“Hip-hop’s renaissance man drops a classic. The scenes he recounts along the way are fascinating.” - Entertainment Weekly “Shawn Carter’s most honest airing of the experiences he drew on to create the mythic figure of Jay-Z. So thoroughly engrossing, it reads like a good piece of cultural journalism.” - The Boston Globe Beginning Monday, reproductions of entire pages of the book will appear. This book wrestles with the biggest themes of JAY-Zs career, including hustling, and it recognizes the way that hes always weaved politics into his music. “A riveting exploration of Jay-Z’s journey. But a new campaign for Decoded, the memoir by the hip-hop performer Jay-Z, promises to be a real head-turner. First, let’s get past the obvious: if you’re a true Jay Z fan (and when I say true fanâ, I mean you own his music. an impressive leap by a man who has never been known for small steps.” - Los Angeles Times “One of a handful of books that just about any hip hop fan should own.” - The New Yorker

Part autobiography, part lavishly illustrated commentary on the author’s own work, Decoded gives the reader a harrowing portrait of the rough worlds Jay-Z navigated in his youth, while at the same time deconstructing his lyrics.” -Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times Decoded is a book like no other: a collection of lyrics and their meanings that together tell the story of a culture, an art form, a moment in history, and one of the most provocative and successful artists of our time. Decoded Decoded is a book like no other: a collection of lyrics and their meanings that together tell the story of a culture, an art form, a moment in.

Decoded jay z book review