JAY-Z Makes History as the First Black Man to Reach Multi-Platinum Milestone

JAY-Z has a new reason to celebrate.

According to VIBE, the rap icon made history by becoming the first Black male recording artist to earn at least 10 double-platinum solo studio albums.

The news comes after the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) updated its certifications last week, which pushed Jay's 2009 album The Blueprint 3 to double-platinum status earning 2 million album-equivalent sales, and made his 2003 record The Black Album reach quadruple-platinum status, increasing the Brooklyn rapper's album sales to over 33.5 million . 

While the Brooklyn hip-hop legend is the first Black man to accomplish this feat, he is only the second Black artist to do it. Mariah Carey, who is the most commercially successful Black female solo artist of all time and has over 11 albums that have sold more than 2 million copies domestically, was the first Black person overall to reach double-digit multi-platinum album status in their career.

The Black female artists who have come closest to that achievement are Beyoncé and Whitney Houston, who have six and seven multi-platinum albums, respectively.

Beyond the 10 multi-platinum solo records on his resume, JAY-Z's two collaborative albums — 2004’s Collision Course with Linkin Park and 2011’s Watch the Throne with Kanye West — have sold at least two million copies.

Last week, the Brooklyn Public Library unveiled the Book of HOV exhibition — showcasing the hip-hop icon's archived and never-before-seen items and masters from throughout his career.

In a press release, the exhibit was described as "a tribute to Carter’s global impact as a musician, entrepreneur, philanthropist and disruptor."

"It was also constructed as a surprise to Carter and as a celebration for both his hometown of Brooklyn and the broader hip-hop community across the world," the statement continued.

According to the release, "the immersive experience will include iconic artifacts, awards, rare photos, legendary magazine covers and more that span 27 years since Carter released his illustrious debut album, Reasonable Doubt, in 1996. The goal of the entire display is to showcase an enlightening and educational look into Carter’s ascension from the Marcy Projects in Brooklyn, N.Y. to an international phenomenon."

In addition to his music career, the exhibit will highlight his businesses, including his work as co-owner of the Brooklyn Nets, turning TIDAL into a successful streaming platform, and building Armand de Brignac champagne and D’USSE Cognac into multi-billion-dollar premium brands.

The library has not yet revealed when the free exhibition will close, but the press release noted that it would be open to the public for only a "limited time."