Born and raised in Brooklyn’s Marcy Houses — a New York public housing project — Carter’s early life was filled with turmoil, according to Biography. Growing up, Carter was exposed to poverty, drug use, drug dealing, violence, and guns, and his experiences throughout those years were later referenced in many of his songs. In 1989, however, he teamed up an older rapper known as Jaz-O, who became a kind of mentor to Carter. Together, the two recorded the song “The Originators,” which landed them an appearance on Yo! MTV Raps.

It was then that Carter chose Jay-Z as his stage name. According to Biography, the moniker was a way for him to reference many important aspects of his life. It was a nod to his childhood nickname (“Jazzy”), a homage to Jaz-O, and a callback to the J/Z subway station located close to his home in Brooklyn. Over three decades later, Jay-Z has become one of the most recognizable and well-known names in all of music.