Jay-Z was one of East Coast rap's top acts as the 21st century began. Known for his street-hustler background and for creating his own label, Roc-A-Fella Records, Jay-Z released his debut album Reasonable Doubt in 1996. His breakthrough 1998 album Vol. 2 Hard Knock Life included the huge hits "Can I Get A..." and "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)," the latter featuring a chorus sampled from the Broadway show Annie. The album won a Grammy for Best Rap Album, and Jay-Z's Hard Knock Life Tour cemented his stardom. He has collaborated with DMX, Foxy Brown, Memphis Bleek and others; his later albums include Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter (1999) and The Blueprint (2001, with producer Kanye West). 

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