Jay-Z, born Shawn Corey Carter, is one of the world’s most famous musicians. The famous rapper was born on December 4, 1969, in New York City, New York. He was raised in the Marcy Houses, a public housing project in Brooklyn. In his early years, Jay-Z fell in love with music, specifically rapping, and he began his musical career in the 1980s under the guidance of another Brooklyn-based rapper, Jaz-O.