Despite Jay-Z’s willingness to bare his emotions in song, we know precious little about the man himself, Shawn Carter. The general arc of his life’s narrative is clear: A child of Brooklyn’s Marcy projects transforms himself from aspiring rapper to drug hustler to global superstar to corporate mogul. He is the self-made man of American myth, remixed with a kick drum and a snare. Under the guise of his invented name, Jay-Z has become less person than persona. As he once rapped with characteristic concision: “I’m not a businessman, I’m a business, man.” Though he’s released a staggering 11 albums in 14 years, the man behind the business still remains a mystery — often seen, but rarely heard.
That is what makes “Decoded” such an unexpected and welcome gift. At over 300 pages, it is a multimedia, multi-genre extravaganza: part memoir, part coffee-table book, part annotated compendium of lyrics, part polemic in the defense of hip hop’s poesy. Jay-Z (with the aid of the respected hip-hop journalist dream hampton) intersperses personal anecdotes, rhetorical broadsides, and deep reflections with rich images and typography. From Andy Warhol’s striking “Rorschach” on the book’s front cover to the interior art, which ranges from Michelangelo’s “Pieta” to a vintage Little Orphan Annie button, the book is a visual feast.
What
the book isn’t — and what many hip-hop fans have long anticipated — is a
tell-all memoir. Though rich in anecdotes, the narrative is organized
thematically rather than chronologically, underscoring the continuities
across Jay-Z’s career. The themes range from poverty to fame, from
sports to politics. At times, these subject-driven sections leave one
dissatisfied with the level of revelation and reflection, such as in his
cursory treatment of race relations. Combined, though, they provide a
penetrating glimpse into the mind of one of the greatest American
artist-celebrities.As a collection of lyrics alone, “Decoded” is
an essential contribution. It joins a growing body of works, such as
Paul Edwards’s “How to Rap: The Art and Science of the Hip-Hop MC” and Yale University Press’s “The Anthology of Rap”
(which I co-edited with Andrew DuBois), that place the rap lyric in its
proper context within the American popular songbook and the broader
tradition of poetry through the ages.
