Jay Z’s Decoded is part autobiography, part ode to hip-hop and all heart. Unlike most autobiographies, which continue chronologically in an almost obsessive attempt to get all the stories in, Jay Z shares the pages of his life with the history of hip-hop, insights into the impoverished world of his youth, and a deep-seated respect for the artform which makes this world liveable. The goal here is not just to tell the story of his life, but to properly contextualise it in the binary worlds of poverty and desperation, followed by unimaginable riches and fame. Jay Z recounts his life in the projects with a system that not only didn’t care about his situation, but preferred to pretend that that sector of society simply did not exist. It was within this neglected environment that hip-hop found relevance and Jay Z discovered his talent at the tender age of 12. However talent means nothing when you’re struggling to get by in life. So rather than fully committing himself to rhyming (and hence allowing the impossible dream of becoming a rapper), at 15 little Shawn Carter hit the streets of Brooklyn to hustle and eke out a living. He continued along this path well into his 20s with significant success. But the love of hip hop and rap kept their hold on him as he allowed himself intermittent forays into that game. When Jay Z finally decided to leave the hustler life for the rap game, he pursues that passion with the same hustler spirit and determination that got him the cars and the bling in his previous life.
Parallel to this captivating story is a careful and thorough dissection of hip-hop; its history, misunderstood public perception, status as a political scape-goat, and most importantly, its effects on all types of audiences. Jay Z successfully imparts a deep, respectful understanding of hip-hop. He unpacks the myriad of (uninformed) criticisms towards it and recasts it in the light that its creators and supporters see. In a discussion on some of the original MCs and hip-hop artists like KRS-One, Poor Righteous Teachers, Queen Latifah and much more, Jay Z outlines the way their music – through its brutally honest, visceral nature – changed some of the negative mentality of the hood. He writes:
The hip-hop generation never gets credit for it, but those songs changed things in the hood. They were political commentary, but they weren’t based on theory or books. They were based on reality, on close observation of the world we grew up in. The songs weren’t moralistic, but they created a stigma around certain kinds of behaviour, just by describing them truthfully and with clarity.
Such powerful defences and explanations were only strengthened by the ‘decoding’ of many of the rappers own songs. Indeed, a unique feature of this autobiography is the intense breakdown of many of Jay Z’s songs (both the popular and obscure ones); the poetic techniques that went into them, the stories behind them, and the messages they impart onto the world. Thrown in with the biography and intense discussions of hip hop is an overall contextualisation of the political and cultural reality of American society. Jay Z is unabashed and candid about the political and cultural roots of much of the social neglect that is imposed on underprivileged groups in America. And he is not shy to point the finger at the specific individuals who either encouraged the deterioration of his world, or simply turned a blind eye, pointing to governmental policies that were “genocidally hostile” by aiding or tolerating the unleashing of guns and drugs onto poor communities while simultaneously cutting back on schools, housing and assistance programs.
What Jay Z has effectively done is paint a holistic picture of the nature of America in his lifetime, placing hip-hop at the climax of this story. But rather than glorifying or hyping it up with colourful hyperbole, Jay Z simply re-establishes hip-hop’s rightful place in music, society and politics. It’s a noble endeavour which he achieves with integrity and honesty, delving into every crevice and niche of hip-hop, not only unearthing its gems but also exposing its many flaws. The book is underscored by an exceptional writing ability – which is unsurprising given the complexity and technical sophistication of his raps – passion and conviction which are contagious and heartfelt. One walks away with a profound respect for the hip-hop form materially and for its ability (when done correctly) to incite social change and revolution. Above all, I walked away with a deep admiration of Jay Z; his compelling story, uncompromised social consciousness, and amazing ability to manipulate language and storytelling. [Image from: http://thatsenuff.com]
