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 Bodies found at lifetime felon's former home. Gene Simmons says Congress has to fix the radio business model. The Amazon-USPS partnership could soon be coming to a close. Trump sees inspiration in Aussie retirement funds. Report an error