Jay-Z Drops His First Book 'Decoded' On November 16th

Is there any doubt that Jay-Z is the most intelligent man in the music industry? Ok maybe that's debatable but to listen to this man talk is to truly understand this is a person who knows exactly what he is saying at all times especially when it comes to Hip-Hop. Recently Jay announced that he will be releasing his first foray into the publishing industry with the book 'Decoded' which was co-written by Dream Hampton (ridiculous name). It's not an autobiography by any means but it is a look back at his life and Hip-Hop through the evolution of his lyrics. Interesting. In a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, Jay-Z talks about the book and where his mind is right now. Below I have pulled a few quotes from it for you to check out...

In regards to lyrics:
"I believe that it's necessary. Especially for rap music, where the words are fast and for the most part there's not a consistent melody that people can sing along to. So a lot gets lost in translation. Because rap music is poetry, I thought it was important to describe it as such… Some [lyrics] become really profound when you see them in writing. Not "Big Pimpin." That's the exception. It was like, I can't believe I said that… What kind of animal would say this sort of thing?"
In talking about the Hip-Hop culture:
"For us, this is the music that saved a generation. So there's a big responsibility for those who it saved to make sure that thing is intact for the next generation… When you're under attack so much as a genre [as hip-hop is], you're forced to come together. But probably the last time we really came together on something was working for Obama, lending our voice and the people we had toward that campaign. Whether he does a great job or not is almost secondary to what it did for the dreams and the hopes of an entire race. Just based on that alone, it's a success, the biggest we've had. Period. To date. It's Martin Luther King's dream realized. Tangible. In the flesh. You can shake his hand."
 
What he would like to see come from Hip-Hop:
"We have to find our way back to true emotion. This is going to sound so sappy, but love is the only thing that stands the test of time. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill was all about love. Andre 3000, The Love Below. Even NWA, at its core, that was about love for a neighborhood. We're chasing a lot of sounds now, but I'm not hearing anyone's real voice. The emotion of where you are in your life. The mortgage scandal. People losing their jobs. I want to hear about that."


Fairly profound I'd say. If you would like to read the whole article, click the link below.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304023804575566644176961542.html