The first thing we notice is the AMAZING artwork. You can't tell as much from the cell phone pic, but it's an aerial picture of a park-like setting with people going to and fro. On the pavement in HUGE black letters it reads: "Part I: One Eye Open" (Yes, that's "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows" peaking out from underneath. We're working on that one too) ...
Flipping through we noticed a lot of familiar moments. When we saw this pic of Kobe and Shaq, we knew we'd found home. "Thanks, Jay!"
(Sighhhh) If only he'd signed it...
And, to the critic who wrote a piece in an attempt to defame Decoded: Pick it up and read through it and then ask again if we need it. Your critique about the concept alone doesn't hold water. First of all, Hip Hop didn't follow any rules, so why would Jay-Z? You say poets like Wordsworth and Coleridge didn't need a book to break down their metaphors and rhyme schemes to earn legitimacy. See there's your disconnect, right there. Jay's a Black man who's always had to prove everything. Wordsworth and Coleridge didn't earn their greatness until post-mortem. We're in a much different age now. One that affords most instant gratification. What's wrong with Jay being great, knowing it, and sharing his truths with his fans via a hardcover coffee table book all in the same era?
Nothing. It's perfectly befitting of the culture, the times, and Jay's genius. If you can't feel the content, it's not meant for you. Keep it movin', Jack. Leave the art of Hip Hop to those of us who live and breathe it; those of us whom it helped raise; those of us who love it; those of us genuinely capable of critiquing it. #nowgoruntellthat Jay had a book signing at a NY Barnes and Nobles today. Pop the Trunk for more proof that his art means something to the connoisseurs of the culture (and the press!) ...
Jay Z was pic'd at a NY Barnes and Nobles during a book signing today. Word is, Decoded is completely sold out the day after its release...
And, another thing, critic at The Guardian: Jay published this work because he feels worthy of doing so. The numbers tell him that. The fans tell him that. What's wrong with that? It's just yet another component to his multi-layered legacy. Get off him.Here it is, in Jay's own words: Pg. 204 "Artists of all kinds have a platform and, if they're any good, have a clearer vision of what's going on around them." Also, "Artists can have a greater access to reality; they can see patterns and details and connections that other people, distracted by the blur of life, might miss. Just sharing that truth can be a powerful thing."
There's your answer about why write a book around his rhyhmes. Because he can.
Someone like Jay Z has to speak for Hip Hop 'cause it won't stop....
Jay-Z Pic Source
Ohkayy Ohkayy , Ill Admit . I Actually Want To Read His Book Now ..
ReplyDelete-Kyla
Well said!
ReplyDelete