Jay-Z recalls shooting brother with gun when he was 12

[HMG Celebrity News] – Despite being widely regarded as the most successful rap star still currently breathing, Jay-Z says life was not always bright – At the age of just 12 he shot his own brother.

Born ‘Shawn Corey Carter’ in Bedford, New York the 40-year old rapper has so far gained ten Grammy awards, eleven #1 albums and a net-worth rumored at over $400-million. He’s even married to Beyoncé.

But the 1981 shooting nearly ended all that.

“I thought my life was over,” he tells Britain’s ‘The Guardian‘ newspaper about the event, which happened after his brother stole a favorite ring. “I thought I’d go to jail forever.”

But his brother didn’t press charges, and even apologized to Jay-Z for stealing the ring, which he’d intended to sell to get money for crack.

“Guns were everywhere,” Jay-Z recalls about his early life in the projects, during which he was shot at three times. “There were shootouts, but I never shot anyone else.”

But this tough upbringing has given Jay-Z a sharp eye for business: He now owns ‘Roc-A-Fella Records,’ the ‘Roc Nation’ music group, a chain of three nightclubs called ’40/40,’ and even a piece of the New Jersey Nets. And when he sold his ‘Rocawear’ clothing line in 2007 he bagged a cool $204m.

Think that’s enough? Jay-Z doesn’t – he also has a show on Broadway called ‘Fela!,’ which won three Tony Awards, and his latest rap tour is grossing over $1-million a night.

Some folks just don’t need to even try…