Most frequent collaboratorJustin Smith · 26 tracks
GenresHip HopRap
Complete Artist
99%
Authorship
Holds writing credit on 197 of 200 tracks
Did Jay-Z write his own songs?
Yes. Jay-Z writes all his own raps, holding a writing credit on 98% of his tracks. He is famous for composing his lyrics entirely in his head, without writing them down. Because hip-hop production is collaborative, every song also credits producers and sample writers, so his tracks read as co-written, but the verses are his own, on classics from 'Izzo (H.O.V.A.)' to '99 Problems.'
By the Numbers
13
Studio Albums
200
Tracks Credited
99%
Self-Written
125 million
Records Sold
30
Years Active
517
Collaborators
Authorship Breakdown 197 / 200 self-written
Who wrote the songs?
Across all 200 tracks: how many Jay-Z wrote alone, how many they co-wrote, and how many were written by others. The bracket marks every track they hold any writing credit on.
Jay-Z has a writing credit99%
99%
2%
Sole author0tracks0%
Co-written197tracks99%
Outside writers3tracks2%
Role Fingerprint how they contribute
Jay-Z's roles across the catalogue
Share of all 200 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.
Lyricist (words)99%
Composer (music)0%
Producer4%
Performer99%
Authorship Over Time writing credit per album
Jay-Z's writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.
avg 99%
100%
100%
100%
100%
88%
100%
100%
100%
100%
93%
100%
100%
100%
1996Reasonable Doubt
1997In My Lifetime, Vol. 1
1998Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life
1999Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter
2000The Dynasty: Roc La Familia
2001The Blueprint
2002The Blueprint 2: The Gift & the Curse
2003The Black Album
2006Kingdom Come
2007American Gangster
2009The Blueprint 3
2013Magna Carta Holy Grail
20174:44
Early · 97% written
Mid · 99% written
Late · 100% written
Authorship by Decade track-weighted
100%
1990s
Reasonable Doubt, In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 +2 more
97%
2000s
The Dynasty: Roc La Familia, The Blueprint +5 more
100%
2010s
Magna Carta Holy Grail, 4:44
Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author
Where Jay-Z sits on the scale from a pure performer (0%, sings songs written by others) to a complete author (100%, writes everything). The bright marker is their catalogue authorship score, plotted against other artists on the site.
Jay-Z
Other artists on the site
Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.
Bubble size = tracks worked on together. Showing the 150 most frequent of 511. JS Justin Smith
The Authorship Story
Data Insight
Jay-Z is a near-pure lyricist in the data: he writes his own verses on essentially every track, so his lyricist credit is close to total, but he almost never holds a music or production credit. The composer column instead fills with his producers and the writers of the songs he samples, which on a soul-sampling album like The Blueprint or American Gangster can be a long list. The split is the story of mainstream hip-hop authorship, where the rapper owns the words and the producer owns the sound.
Quick Facts
HovaWidely known by the nicknames Hova (Jay-Hova) and Jigga
GrammysHas won 25 Grammy Awards, among the most of any artist
Rock HallInducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021
BillionaireThe first hip-hop artist to become a billionaire, in 2019
Number-one albumsHas 14 number-one albums on the Billboard 200, a record for a solo artist
Creative Fingerprint
A rapper who writes in his head: Jay-Z is credited on 98% of his tracks, writing all his own lyrics without writing them down. Every song is co-written in the sense that producers and sample composers share credit, but the raps are his.
The Story
Jay-Z is one of the most successful and influential rappers in history, a Brooklyn native who turned a hustler's biography into a three-decade run of commercial and critical dominance. He writes all of his own lyrics, famously composing them in his head rather than on paper, which places him at the high end of the authorship scale as a lyricist even as he relies on outside producers for nearly all of his music. His catalog runs from the dense street narratives of Reasonable Doubt through stadium-pop crossovers to the confessional, sample-driven 4:44, and along the way he helped build Roc-A-Fella and Roc Nation into industry powers. The credit tables show a consistent pattern: Jay-Z's name on the words, a rotating cast of producers from DJ Premier to Kanye West to No I.D. on the music. He became the first rapper inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and remains a defining figure in hip-hop's move from the streets to the boardroom.
Awards & Recognition
Has won 25 Grammy Awards, among the most of any artist and second-most of any hip-hop artist
Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021
The first hip-hop artist to become a billionaire, in 2019
Has 14 number-one albums on the Billboard 200, a record for a solo artist
His album The Blueprint (2001) was added to the National Recording Registry
Frequently Asked Questions Jay-Z
Did Jay-Z write his own songs?
Yes. Jay-Z writes all his own raps, holding a writing credit on 98% of his tracks. He is famous for composing his lyrics entirely in his head, without writing them down. Because hip-hop production is collaborative, every song also credits producers and sample writers, so his tracks read as co-written, but the verses are his own, on classics from 'Izzo (H.O.V.A.)' to '99 Problems.'
Did Jay-Z write '99 Problems'?
Yes. '99 Problems' (2003) was written by Jay-Z with producer Rick Rubin, who built the beat. Jay-Z wrote all the lyrics. It became one of his signature songs, from The Black Album.
Does Jay-Z write his lyrics down?
No, famously. Jay-Z composes his rhymes entirely in his head and does not write them down, a method he shares with the Notorious B.I.G. He is still credited as the writer of his verses on nearly every track.
Who wrote 'Empire State of Mind'?
'Empire State of Mind' (2009) was co-written by Jay-Z with Alicia Keys, who sings the hook, and its producers. Jay-Z wrote the raps. It became one of his biggest hits and an anthem for New York.
Who produces Jay-Z's music?
He has worked with hip-hop's top producers, including Just Blaze, Timbaland, Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, Swizz Beatz, and No I.D. Their beats are why so many co-writers appear on his tracks.
How many albums has Jay-Z released?
This catalogue covers 13 of his solo studio albums, from Reasonable Doubt (1996) to 4:44 (2017).
How many Grammys has Jay-Z won?
25 Grammy Awards, among the most of any artist and the second-most of any hip-hop act.
Is Jay-Z a billionaire?
Yes. In 2019 he became the first hip-hop artist to reach billionaire status, through his music and business ventures like Roc Nation and his spirits and streaming companies.
What is Jay-Z's most acclaimed album?
Reasonable Doubt (1996) and The Blueprint (2001) are his most acclaimed. The Blueprint was added to the US National Recording Registry for its cultural significance.
What genre is Jay-Z?
He is a hip-hop and rap artist, one of the defining figures of East Coast and mainstream rap, known for his lyricism, business acumen, and longevity across three decades.
Jay-Z
