Justin here. After waiting two weeks and having Barnes & Noble put it on hold for me, I finally got my copy of one of the most anticipated books of 2010, Jay Z's Decoded. Oprah put this book on her list of favorite things for her final season and I blame her for making me wait so long.
The book is several things in one. Each chapter is laid out with stories of what it was like to be Shawn Carter growing up in the Marcy Projects in Brooklyn, what it was like to be fledgling rapper named Jay Z, and what it was like to be the success he is today. It is followed by a selection of his songs that he feels best fit the message of that chapter. The lyrics are laid out on the left hand side and the right hand side will decode the meanings behind some of his most famous rhymes. It is chock full of color photographs hand chosen by Shawn Carter himself.
More after the jump.
Jay is from a world that blessedly I never had to come from, but that does not mean that as a kid growing up in a small suburban city with little crime that I can't appreciate his growth and subsequent success. Even a person worth over $450 million has to make his start somewhere, like in the following video where's just a back up MC with a couple of lines:
It's inspiring that a person can go from that, to investing in restaurants with Bono like The Spotted Pig, to make songs like this:
If you're just looking for mentions of Beyonce you should know they are few and far between. If you want to see a portrait of a young man leaving behind a life of crime in order to become one of the most successful musicians in the country this is the book for you. In Decoded, Jay Z really makes the case for hip hop as art. It is, and always has been, poetry set to music. Poetry that tells the story of a place and a time. He makes it clear that just because he is rapping he isn't always the narrator of his own raps. The narrator is often supposed to be just a young kid trying to make it on the streets of Brooklyn.
Jay Z is different than most rappers, he first blew up on my radar in 10th grade with the trailer for the movie Rush Hour. The trailer had Chris Tucker telling Jackie Chan to not mess with his car stereo, and Chris Tucker flipped it back to "Can I Get A..." launching that song into the top 40 and playing everywhere. Seven years later I had a copy of his live DVD Fade to Black which was supposed to be his "final" concert. I'm glad that he came out of retirement and started making music again. He is the true definition of entrepreneur diversifying his investments beyond music, into clothes, sports, food, and whatever else suits his fancy. A kid anywhere could learn a lot from him.
Jay Z is definitely not for everyone, and this book is definitely not for everyone. But it is a window into the world of hip hop and a glimpse into the mind of one of the best lyricists of the 21st century. Mallory often asks me why I like him so much and why he's my "hero." I like him because he took a talent, and diligently rehearsed and honed it, and through that discipline made his way onto the Forbes 400. He's rap's Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerberg. He has headed up his own business empire and become one of the richest people in entertainment through poetry. Poetry about what it was like to be a poor child growing up inside concrete walls without much hope of a way out. I plan to have more to say about this book in the coming days. In the meantime do yourself a favor and get yourself a copy.
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