What Was Jay-Z's First Song?

Jay-Z’s influence extends far beyond the music industry. He began his journey to world domination as a rapper, but what was his first song?

Jay-Z’s debut single, ‘In My Lifetime’, was recorded in 1993 and was originally sold out of Jay-Z’s car, with his former business partner Damon Dash. The song was officially released by Payday Records in 1994 and preceded the release of his debut album ‘Reasonable Doubt’.

Read on to learn more about Jay-Z’s early music, his hip hop legacy and his relationship with Beyonce.

Early Career and ‘In My Lifetime’

Reflecting on the start of his career, Jay-Z told 60 Minutes “I had no aspirations, no plans, no goals, no back-up goals” and yet he went on to become an icon.

Born Shawn Corey Carter, Jay-Z grew up in Brooklyn, New York City and was raised by his mother. Drugs and crime were an inescapable presence in his rough neighbourhood and he was reportedly shot at three times on one occasion, from only 6 feet away. 

Jay-Z began rapping as a youngster, becoming known as ‘Jazzy’, and sold drugs alongside his efforts to break into the music industry, but he wasn’t living his dream. 

He told Yahoo! in 1999, “I wanted a better life. I wanted to perform and I didn’t know where performing would take me exactly, but I knew it would take me far away from where I’d come from”. However, a record deal wasn’t forthcoming and Jay-Z turned to selling his music out of his car. 

Whilst he’d featured on tracks of other artists, including Jaz-O and Big L, and had been recording and writing music for years prior, ‘In My Lifetime’ was Jay-Z’s first official single. It was also the only song of his to be officially released prior to his album ‘Reasonable Doubt’.

The song was produced by Ski and released by Payday Records, but Jay-Z quickly became disillusioned with the label and established Roc-A-Fella Records in 1995 with Damon Dash and Kareem Burke.

Best-Selling Artist

His debut album ‘Reasonable Doubt’ was released in 1996 to good reviews but recognition of the album as a classic would come later, with DJ Booth calling the album “a pillar of modern hip-hop”.

The rapper has since released 13 solo studio albums and won 22 Grammy Awards and in 2018, Forbes named the rapper the wealthiest hip-hop artist.

He’s even been named one of former President Barack Obama’s favorite rappers, with the politician asserting “he’s still the king” in a radio interview.

Hordes of artists have likewise shown their appreciation for his skill over the years, with Pharrell Williams saying simply, and lyrically, “Shawn Carter’s a mystic, and he’s a one of one…none before him and none to come”.

Savvy Businessman

In addition to hip hop domination, Jay-Z has established himself as a successful entrepreneur with an expansive empire and a fortune of over $1 billion. 

From creating his own music label, Jay-Z has extended his influence to fashion, alcohol, entertainment sports teams, and retail, in addition to his investments and streaming service, Tidal.

Power Couple

While Jay-Z is a force in his own right, his relationship with Beyoncé has firmly established the pair as a celebrity power couple.

Recognized as one of the richest celebrity couples in the world, the pair collaborated on ‘03 Bonnie & Clyde’ back in 2002, married in 2008, and have three children together.

They released their first album as The Carters, ‘Everything is Love’, in 2018 which Rolling Stone said is a testament to and celebration of “their family dynasty”, which feels like “a labor of love”.

One thing’s for sure, Jay-Z’s certainly come a long way from selling CDs out of his car in Brooklyn. 

Watch the lead single from the couple’s album ‘Everything is Love’ in the YouTube video below.

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