Jay-Z

Shawn Corey Carter started recording in the late 1980s under the wing of Jaz-O, then co-founded Roc-A-Fella Records in 1994 when the industry wouldn't sign him. Reasonable Doubt arrived in 1996, followed by In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 the next year - both critically acclaimed, both rooted in the rags-to-riches narrative he'd spend decades refining. Thirteen albums later, including The Blueprint, The Black Album, American Gangster, and 4:44, he holds 14 number-one albums on the Billboard 200, third-most in history, and topped the Hot 100 four times with "Empire State of Mind," "Heartbreaker," "Crazy in Love," and "Umbrella." He ran Def Jam from 2004 to 2007, launching Kanye West, Rihanna, and Ne-Yo, then built Rocawear, the 40/40 Club, Roc Nation, and eventually acquired Tidal in 2015. In 2019 he became hip-hop's first billionaire; by 2026, Forbes pegged him at $2.8 billion, the wealthiest musical artist in history. Billboard and Vibe named him the greatest rapper of all time in 2023 - 25 Grammys, a Songwriters Hall of Fame induction, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to back it up.