Jayz Fans of the Rapper Will Most

JayZ

Fans of the rapper will most appreciate Jay-Z's autobiography Decoded. The book presents life from Jay-Z's point-of-view, and also outlines some select details of Jay-Z's transition from black market dealer to having a net worth of $450 million (Greenburg, 2010). In addition to being about Jay-Z's life, the book also offers some insight into the sociology of the black market. Anyone interested in the intersections between race and poverty will appreciate Jay-Z's perspective, because he delves into the political underpinnings of why communities like Marcy developed the way they did, and why young people are socialized into their alternative ghettoized communities. Jay-Z is not trying to proselytize, and thankfully the book is devoid of any kind of pedantic ranting. However, the author does a good job exposing the dark side of American life with the unstated goal of showing readers how they can rise above the circumstances of their youth and gain empowerment. Of course, it took crisis for Jay-Z to realize there were other means of making money than drugs and weapons trafficking. This is the way it happens for many Americans: being faced with crisis and the fear of death, some have complete transformations of soul. Therefore, Jay-Z's autobiography Decoded will appeal to readers who are interested in rap, sociology, and popular culture.

On the other hand, not all readers will be interested to hear what Jay-Z has to say, or what Decoded is about. The book will not appeal to people who are not at all interested in the broad issues that Jay-Z discusses: such as the politics of race, the psychology of poverty, and the sociology of subversion. Readers who are automatically averse to rappers, rap culture, and rap music might be biased and therefore not appreciate the book. Readers who dislike anything that large personalities like Jay-Z have to say will dismiss the author out of hand. Jay-Z is a confident writer. He has a large personality and a lot to say. He also has a brand identity to maintain, and is probably well trained to manage his "brand" and identity via his autobiography. Even readers who are unfamiliar with his music will appreciate the book if they are open minded, but some readers might be prejudiced against him and therefore unwilling to listen.

One of the most interesting aspects of Jay-Z's life is his transition from ghetto street kid to multi-million dollar empire. His is not the only story of hip-hop success, but Jay-Z is a central figure in the transformation of rap from something that is uniquely African-American to something that is simply American. Many of Jay-Z's fans are white, and because of the cross-over appeal of rap music, artists are able to reach wider audiences than they did in the 1980s when hip hop culture first began to manifest. Furthermore, sociologists and anthropologists will appreciate the unique insight Jay-Z offers into one particular segment of society: such as the projects in Brooklyn and the subculture of drug dealers. To dismiss black market enterprise out of hand because it is criminal activity would miss the point. The fact is, many American youth (black, white, and other) find themselves in a position where black market enterprise is one available option to them. Because of the significant barriers to upward social mobility, black market activity might seem like a viable means to make money. Jay-Z bought into the idea that making money was the end-all, be-all goal of life, but when he almost died, the artist understood the need to come to greater terms with himself and the types of creative pursuits that he could master. Already a rapper, Jay-Z channeled his energy into recording, and the fruits of his labor paid off. Lyrics from his songs pepper the book, which is why his fans will be the most appreciative readers. Fans of rap who are less familiar with Jay-Z in particular will also be enlightened about this formidable artist and the message he sends to the world.