JAY-Z
Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter has dominated the music industry for decades as a 25-time GRAMMY award-winner and inductee of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and GRAMMY Hall of Fame. An industrious businessman and philanthropist, JAY-Z co-founded the entertainment company Roc Nation, where he serves as Chairman and its philanthropic division, Team Roc, with Roc Nation CEO and co-founder Desiree Perez . In addition to being a member of the United Justice Coalition’s (UJC) advisory board, JAY-Z is a founding partner of REFORM Alliance, an organization of thought leaders and influential figures advocating for criminal justice system reform.
Throughout his career, JAY-Z has used his platform to speak on various social justice issues. JAY-Z partnered with Molly Crabapple in 2016 to create “The War On Drugs Is An Epic Fail,” a history lesson about the war on drugs and an appeal for an end to biased policing and mass incarceration. In 2017, JAY-Z executive produced the Peabody Award-winning documentary series “TIME: The Kalief Browder Story,” which shed light on the stark realities of juveniles in solitary confinement and the bail system in New York. That same year, he wrote an impactful op-ed piece on Meek Mill and the probation system. Shortly thereafter, in 2018, JAY-Z was an executive producer on “Rest In Power: The Trayvon Martin Story.” The six-episode series paid homage to the life and legacy of Trayvon Martin while exploring his highly publicized case and the subsequent national debate on racial tensions in America. In 2023, JAY-Z took part in the Roc Nation-produced documentary, “Exposing Parchman,” which called attention to deplorable conditions within Mississippi’s Parchman Prison and the immediate need for reform in American prison systems. “Exposing Parchman” received an Emmy nomination at the 45th Annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards for the Outstanding Writing: Documentary category.
JAY-Z has pioneered educational initiatives to uplift underserved and marginalized communities. In tandem with his mother, Dr. Gloria Carter, JAY-Z established the Shawn Carter Foundation to provide access to higher education by empowering students through scholarships. To offset some of the financial burdens associated with higher education from admission to graduation, The Foundation created The Shawn Carter Scholarship Fund (SCSF), which is awarded to qualifying students who reapply annually. The SCFS provides individual grants that can be used towards tuition and supplemental academic expenses, such as textbooks, laboratory fees, travel, and certain costs of living. Collaborating with academic institutions and community partners, programs at the Foundation specialize in wealth-building, study abroad opportunities, charitable goodwill, and personal growth. For more than 20 years since it opened in 2002, the Shawn Carter Foundation has created life-changing opportunities for hundreds of scholars, making the dream of pursuing greatness a reality.
JAY-Z was named as an honoree at The New York Police & Fire Widows’ & Children’s Benefit Fund Annual Gala in 2010 for his contributions to the organization’s work in supporting the families of first responders. For his global influence on music and society, JAY-Z received the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award during the 2024 GRAMMY Awards.
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