DecodedDecoded 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. Praise for Decoded “Compelling . . . provocative, evocative . . . 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 “One of a handful of books that just about any hip hop fan should own.”—The New Yorker “Elegantly designed, incisively written . . . an impressive leap by a man who has never been known for small steps.”—Los Angeles Times “A riveting exploration of Jay-Z’s journey . . . So thoroughly engrossing, it reads like a good piece of cultural journalism.”—The Boston Globe “Shawn Carter’s most honest airing of the experiences he drew on to create the mythic figure of Jay-Z . . . The scenes he recounts along the way are fascinating.”—Entertainment Weekly “Hip-hop’s renaissance man drops a classic. . . . Heartfelt, passionate and slick.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review) |
Contents
| 5 | |
| 20 | |
Honor Among Predators | 39 |
Negative Space | 52 |
I WILL NOT LOSE | 71 |
Portrait of the Artist as a Young Star | 91 |
Balling and Falling | 109 |
Streets Is Watching In My Lifetime Vol 1 | 122 |
White America | 175 |
Ears Wide Open | 189 |
The Lift the Curse | 210 |
My President Is Black unreleased | 230 |
COME AND GET ME | 237 |
The Voice in Your Head Is Right | 259 |
Instant Karma | 275 |
Our Life | 293 |
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Common terms and phrases
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