JAŸ-Z

JAŸ-Z is co-founder and Chairman of Roc Nation, which he co-founded in 2008 with Desiree Perez (CEO), Jay Brown (Vice Chairman), Juan Perez (President of Roc Nation Sports), and Tyran “Ty Ty” Smith (President of A&R). JAY-Z's collaboration with his Roc Nation co-founders has helped establish the company as a driving force behind some of the entertainment industry's most ambitious live productions, strategic partnerships, and cultural moments. Under his leadership, Roc Nation has expanded beyond artist management to shape globally recognized events, including the NFL's Super Bowl Halftime Show through its landmark partnership with the league. In 2026, Roc Nation’s role in The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show contributed to the production's historic nine Emmy nominations, marking the most nominations ever received by a Super Bowl halftime show. Throughout JAŸ-Z’s career as an internationally celebrated rapper, visionary businessman, and philanthropist, he continues to leverage his platform and resources to enact positive impact in communities around the world. JAŸ-Z worked with the founders of Roc Nation to found Team Roc. 

Steadfast in his pursuit to give back to those in need, JAŸ-Z has both constructed and supported initiatives to address critical issues, societal injustices, and systemic inequities. In 2002, JAŸ-Z’s mother, Hon. Dr. Gloria Carter, voiced a desire to create “something that would enhance the future of our young people;” in response to that goal, she and JAŸ-Z jointly established The Shawn Carter Foundation. For more than twenty years, The Foundation has bridged the gap to higher education, making the ability to pursue higher education more accessible and attainable by providing scholarships, college bus tours, and personal and professional development experiences to underserved students nationwide. JAŸ-Z and The Shawn Carter Foundation’s commitment to forging opportunities for young adults to actualize their dreams and better themselves with academics and leadership roles mirrors the work done through Team Roc under our education pillar.

Within and outside of Team Roc, JAŸ-Z is devoted to championing criminal justice reform. Using his voice to advocate for change and advancements in the judicial system, JAŸ-Z is a member of the United Justice Coalition advisory board and a founding partner of REFORM Alliance. Through his involvement with both nonprofit organizations and as an executive producer, JAŸ-Z raises awareness about the institutional failings of prisons and unjust probation proceedings in the United States. Bringing attention to these causes onscreen for global audiences, JAŸ-Z executive produced the 2017 docuseries “TIME: The Kalief Browder Story,” which focused on juveniles in solitary confinement and won a Peabody Award. In 2018, he was an executive producer of the critically acclaimed multi-episode documentary "Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story" and participated in "Exposing Parchman," an investigative documentary that aired on A&E in 2023. At the 2024 GRAMMY Awards, in recognition of his humanitarian efforts and profound influence on music and culture, JAŸ-Z was the recipient of the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award.  

JAŸ-Z is the founder of several successful business ventures and brands including Roc-A-Fella, Rocawear, Baseline Studios, Paper Planes, D'USSÉ, the Made In America Festival, and Marcy Venture Partners (now MarcyPen Capital Partners), and co-owner of The 40/40 Club and TIDAL. He served as President of Def Jam Recordings from 2004 to 2007.

In 2026, the Songwriters Hall of Fame and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee had a highly anticipated re-emergence to the stage to pay homage to some of his most influential work — the 30th anniversary of his debut album, Reasonable Doubt, and the 25th anniversary of The Blueprint, with a headline performance at Roots Picnic in Philadelphia and shows planned for Yankee Stadium in New York City, Stade de France in Paris, and SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

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