Jay-Z is 43 today. What's he got to celebrate from the past 12 months?
Jay-Z with his new-born daughter Ivy Blue Carter in January this year
Apart from...
- Having a baby girl with his superstar wife Beyonce
- Enrolling her in the record books as the youngest ever artist on the Billboard Chart after he added her two-day-old vocals to the track 'Glory'
- Gaining new fans with his performance at the closing ceremony of the London Paralympics alongside Rihanna and Coldplay
- Helping his pal Barack Obama make his way back into the White House
- Generally adding to his reported500 million fortune as rapper, fashion behemoth and all-round culture mogul
Hmmm, it's enough to make your average musical superstar feel inadequate. Happy 43rd, Mr -Z, may your 44th year bring you equal plenitudes. And to mark the day, here are ten of your best..