Jay Z has always had an odd obsession with the number 4. He was born today on December 4, he owns the 40/40 Club, his wife, Beyoncé, was born on September 4 and they got married on April 4 (4/4 if you didn't catch that). When Jay turned 40, he made sure we all knew that 40 was the new 30 and that his age wouldn't deter his hustle or style. The rap world accepted that.
Today Jay Z turns 44, which has to be a milestone in itself. He's gone vegan, he's become a sports agent, he still raps and according to Forbes he's worth $475 million. To commemorate his 44th birthday, we took a page from his book of lyrics. A decade after Reasonable Doubt's release, he dropped a follow up to "22 Twos" titled "44 Fours." He ended it, as if to make a point about status and longevity, with the declaration, "Motherfucker, I'm nice."
He was. And he is. And we thought it'd be nice, as a way to wish him a happy birthday (what do you get for the guy who's got everything?), to assemble a list of 44 Forty-fours: People The Same Age As Jay Z. Welcome to the 44/44 Club, Hov!
1. Jennifer Lopez, Singer and actress, Out of Sight
2. Marilyn Manson, Rock star
3. Gwen Stefani, Pop star
4. Wes Anderson, Movie director, Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums
5. Bobby Brown, R&B Singer and ex-husband of the late Whitney Houston
6. Brett Favre, Retired NFL quarterback
7. Ken Griffey Jr., Retired MLB outfielder
8. Sanjay Gupta, Neurosurgeon, news correspondent
9. Spike Jonze, Director, Where the Wild Things Are; Being John Malkovich
10. Stacy London, Fashion consultant and co-host of TLC’s What Not To Wear
11. Shawn Kemp, Retired NBA power forward
12. Trey Parker, Co-creator of Comedy Central’s South Park
13. The RZA, Hip-hop producer, founder of Wu-Tang Clan
14. Tiesto, EDM DJ and Producer
15. Edward Norton, Actor, The Fight Club; American History X
16. Mariano Rivera, Retired MLB relief pitcher
17. Jennifer Aniston, Actress, Friends; Office Space; The Good Girl
18. Mariah Carey, Pop and R&B Star
19. Jason Bateman, Actor, Arrested Development; Horrible Bosses
20. Marc Anthony, Salsa singer
21. Zach Galifianakis, Comedian and actor; The Hangover
22. Dave Grohl, Rock star
23. Chaz Bono, Son of Sonny and Cher
24. Dana White, President of UFC
25. Cesar Millan, The Dog Whisperer on National Geographic's The Dog Whisperer
26. Brian “Birdman” Williams, Co-founder of Cash Money Records
27. Paul Rudd, Actor, Clueless; I Love You Man
28. Gerard Butler, Actor, 300; How to Train Your Dragon
29. Joel D. Kaplan, Former White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Public Policy
30. Wood Harris, Actor, The Wire; Paid In Full
31. Sean “Diddy” Combs, Entrepreneur, founder of Bad Boy Records
32. Mo Rocca, Comedian
33. Kim Fields, Actress, Facts of Life
34. Denis McDonough, Current White House Chief of Staff
35. Michael Noer, Executive Editor at Forbes
36. Emmitt Smith, Retired NFL running back
37. Al B. Sure, R&B star
38. Ice Cube, Rapper, actor, movie director
39. Natas Kaupas, Skateboard legend
40. Clinton Kelly, Co-host of TLC’s What Not To Wear
41. Ken Jeong, Actor, Community; The Hangover
42. Rex Lee, Actor, Entourage
43. Triple H, Professional Wrestler
44. William R. Seiger, Former Director of the Office of Global Health Affairs for the U.S. Department of Health
