Jayz-us: rapper Jay Z sends note to press to remove hyphen from his name

Jay Z has dropped the hyphen from his name.

The '99 Problems' rapper's label, Roc Nation, has send a missive to various publications warning them the rapper is removing the hyphen between the Jay and the Z of his stage name, in keeping with the artwork on his new album 'Magna Carta ... Holy Grail'.

Joe Levy, editor of Billboard magazine, tweeted: "Breaking: Jay Z has dropped the hyphen from his name, according to his label. I am not kidding. (Wish I was.) Copy editors: take note."

Levy's followers pointed out the 'Picasso Baby' hitmaker - real name Shawn Carter - tried to alter his moniker a few years ago, although his 'Blueprint 3' album in 2009 still carried the name Jay-Z.

Jay, who goes by the nicknames Jigga, Jay-Hova, or simply Hova, is not the only rapper to change his name recently. Snoop Dogg reinvented himself as a reggae star last year and adopted the name Snoop Lion, for his 'Reincarnated' album.

Speaking about his name change, he said: "To me, the Lion is the growth of Snoop Dogg -- me growing into the next phase of my musical career, the next phase of my life."