Jay Z currently operates independently through his own record label, Roc Nation, which he founded in 2008. However, his journey through record labels has been quite dynamic over his decades-long career.

Initially, Jay Z was signed to Priority Records and Payday Records in the mid-1990s. After struggling to secure a major record deal, he co-founded Roc-A-Fella Records in 1995 with Damon Dash and Kareem "Biggs" Burke. This label operated under a distribution deal with Priority Records, and later Def Jam Recordings.

In 2004, Jay Z became president and CEO of Def Jam Recordings while maintaining his recording contract with the label. He released several albums under Def Jam, including "Kingdom Come" and "American Gangster," before departing from the company in 2007.

Since founding Roc Nation in 2008, Jay Z has maintained his independence as an artist while building a powerful entertainment company. Roc Nation operates as a full-service entertainment agency, record label, and production company, with a partnership with Live Nation for touring and live performances.

It's worth noting that Jay Z's music is distributed through various platforms and partnerships, but he maintains ownership and control through Roc Nation. This independence has been a crucial part of his business strategy and artistic freedom in recent years.

The most recent releases from Jay Z, including his collaboration album with Beyoncé ("Everything Is Love") and his features on other artists' work, have been released through Roc Nation's infrastructure, confirming his continued independence in the music industry.

To summarize: Jay Z is not signed to any external record label. He operates through his own company, Roc Nation, which he founded and owns, giving him complete control over his music and business ventures.

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