44 Awesome JAY-Z Facts That Will Blow Your Mind
Here's your essential guide to all things factual about JAY-Z, including his award wins, wealth, collaborations, albums and more.
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1. JAY-Z actually lived in London during the late 1980s.
The rapper, who was pictured in a Mercedes Benz, lived in London in 1989. JAY recorded music with Monie Love and soaked in the culture, before moving back to the States. Picture: Instagram
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2. Michael Jackson secretly sang on Jay Z's hit single 'Girls, Girls, Girls'.
"He was on my song ‘Girls, Girls, Girls’, singing these background vocals and I didn’t even put his name on it,” Jay once revealed in an interview with NME.
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3. JAY-Z's father left the house when we was 11 or 12-years-old and never returned.
JAY-Z was forced to become the man of the house at a very young age after his father Adnes Reeves walked out. The pair briefly renunited back in 2003. However Adnes died a few years later from liver disease, developed from a drinking problem. Picture: WENN
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4. 'Reasonable Doubt' was originally called 'Heir To The Throne'.
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5. Jay Z tries to take Beyonce on a pizza date every Sunday in Brooklyn.
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6. Jay Z and Busta Rhymes went to school together and once battled with each other in their cafeteria.
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7. Jay Z rode the subway to a gig in Brooklyn New York.
Picture: Splash
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8. Jay Z's daughter Blue Ivy featured on his song 'Glory' when she was just two days old.
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9. And here he is riding the tube to London's O2 Arena with Coldplay's Chris Martin.
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10. Jay Z is worth $500 million, according to Forbes.
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11. Despite a close friendship with Barack Obama, he says he will never be a politician.
Picture: BarackObama Twitter
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12. Jay Z and Diddy both pledged $1 million to the US Red Cross' relief effort after Hurricane Katrina.
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13. Up until September 2013, the rapper had a stake in the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
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14. Jay Z founded Rocawear along with Damon Dash. The label's annual revenue is $700 million.
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15. Jay Z writes all his lyrics in his head - he doesn't write any down.
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16. Jay Z was president of Def Jam records from 2004-2008.
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17. Jay Z and Beyonce's ''03 Bonnie & Clyde' samples Tupac's 1996 song 'Me And My Girlfriend'.
Tupac Shakur
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18. Jay Z's name was inspired by his old nickname Jazzy.
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19. Jay Z is an investor in Carol's Daughter, a range of beauty products.
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20. Jay Z produced the musical Fela! - based on Fela Kuti - with Will and Jada Pinkett Smith.
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21. And in April 2013 the rapper launched Roc Nation Sports, a sport management group.
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22. Jay Z and Linkin Park were joined by Paul McCartney when they performed at the 2003 Grammy Awards.
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23. The FBI were called in when Jay Z's single 'Show Me What You Got' leaked online in 2006.
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24. Jay Z has sold 50 million albums worldwide.
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25. It was at 40/40 that Jay Z first announced 'The Black Album'.
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26. Jay Z sold records from his car before creating Roc-A-Fella with Damon Dash and Kareem Biggs.
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27. Jay Z is the first artist Beyonce goes to when she records new music to get the rapper's opinion.
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28. Jay Z's memoirs, Decoded, were released in November 2010.
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29. Jay Z shot his 'Picasso Baby' in a New York museum over six hours.
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30. Jay Z's real name is Shawn Corey Carter.
Picture: Getty