Adnis Reeves

Adnes (Adnis) Reeves was the father of American hip-hop artist and businessperson, Jay Z. Jay Z’s grandfather, also Adnes, was a pastor, consequently, Jay Z’s father was known as Abnes Junior, or AJ.

Reeves was married to Gloria Carter - they had four children: two daughters, Michelle and Andrea, and two sons, Eric and Shawn (Jay Z.) Jay Z was youngest. 

Reeves abandoned Jay Z and his family when Jay Z was 11. Following which, Jay Z and his siblings were brought up by their mother.

Jay Z had cut his father out of his life. Later in his life, in 2003, Reeves expressed his desire to meet Jay Z. Jay Z’s mother pushed him to meet his father because she believed his father is old and she didn’t want him to die with their issues still unresolved. The father and the son met and reconciled and Jay Z forgave him. Reeves died of liver failure just three months later, on June 19, 2003. Jay Z dedicated his 2010 autobiography, Decoded, to his father and mother.  In the autobiography, he says of his father:

When we first moved to Marcy my father set up a little basketball hoop in our apartment — and we would all sweat it out right there in the living room like it was Madison Square Garden.

In his 2000 album, "The Dynasty: Roc La Familia," Jay Z included a reference to his father in the song “Streets Is Talking” - But I ain't mad at you dad, holla at your lad.

His 2017 album "4:44" contains a song "Adnis," which Jay Z calls an open letter to his father.

On the 2002 Father’s Day, Beyonce gave Jay Z a Bombardier Challenger 850 jet as a gift