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Jay-Z - Decoded

ScottScott 420 Posts
edited November 2010 in Strut Central


Anyone check this book out yet? The Amazon review is pretty positive, but that writer's "real rapp" credentials are not known, so I'm not sure whether to believe it.
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  • Jonny_PaycheckJonny_Paycheck 17,825 Posts
    I watched the NYPL thing earlier today, which was very cool.

    I'll probably stick it on a christmas list.
  • faux_rillzfaux_rillz 14,343 Posts
    The fact that Jay-Z is now mostly concerned with the perceptions of people who don't listen to rap gives me pause. Also the fact that dream hampton is involved. I may browse it at Barnes & Noble on my way home from work.
  • faux_rillzfaux_rillz 14,343 Posts
    Amusing write-up of last night's NYPL appearance:

    http://blogs.villagevoice.com/music/2010/11/live_jay-z_talk.php

    Jay-Z, talking about what kind music he listens to: "Everything from Thom Yorke to Ol' Dirty Bastard."
    Holdengr??ber, staring blankly at Jay-Z: "You will lose me at times."
    [Minutes pass]
    Holdengr??ber, on his own, very different background:     "I grew up listening to various versions of The Magic Flute."
    Jay-Z, staring blankly at Paul Holdengr??ber: "You will lose me at times."
  • Jonny_PaycheckJonny_Paycheck 17,825 Posts
    faux_rillz said:
    The fact that Jay-Z is now mostly concerned with the perceptions of people who don't listen to rap gives me pause.

    I'd much rather have Jay-Z acting as the cultural steward/ambassador compared to most of the people writing words on paper about rap music with the intent of legitimizing it to my parents' generation.
  • faux_rillzfaux_rillz 14,343 Posts
    Jonny_Paycheck said:
    faux_rillz said:
    The fact that Jay-Z is now mostly concerned with the perceptions of people who don't listen to rap gives me pause.

    I'd much rather have Jay-Z acting as the cultural steward/ambassador compared to most of the people writing words on paper about rap music with the intent of legitimizing it to my parents' generation.

    Not saying he shouldn't do it; just not sure how much a person who is into rap and really knows his music is going to get from it. The table of contents suggests that it relies heavily upon his post-"retirement" work, which provides some indication as to who the intended audience is.
  • faux_rillzfaux_rillz 14,343 Posts
    Jonny_Paycheck said:
    faux_rillz said:
    The fact that Jay-Z is now mostly concerned with the perceptions of people who don't listen to rap gives me pause.

    I'd much rather have Jay-Z acting as the cultural steward/ambassador compared to most of the people writing words on paper about rap music with the intent of legitimizing it to my parents' generation.

    ^^^CONFESSES TO BEING UNABLE TO FALL ASLEEP WITHOUT HIS MUCH DOG-EARED COPY OF BORN TO USE MICS: READING NAS'S ILLMATIC TUCKED UNDER HIS PILLOW

  • Jonny_PaycheckJonny_Paycheck 17,825 Posts
    faux_rillz said:
    Jonny_Paycheck said:
    faux_rillz said:
    The fact that Jay-Z is now mostly concerned with the perceptions of people who don't listen to rap gives me pause.

    I'd much rather have Jay-Z acting as the cultural steward/ambassador compared to most of the people writing words on paper about rap music with the intent of legitimizing it to my parents' generation.

    ^^^CONFESSES TO BEING UNABLE TO FALL ASLEEP WITHOUT HIS MUCH DOG-EARED COPY OF BORN TO USE MICS: READING NAS'S ILLMATIC TUCKED UNDER HIS PILLOW


    What can I say? Its scent of Blue Nile mixed with Sandalwood puts me in a special place.
  • DocMcCoyDocMcCoy "Go and laugh in your own country!" 5,917 Posts
    Jonny_Paycheck said:
    faux_rillz said:
    The fact that Jay-Z is now mostly concerned with the perceptions of people who don't listen to rap gives me pause.

    I'd much rather have Jay-Z acting as the cultural steward/ambassador compared to most of the people writing words on paper about rap music with the intent of legitimizing it to my parents' generation.

    You're not the only one. I get the feeling he's being volunteered for the job, rather than actually volunteering for it himself, though.

    And faux, to all intents and purposes, he is the face of rap to most of those people. Last time I saw Jay in London, half the audience looked like stockbrokers and futures analysts. That said, I doubt too many of them will be at that Keith Murray show in Brixton next week.
  • Jonny_PaycheckJonny_Paycheck 17,825 Posts
    I definitely think he's been pushed by some of the older society folks he's been hanging with. People who all summarily dismissed rap music until a rapper became rich enough to hobnob with them... not that I think the net result is a bad one.
  • faux_rillzfaux_rillz 14,343 Posts
    DocMcCoy said:
    Jonny_Paycheck said:
    faux_rillz said:
    The fact that Jay-Z is now mostly concerned with the perceptions of people who don't listen to rap gives me pause.

