JAY-Z continues to write his name into the history books by becoming the first Black male artist to reach a major multi-platinum milestone.
The billionaire rap mogul now has 10 multi-platinum solo albums to his name after 2003’s The Black Album and 2009’s The Blueprint 3 were recently certified quadruple and double platinum, respectively, by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
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Hov is just the second Black artist to achieve the feat following Mariah Carey, who currently has 11 solo albums with over two million copies sold each.
In total, JAY-Z has 12 multi-platinum albums, including 10 solo projects and two collaborative LPs: Watch the Throne with Kanye West and the Collision Course EP with Linkin Park.
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The Roc Nation boss also leads all rappers when it comes to chart dominance having topped the Billboard 200 an impressive 14 times in his decorated career. That record may not stand for much longer, though, as the ever-prolific Drake trails closely behind with 12.
Earlier this year, Ed Sheeran revealed that JAY-Z turned down the opportunity to appear on his hit single “Shape of You.”
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“We were in touch,” he told Rolling Stone. “I sent him the song, and he said, ‘I don’t think the song needs a rap verse.’ He was probably right. He’s got a very, very good ear. He usually gets things right. It was a very natural, respectful pass.”
The song was certified diamond by the RIAA in January 2019, which would’ve handed JAY-Z his first ever diamond plaque.
However, Hov ended up earning the coveted plaque by himself this past June as “N-ggas in Paris” finally went diamond after reaching 9x-platinum status the year before.
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JAY-Z was named Billboard‘s No. 1 rapper of all time in February based on his commercial success, critical acclaim, cultural impact and entrepreneurial greatness, along with his “regal-scented rhymes that speak to the struggle.”
As well as his 24 Grammy Awards, 14 No. 1 albums and 140 million record sales, Billboard said his “longevity, the breadth of his accomplishments, and what he’s meant to Hip Hop from a musical, cultural and financial standpoint for the last three decades” is what put him at the top of the list.
