Jay-Z released his book, Decoded in 2010. The emcee created a compilation of memoir and deconstructed lyrics that genuinely encompass hip-hop. He writes the book inexplicitly as a defense of hip-hop to the older generation that has always hated on the music. In other words, the civil rights generation, essentially our parents, typically disregard hip-hop as an inferior art form because it is rooted in sampling their generation’s music. This new art form was a completely new sound, for a completely new generation.
The book discusses many of Jay-Z’s most infamous tracks in great detail. The book explains each verse in an organized manor that challenges the reader to think more deeply about each song. The epilogue sums up the theme of the book. Jay-Z explains his relationship with Oprah, a strong, vocal skeptic of hip-hop. His reflection of their friendship serves as a vehicle for defending the music to all the older skeptics, and ultimately summing up the entire message of the book. Jay-Z declares that hip-hop’s deeper messages get undermined if the listener fails to fully explore the lyrics. He juxtaposes his usage of the n-word with Maya Angelou, the poet and Toni Morrison, the novelist who both us the dreaded n-word. Oprah has always been an advocate of these writers, yet disregards hip-hop for incorporating the same type of language as the poet and novelist. The difference is, the hip-hop narrative is backed with sweet beats that sound unfamiliar to Oprah. Jay-Z is successful in defending his defense because of the stories he tells, and the lyrics he explains.
For anyone who loves hip-hop, this is a necessary read. For anyone that is a skeptic of hip-hop, this is also a necessary read. And for anyone who adores music, I suggest this book to you too.
