I think it's the initials for his real name, Jason Zoom.

[Edited on December 12, 2017 at 8:40 AM. Reason : .]

12/12/2017 8:39:48 AM

Known as "Jazzy" around the neighborhood, Carter later adopted the showbiz/stage name "Jay-Z" in homage to his mentor Jaz-O. He would drop the hyphen in 2013, and add it back in 2017.

12/12/2017 10:33:44 AM

He thinks he's Jezus

12/12/2017 11:42:55 AM

The part of Brooklyn he's from, where the J and Z subway lines run together.

12/12/2017 12:02:21 PM

it's the trains he had to take to get into manhattan

12/12/2017 12:04:40 PM

JZ... JIZZ

12/12/2017 1:25:43 PM

He stands for cheating on his wife and writing albums about how much he regrets it.

12/12/2017 2:29:47 PM

^win

12/12/2017 6:24:53 PM

who's his wife?

12/12/2017 7:32:41 PM

I don't think yall are right. He's not named after a train like a thomas the tank engine mofucker lol.

12/12/2017 7:33:58 PM

twatsnt my answer

12/12/2017 7:35:00 PM

Quote :

"The part of Brooklyn he's from, where the J and Z subway lines run together."

Is this real? If so, TIL.

12/13/2017 12:11:36 PM

I can't say with 100% certainty if that's the basis of his name. But he 100% did live in the part of Brooklyn serviced by the JZ subway lines.

12/13/2017 1:07:18 PM

Quote :

"who's his wife?"

wat? o_O

12/13/2017 3:42:24 PM

Lil Kim

12/13/2017 3:47:45 PM

The 90s punk band J Church was named after the J Church Line bus in San Fran.

12/13/2017 4:01:42 PM

Please don't call it "San Fran"

It...sickens me

12/13/2017 4:15:56 PM

Does it offend you? I don't care, you're a jerk. I just typed the shorter version so i didn't misspell it.

12/13/2017 4:23:29 PM

Nah, not really. I just wanted to drop a Simpsons reference AND be pedantic at the same time in a chit chat thread about Jay Z

12/13/2017 4:29:19 PM

The J. Geils Band was named after lead guitarist John "J." Geils.

12/13/2017 5:15:08 PM

according to wikipedia:

Quote :

"Known as "Jazzy" around the neighborhood, Carter later adopted the showbiz/stage name "Jay-Z" in homage to his mentor Jaz-O"

12/13/2017 6:55:20 PM

Ja HOVA

Quote :

""H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A" use the -izzle language code to spell out HOVA, which refers to a pseudonym given to himself ("Jayhova") for his self-proclaimed status as the god of MCs, a reference to Jehovah."

[Edited on December 13, 2017 at 7:10 PM. Reason : thats where the JAY comes from]

12/13/2017 7:08:18 PM

You should not tell lies about his real name. It is Jason Zoom, shortened from Zoomerango.

12/14/2017 5:26:22 PM