Jay-Z Decoded

Part songbook, part cultural examination and only part memoir…

From the cycle of hustling on the streets in Marcy NY, to his inescapable preoccupation with words, his disillusionment with record-labels and the relationships that supported his eventual success Jay-Z craftily reveals himself in his first autobiography ‘Decoded.’

Not simply a series of memoirs by far, J’s recollections frequently unfurl onto a larger narrative of American society. ‘The whole sequence felt familiar to me…Telling me to be quiet, not to get into the frame of their pristine picture.’ His window into political and cultural attitudes offers fresh perspective and the ideas he puts across about Hip-Hop as a ‘voice for a people’ are thought-provoking.

This examination of hip-hop in the wider human context gives ‘Decoded’ enough breadth to hold interest even for those not impassioned by rap.

At times there has been much controversy surrounding hip-hop, which Jay goes some way to dispel in the close reading of his songs. Of the lyric ‘I got 99 problems but a bitch ain’t one’ he explains ‘It’s a joke to see who’s really listening...in every verse of the song I use bitch in a different way;’ Never to describe a woman. These lyrical accounts provide good reading for fans of the lyricist. Unfortunately they bulk out the book where you can’t help but feel more explicit life story could have been.

By drawing a parallel with Jean-Michel Basquiat, the late NY graffiti artist and friend of Andy Warhol, J explores the idea of being careful of what you wish for. This notion is fair game, a topic of choice for those who love the rags-to-riches tale of the hustler-come-rapper. It's clear J genuinely admires and relates to Basquiat’s multifarious style but you can’t help feeling some part of him is borrowing credibility as an artist.

His views on artistry vs commerciality are also very interesting.

Overall the writing is characterised by J's trademark humility and humour and the book is punctuated by suitably poignant photography. ‘Decoded’ offers a worthwhile keyhole into a world we may think we know from the media; it is accessible and entertaining and J’s insights candidly capture an impression of a generation. But it is too short and lacks personal depth.

Only an introductory glimpse of Sean Carter.