One World Decoded

I originally bought this for my partner, then had to get myself one after I read one or two pages while wrapping it up.You have to look at this book with an elite mindset and when you do, you will be able to read between the lines and learn everything there is to know about having a mindset like the GOAT.No it is not told in bullet points, it is told through stories and Lyrics - you may not see straight away what it is that you want to see - but if you know what you're looking for, its a gem!

In this book we follow the author as he talks about his life growing up, the musical influences he had and the effect of having a troubled past. We learn about how Jay-Z experienced his first steps as a musician and the power of rhymes and rhyming.There is also a focus on the business side of the music business. From starting his own label, to releasing his own music and finding new talent. Here we learn that he had to cover many fronts at a time to keep everything in check. As the man himself put it: "I'm not a businessman, I'm a business, man"All this is accompanied by Jay-Z's lyrics and his explantation for them. If you ever wondered what a certain rhyme of wordplay meant, this book is for you. The book contains many beautiful photo's and anecdotes about his past and the people he collaborated with.

If you're a Shawn Carter fan, you perhaps *might* enjoy this book. Personally as I fan; I found no interesting untold anecdotes or insight which made this an essential purchase. Actually, overall, the premise of the book promised a lot but I didn't feel there was a lot of around the decoding of Jay-Z's lyrics to warrant a whole book - nothing that you couldn't find online if you really wanted to. A decent read but not particularly essential.

The book was truly excellent; while it seemed like an autobiography, it wasn't. The book offers small stories that occured during Jay-Z's lifetime and how this is reflected onto lyrical content of his songs. It has been thoroughly interesting because he truly 'decodes' his lyrics and revealing the into depth meaning.I am a Jay-Z fan, but after reading this, it has left me wanting to know more about him. I love how open and honest this book is and would recommend it to anyone, especially to those who have the perception of dismissing rap altogether.I definitely will be reading it over again, just to ensure I have most of his songs on my iPod in which I can follow the lyrics through!

I got this as a Christmas present for a Jay-Z fan and the hardcover back makes it an ideal keepsake gift.