Celebrity | Jay-Z Jay Z Is Now JAY-Z Rapper changes his name again By Evann Gastaldo Posted Jun 19, 2017 5:35 PM CDT Copied In this Nov. 4, 2016, file photo, Jay Z performs during a campaign rally for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File) Jay Z, who used to go by Jay-Z, has changed his name again, Entertainment Weekly has confirmed. The rapper, whose real name is Shawn Carter, will now go by JAY-Z. The move comes ahead of the release of his first new album in four years, 4:44. JAY-Z also, of course, has bigger things going on in his life at the moment. Read These Next President asks nation's top generals to loosen up. Federal judge rips into Trump himself in deportation ruling. US deports more than 100 Iranians. Jon Stewart slams the media over new trend after mass shootings. Report an error