Our Founder,
JAŸ-Z
Prolific in his trades, JAŸ-Z is a preeminent cultural architect and global icon and the founder of D’USSÉ Cognac. He is dedicated to offering brand patrons the finest selection of Cognac, ensuring an elevated experience with each sip. Versatile and multidisciplinary, JAŸ-Z is an entrepreneur across verticals who has launched numerous enterprises — with Roc-A-Fella Records and Rocawear as mere snapshots of his early success in the 1990s.
JAŸ-Z, a 25-time GRAMMY Award winner, is the co-founder and chairman of revered entertainment company Roc Nation, established in 2008 with Desiree Perez (CEO), Jay Brown (Vice Chairman), Juan Perez (President of Roc Nation Sports), and Tyran “Ty Ty” Smith (President of A&R). Roc Nation cultivates career longevity and masterfully amplifies the profiles of its collective of elite clientele in the music and sports industries, including Rihanna, A$AP Rocky, John Legend, Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera, Megan Thee Stallion, Lil Uzi Vert, Kevin De Bruyne, LaMelo Ball, Robinson Canó, and Vini Junior. He is also a staunch supporter of Team Roc, Roc Nation’s philanthropic arm.
JAŸ-Z founded Manhattan’s Baseline Studios in 2000 and co-founded The 40/40 Club in 2003. His corporate roles include serving as president of Def Jam Recordings from 2004 to 2007; co-owning music streaming service TIDAL; and founding fashion house Paper Planes, the Made In America Festival, and venture capital firm Marcy Venture Partners (now MarcyPen Capital Partners).
Universally celebrated as a trailblazer in music and humanitarianism, JAŸ-Z is the recipient of American Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards, Primetime Emmys, an NAACP Image Award, and the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award. His debut album, Reasonable Doubt, was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame in 2025. In 2017, JAŸ-Z was welcomed into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and in 2021, he was enshrined in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
JAŸ-Z is also an award-winning executive producer for the documentary, “TIME: The Kalief Browder Story.” He acted as executive producer for “Rest In Power: The Trayvon Martin Story” (2018) and “Free Meek” (2019). He co-produced the 2023 A&E documentary, “Exposing Parchman.”
JAŸ-Z is an advisory board member for United Justice Coalition , a nonprofit organization that brings awareness to key justice issues, and a founding partner of REFORM Alliance , a movement working to transform probation and parole.
He is the co-founder of The Shawn Carter Foundation alongside his mother, Dr. Gloria Carter. Throughout more than 20 years of impact, The Shawn Carter Foundation has bridged opportunity gaps in education for high school and college students.
In 2026, JAŸ-Z commemorated two of his most acclaimed albums — the 30th anniversary of Reasonable Doubt and the 25th anniversary of The Blueprint — with a concert series at Yankee Stadium in New York City. He also celebrated these albums with an appearance at Roots Picnic 2026. More than retrospectives, these performances illustrated how the talents that fueled his rise in music have continued to guide his entrepreneurial pursuits and shape his broader cultural impact. In September and October 2026, JAŸ-Z will honor Reasonable Doubt (JAŸ-Z 30) with shows in Paris and Los Angeles.
JAŸ-Z on Social Media:
