In this book, the multi-platinum selling recording artist gives unparalleled insight into his background, influences and the artistic process that shape his work.
Each chapter features a highly personal narrative section followed by a visually captivating selection of his most famous and provocative lyrics underlining the chapter’s themes, along with Jay-Z’s own ‘decoding’ of each lyric, uncovering the wordplay and stories behind the song.
With the cover featuring an image of Andy Warhol’s Rorschach this beautifully designed, fully-illustrated book tells the story of a culture, an art form, a moment in history, and one of the most provocative and successful artists of all time.
Speaking on Decoded, Jay Z says: “When I first started working on this book, I told my editor that I wanted it to do three important things. The first was to make the case that hip-hop lyrics—not just my lyrics, but those of every great MC—are 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.”
To get your hands on a copy of Decoded, simply answer the following question:
What is the correct title of Jay Z’s duet with Alicia Keys?
a) Empire State of America
b) Empire State of Music
c) Empire State of Mind
Email your answer along with your name and mobile number to comps@flavourmag.co.uk . Good luck!