    I'd much rather have Jay-Z acting as the cultural steward/ambassador compared to most of the people writing words on paper about rap music with the intent of legitimizing it to my parents' generation.

    You're not the only one. I get the feeling he's being volunteered for the job, rather than actually volunteering for it himself, though.

    And faux, to all intents and purposes, he is the face of rap to most of those people. Last time I saw Jay in London, half the audience looked like stockbrokers and futures analysts. That said, I doubt too many of them will be at that Keith Murray show in Brixton next week.

    Again: if he's no longer capable of making interesting music, I suppose being a cultural ambassador is as good a use of his time as any (although I don't think that it's something rap particularly needs). But I doubt that most people who actually do listen to rap have much to gain from his ambassadorial works.
  • faux_rillzfaux_rillz 14,343 Posts
    DocMcCoy said:
    Jonny_Paycheck said:
    faux_rillz said:
    The fact that Jay-Z is now mostly concerned with the perceptions of people who don't listen to rap gives me pause.

    I'd much rather have Jay-Z acting as the cultural steward/ambassador compared to most of the people writing words on paper about rap music with the intent of legitimizing it to my parents' generation.

    You're not the only one. I get the feeling he's being volunteered for the job, rather than actually volunteering for it himself, though.

    I actually think that I do disagree with this point, though--not much in that guy's life happens by accident. He's obviously brilliant, fully capable of willing his desires into existence, and not easily distracted by other people's agendas.
  • Garcia_VegaGarcia_Vega 2,428 Posts
    Jay-Z is 2010's Fab 5 Freddie?
  • Jonny_PaycheckJonny_Paycheck 17,825 Posts
    faux_rillz said:
    DocMcCoy said:
    Jonny_Paycheck said:
    faux_rillz said:
    The fact that Jay-Z is now mostly concerned with the perceptions of people who don't listen to rap gives me pause.

    I'd much rather have Jay-Z acting as the cultural steward/ambassador compared to most of the people writing words on paper about rap music with the intent of legitimizing it to my parents' generation.

    You're not the only one. I get the feeling he's being volunteered for the job, rather than actually volunteering for it himself, though.

    I actually think that I do disagree with this point, though--not much in that guy's life happens by accident. He's obviously brilliant, fully capable of willing his desires into existence, and not easily distracted by other people's agendas.

    That's a good point - perhaps it was hobnobbing with said society folks that inspired him to want to legitimize rap music in the eyes of old white people
  • DocMcCoyDocMcCoy "Go and laugh in your own country!" 5,917 Posts
    faux_rillz said:
    DocMcCoy said:
    Jonny_Paycheck said:
    faux_rillz said:
    The fact that Jay-Z is now mostly concerned with the perceptions of people who don't listen to rap gives me pause.

    I'd much rather have Jay-Z acting as the cultural steward/ambassador compared to most of the people writing words on paper about rap music with the intent of legitimizing it to my parents' generation.

    You're not the only one. I get the feeling he's being volunteered for the job, rather than actually volunteering for it himself, though.

    I actually think that I do disagree with this point, though--not much in that guy's life happens by accident. He's obviously brilliant, fully capable of willing his desires into existence, and not easily distracted by other people's agendas.

    Yeah, maybe I should have put it another way - perhaps he figures that, if there absolutely has to be someone performing a function like that, it may as well be him as anyone else.
  • bull_oxbull_ox 5,056 Posts
    His interview about this on Fresh Air (tonight's ep, I think?) has some good anecdotes, and some seriously cringe-worthy (to say the very least) moments from Terry Gross (the most egregious being asking Jay whether or not he ever "got high on his own supply" of crack).
  • mannybolonemannybolone Los Angeles, CA 15,025 Posts
    bull_ox said:
    His interview about this on Fresh Air (tonight's ep, I think?) has some good anecdotes, and some seriously cringe-worthy (to say the very least) moments from Terry Gross (the most egregious being asking Jay whether or not he ever "got high on his own supply" of crack).

    I got love for Terry but she needs to leave rap alone. She has a habit for asking some shockingly ridiculous questions of rap artists.
  • faux_rillzfaux_rillz 14,343 Posts
    bull_ox said:
    His interview about this on Fresh Air (tonight's ep, I think?) has some good anecdotes, and some seriously cringe-worthy (to say the very least) moments from Terry Gross (the most egregious being asking Jay whether or not he ever "got high on his own supply" of crack).

