Quick Answer: What Is Jay Z's Real Name

JAY-Z, previously spelled Jay-Z or Jay Z, original name Shawn Corey Carter, (born December 4, 1969, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.), American rapper and entrepreneur, one of the most influential figures in hip-hop in the 1990s and early 21st century.

How did Jay-Z get his name?

His firsthand experience with illicit drug dealing would inform his lyrics when he began rapping under the stage name Jazzy, soon shortened to Jay-Z (a name that may also have been derived from the proximity of the J and Z subway lines to the Marcy Projects).

Why did Jay-Z change his name?

Known as “Jazzy” around the neighborhood, he later adopted the stage name “Jay-Z” in homage to his mentor Jaz-O. Jay-Z can be briefly heard on several of Jaz-O’s early recordings in the late 1980s and early 1990s, including “H. P. Gets Busy”, “The Originators” and “Hawaiian Sophie”.