REVIEW: Decoded By Jay Z

It’s no surprise that a self-penned Jay-Z title has been released. Not one to pass up any opportunity to make money, Decoded is a worthy addition to the plethora of ventures the Brooklyn MC already has to his name.

Like any Jigga project, it’s executed with precision-like accuracy, pulling in the best design elements and some stellar writing (let’s face it, he’s an incredible rhymer - making a book can’t have been that much of a stretch). The only real problem with Decoded is its flow - which is ironic considering Jay possesses one of the greatest we’ve ever seen.

It begins with his childhood in the Marcy Projects and explores his early contact with hip hop culture. One would expect it to progress in somewhat of a chronological fashion - but that doesn’t happen. Instead the book skips randomly to pivotal moments in his life and career, and is interspersed with detailed dissections of his lyrics. This lack of flow doesn’t really matter though, as the content is amazing, with Jay telling it exactly like it is - it’s riveting stuff.

It’s a little self-indulgent and a bit all over the place - but Decoded is a revealing document, giving unprecedented access to the mind of one of the greatest MCs of all time.

By Sir-Vere