Following in the steps of Puff Daddy, Snoop Dogg and Prince, Jay Z has become the latest musician to change his name. While the New York rapper is known to have stylized his name as Jay Z for some time — before his collaboration with Kanye West in Watch The Throne — his label has finally confirmed what many already knew: the hyphen is no more. News of the change comes from Billboard editor Joe Levy, who verified it with Jay Z’s representatives.
Jay-Z is now Jay Z
Depending on where you look, Jay Z’s new moniker has already been publicized. Listings on Apple’s iTunes Store display Jay Z without the hyphen (although the album covers retain it), as does promotional material for his latest album Magna Carta Holy Grail. There’s no word yet on whether Jay Z will posthumously censor all the times he’s mentioned the hyphen in his name in past records.
Breaking: Jay Z has dropped the hyphen from his name, according to his label. I am not kidding. (Wish I was.) Copy editors: take note.
— Joe Levy (@RealJoeLevy) July 18, 2013
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