Written by: Khalif Thompson
We can't discuss the growth of American hip hop without addressing Tupac Shakur, Biggie Smalls, Diddy, and, of course, the legendary Jay-Z.
Jay-Z was born in 1969 in Brooklyn, New York (via Biography), and began rapping at a young age, eventually releasing his debut album, "Reasonable Doubt," in 1996.
Album after album, song after song, it became evident that Jay Z was one of the greatest in the business – and boy, did he have plenty of honors and achievements to prove it.
CREDITS: Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images
The "Song Cry" rapper broke history by becoming the most Grammy-nominated artist, with 83 nominations and 23 wins. According to the New York Post, this puts him ahead of English vocalist Paul McCartney and legendary producer Quincy Jones.
With his vast list of accomplishments, Jay-Z could relax and enjoy life with his wife Beyoncé and their three children. And, with his most recent album, "4:44," released in 2017, there's more than enough cause to assume the rapper has retired.
Jay-Z spoke up about his career and addressed the long-held belief that he has retired from the rap business during an interview on comedian Kevin Hart's show, "Hart to Heart." "I don't know what happens next," the rapper said to Hart. "I'm not actively making music, making an album, or have plans to make an album right now, but I never wanna to say I'm retired."
Jay-Z also stated that he suffered from extreme burnout at one time in his career and thought he was done with music, but he ended up looping back. Now, the Roc Nation founder is hinting at a return to the studio in the near future.
According to People, this latest revelation comes nearly ten years after Jay-Z officially proclaimed his alleged retirement with a blowout at Madison Square Garden in 2003.
Despite the fact that he did not release any own projects in the following years, Jay-Z continued to collaborate with various musicians.
He then released his album "Kingdom Come" in 2006, followed by "American Gangster" in 2007.
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