jay's longevity in the rap game. Since then, Jay-Z has ventured into many things, but what fans are wondering is whether he is putting the mic down for good. After all, he billed a "retirement party" back in 2003, and everyone's worried. Here's a look at what the rapper has been up to since his last solo album dropped.
6 Jay-Z's Grammy Nomination For Album Of The Year
For Jay-Z, 4:44 was a career-defining project. It's a testament to his longevity in the rap game that speaks volumes and is a true blueprint of how a veteran artist adapts to a new sound and succeeds in it. Produced by the rapper himself and No I.D., Dominic Maker, and James Blake, 4:44 incorporates elements of candid and conscious hip-hop fused with reggae, soul, & progressive rock. 4:44 received nominations for Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Record of the Year nominations on the stage of the 2018 Grammy Awards.
5 Jay-Z Released His Debut Album As 'The Carters' Duo
Although his last album as a solo artist dropped over five years ago, that doesn't mean Jay has completely stopped making music. A year after that, the rapper teamed up with his wife, Beyonce, as a musical super duo called The Carters. They released their debut album as a duo, Everything Is Love, in the summer of that year to a positive welcome from critics and fans alike. After debuting at number two on the Billboard 200 chart, Everything Is Love won Best Urban Contemporary Album at the Grammy.
4 Jay-Z And Beyonce Embarked On A Worldwide Tour To Promote The Duo
To further support the album, The Carters embarked on their second world tour as a duo. Titled On the Run II Tour, the stadium tour kicked off in Wales on June 6th, 2018, and finished in Seattle on October 4th. Over 2,1 million tickets for the tour were sold for a 100 percent attendance record, amassing over $250 million in worldwide gross.
With that being said, it wasn't the first time the two went on a worldwide tour to perform their music. Back in 2014, they kicked off their first On the Run Tour in Miami Gardens. It had 21 dates of two legs, amassing $109 million at the box office.
3 Jay-Z Donated Over $2 Million With Rihanna To COVID-19 Relief Efforts
When the world started experiencing the ongoing health crisis, Jay teamed up with Rihanna to donate over $2 million to COVID-19 effort relief through their respective charitable foundations. According to the artists' statement, the fund would specifically go to Mayor's Fund for L.A, Fund for Public Schools, the New York Immigration Coalition, and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
"In times of crisis it is imperative that we come together as one community to ensure that everyone, especially the most vulnerable, has access to critical needs: shelter, health, nutrition and education," the statement reads, "The only way to get through this pandemic is with love and action."
2 Jay-Z Rekindled His Relationship With Kanye West
Jay-Z's relationship with his protégé Kanye West has been a perplexing kind. The pair's rocky bromance took a steep downfall back in 2017 after a series of the Graduation rapper's public meltdowns, but in 2021, it seems like the two brothers have rekindled their relationship for good. They linked up to kick off Kanye's tenth studio album Donda for the track "Jail" and amassed a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Song.
1 Jay-Z Was Inducted Into The 'Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame'
As one of the most exciting and trailblazing hip-hop legends, Jay-Z finally got his recognition from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame last year when he was inducted alongside fellow rapper LL Cool J. In fact, he was the first living solo rapper to be put among the honorees (after all, Dr. Dre's N.W.A. was inducted in 2016), making him an important cornerstone in the hip-hop genre.
"Growing up, we didn’t think we could be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame," the rapper says while receiving the award, "We were told that hip-hop was a fad. Much like punk rock, it gave us this anticulture, this subgenre, and there were heroes in it."