    WOW
  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts
    What more can I say?
  • hogginthefogghogginthefogg 6,098 Posts
    Jonny_Paycheck said:

    I'll probably stick it on a christmas list.

    Paycheck's 2010 Christmas List:

    Jay-Z Book
    Gerbil

    What else am I missing?
  • mannybolonemannybolone Los Angeles, CA 15,025 Posts
    batmon said:
    What more can I say?

    Cue "A Million and One Questions"

    Terry: So Sean, do you really have a domicile as you suggested on your song "Friend and Foe"? And...if so, what part of town was it located in?
  • mrmatthewmrmatthew 1,575 Posts
    faux_rillz said:
    bull_ox said:
    His interview about this on Fresh Air (tonight's ep, I think?) has some good anecdotes, and some seriously cringe-worthy (to say the very least) moments from Terry Gross (the most egregious being asking Jay whether or not he ever "got high on his own supply" of crack).

    WOW

    PULL NPR FUNDING NOW
  • mannybolonemannybolone Los Angeles, CA 15,025 Posts
    BTW: I'm guessing some smart ass intern at the show gave Terry that question to ask.
  • bull_oxbull_ox 5,056 Posts
    mannybolone said:
    BTW: I'm guessing some smart ass intern at the show gave Terry that question to ask.

    I don't know, it seemed to fit in pretty well with the rest of what she was saying... I listen to the show regularly, but this was like all time Top 5 worst Terry Gross material for sure.
  • mannybolonemannybolone Los Angeles, CA 15,025 Posts
    mannybolone said:
    BTW: I'm guessing some smart ass intern at the show gave Terry that question to ask.

    Actually, I finally heard it in context and it was actually pretty decent; she dropped her "Scarface" knowledge!

    But the opening, "so is Izzo like your nickname?" was PAINFUL.
  • brokenrecordbrokenrecord 338 Posts
    mannybolone said:

    I got love for Terry but she needs to leave rap alone. She has a habit for asking some shockingly ridiculous questions of rap artists.
    I was just relieved when a music-related Fresh Air was coming on today that the show topic wasn't related to the 'Great American Songbook' or whatever it is that usually gets Terry giddy...she seems to be a gay man trapped in a lesbian's body who's actually a straight woman. (Not to, uh, stereotype, or anything, lol.)

    But then, on the show, the extended part about 'Annie' came up, including tape from the songwriter, and the whole backstory from JayZ. Sigh. Another Fresh Air about Broadway musicals.

    And the Annie part was indeed one of the LESS cringe-worthy parts of the interview! Yeesh Terry.
  • faux_rillzfaux_rillz 14,343 Posts
    hogginthefogg said:
    Jonny_Paycheck said:

    I'll probably stick it on a christmas list.

    Paycheck's 2010 Christmas List:

    Jay-Z Book
    Gerbil

    What else am I missing?

    He rather gauchely suggested that I get him this:

    http://www.amazon.com/Years-Atmosphere-Rhymesayers-Dan-Monick/dp/1584233087/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1290024549&sr=1-1
  • deathvalley90210deathvalley90210 398 Posts
    looking forward to hearing terry talk to nicki minaj about the lyrical themes of women's rap music.
  • hogginthefogghogginthefogg 6,098 Posts
    faux_rillz said:
    hogginthefogg said:
    Jonny_Paycheck said:

    I'll probably stick it on a christmas list.

    Paycheck's 2010 Christmas List:

    Jay-Z Book
    Gerbil

    What else am I missing?

    He rather gauchely suggested that I get him this:

    http://www.amazon.com/Years-Atmosphere-Rhymesayers-Dan-Monick/dp/1584233087/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1290024549&sr=1-1

    HARD(EST) COVER EDITION.
  • Jonny_PaycheckJonny_Paycheck 17,825 Posts
    hogginthefogg said:
    faux_rillz said:
    hogginthefogg said:
    Jonny_Paycheck said:

    I'll probably stick it on a christmas list.

    Paycheck's 2010 Christmas List:

    Jay-Z Book
    Gerbil

    What else am I missing?

    He rather gauchely suggested that I get him this:

    http://www.amazon.com/Years-Atmosphere-Rhymesayers-Dan-Monick/dp/1584233087/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1290024549&sr=1-1

    HARD(EST) COVER EDITION.

    filed next to

  • Hotsauce84Hotsauce84 8,450 Posts
    I just picked up the book at Barnes & Nobles. Felt it was my duty as a *cringe!* Hip Hop junkie.
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