Decoded isn't a traditional autobiography. It's mix of stories,
lyrical analysis, and art that makes a case for the cultural importance of hip-hop. As Jay-Z
explains, he had three things he wanted to accomplish with Decoded. He
wanted to
"make the case that hip-hop lyricsnot just
my lyrics, but those of every great MCare poetry if you look at them closely enough. The second
was I wanted the book to tell a little bit of the story of my generation, to show the context
for the choices we made at a violent and chaotic crossroads in recent history. And the third
piece was that I wanted the book to show how hip-hop created a way to take a very specific and
powerful experience and turn it into a story that everyone in the world could feel and relate
to."
Tonally, the book is half bragging and
boasting rapper, and half self-possessed businessman on a mission to save hip-hop and make up
for the mistakes of his past, like drug dealing. Structurally, the book is divided into chapters
based on...
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