|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Decoded (Enhanced Edition)
und über 1 Million weitere Bücher verfügbar für Amazon Kindle .
Erfahren Sie mehr
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Gutschein erhalten
Tauschen Sie jetzt Decoded gegen einen Amazon-Gutschein in Höhe von EUR 3,55 ein - einlösbar für Tausende von Artikeln bei Amazon.de. Entdecken Sie mehr eintauschbare Bücher im Bücher Trade-In Shop. Bitte beachten Sie die Teilnahmebedingungen.
 Jetzt für Amazon Student anmelden und um 20% erhöhten Eintauschwert sichern. |
Wird oft zusammen gekauft
Produktinformation
|
Mehr über den Autor
Produktbeschreibungen
Pressestimmen
“Compelling . . . provocative, evocative . . . Part autobiography, part lavishly illustrated commentary on the author’s own work, Decoded gives the reader a harrowing portrait of the rough worlds Jay-Z navigated in his youth, while at the same time deconstructing his lyrics.”—Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times
“One of a handful of books that just about any hip hop fan should own.”—The New Yorker
“Elegantly designed, incisively written . . . an impressive leap by a man who has never been known for small steps.”—Los Angeles Times
“A riveting exploration of Jay-Z’s journey . . . So thoroughly engrossing, it reads like a good piece of cultural journalism.”—The Boston Globe
“Shawn Carter’s most honest airing of the experiences he drew on to create the mythic figure of Jay-Z . . . The scenes he recounts along the way are fascinating.”—Entertainment Weekly
From the Trade Paperback edition.
“One of a handful of books that just about any hip hop fan should own.”—The New Yorker
“Elegantly designed, incisively written . . . an impressive leap by a man who has never been known for small steps.”—Los Angeles Times
“A riveting exploration of Jay-Z’s journey . . . So thoroughly engrossing, it reads like a good piece of cultural journalism.”—The Boston Globe
“Shawn Carter’s most honest airing of the experiences he drew on to create the mythic figure of Jay-Z . . . The scenes he recounts along the way are fascinating.”—Entertainment Weekly
From the Trade Paperback edition.
Kurzbeschreibung
Decoded is a book like no other: a collection of lyrics and their meanings that together tell the story of a culture, an art form, a moment in history, and one of the most provocative and successful artists of our time.
“Hip-hop’s renaissance man drops a classic. . . . Heartfelt, passionate and slick.”— Kirkus, starred review
“Hip-hop’s renaissance man drops a classic. . . . Heartfelt, passionate and slick.”— Kirkus, starred review
Welche anderen Artikel kaufen Kunden, nachdem sie diesen Artikel angesehen haben?
In diesem Buch
(Mehr dazu)
Tags, die Kunden mit diesem Produkt verbinden(Was ist das?)Klicken Sie zum Suchen verwandter Artikel, Diskussionen oder Personen auf ein Tag.
|
Kundenrezensionen
Die hilfreichsten Kundenrezensionen
13 von 13 Kunden fanden die folgende Rezension hilfreich
Format:Gebundene Ausgabe
Wer sich über dieses Buch informiert, dem muss man den Autor wohl nicht mehr vorstellen. Falls doch, hier nochmal Jay-Z im Schnelldurchlauf: geboren als Shawn Carter, Rapper aus Brooklyn, New York, der es vom kleinen Drogendealer auf der Straße zu einem weltbekannten und einen der erfolgreichsten Rapper aller Zeiten geschafft hat. So weit, so bekannt.
Nachdem dieser Jay-Z vor einigen Jahren die Veröffentlichung seines ersten Buches namens "The Black Book" in letzter Sekunde gestoppt hatte, ist nun also "Decoded" erschienen. Doch das Buch hat wenig mit einer Autobiografie eines Stars in herkömmlichen Sinne gemeinsam. Wer hier etwas über Jay's Privatleben erfahren möchte a lá So-habe-ich-Beyonce-kennengelernt-und-darum-haben-wir-noch-keine-Kinder ist falsch. Der Grund dafür ist derselbe, aus dem auch laut seiner eigenen Aussage der Vorgänger damals gestoppt wurde: Jay-Z ist ein privater und introvertierter Mensch, der sich nicht durch sein Privatleben, sondern durch seine Tätigkeit definiert sehen möchte.
Und die steht dann auch im Vordergrund und ist das Hauptthema des Buches: Hip Hop, Rap, Lyrics. Immer wieder geht Jay auf die Geschichte und Entstehung des Genres Rap ein, zitiert Legenden früherer Tage oder schildert sehr anschaulich, was ein Rapper beherrschen muss und was ihn ausmacht. Das heißt nicht, dass Privates gänzlich ausgeblendet wird, denn Jay nimmt den Leser mit in seine Vergangenheit: Über seine schwere, von Armut geprägte Kindheit im Ghetto von Marcy, Brooklyn, über seine kriminellen Anfänge als Jugendlicher, die mit den Jahren in ein Dasein als erfahrener Drogendealer mündeten, sein danach folgender Einstieg ins Rap-Business.
Doch egal, ob es um sein früheres Leben oder ums Rappen geht, im Mittelpunkt steht dabei von Anfang bis Ende so gut wie immer nur eins: Hustlen. "Hustlen" bedeutet nichts anderes als das Verkaufen von Drogen. Warum es so im Mittelpunkt steht? Ganz einfach: in fast jedem seiner Lieder geht Jay-Z auf diese Thematik ein. Das Dasein als Hustler in seinem früheren Leben hat ihn derart geprägt, dass es ein immer wiederkehrendes Motiv in seiner Musik und damit auch in diesem Buch ist. Das kann auf die Dauer etwas ermüdend wirken, doch er schafft es immer wieder an seinem Leitmotiv neue und interessante Facetten aufzuzeigen.
Das Konzept und die Erzählensweise in "Decoded" sind interessant wie außergewöhnlich: Jay geht in den zahlreichen Kapiteln zuerst in einem einleitenden, längeren Text auf verschiedenste Abschnitte und Erinnerungen aus seinem Leben ein, die für ihn von Bedeutung waren und ihn prägten. Danach folgen dann jeweils drei Songtexte aus seiner Laufbahn, die thematisch den Einleitungstext ergänzen und deren Lyrics anhand vcn Fußnoten von ihm persönlich erklärt und "entschlüsselt" (=decoded) werden. Selbst als jahrelanger Jay-Z-Hörer bekommen die auf diese Weise erklärten Songs und ihre Texte eine ganz neue Dimension und Tiefe.
Beispiel: nach seinem Hit "99 Problems" und dessen Chorus "I got 99 Problem but a bitch ain't one" wurde der Song als frauenverachtend kritisiert. "Bitch" wird in der Umgangssprache aber auch ein weiblicher Hund genannt, und genau solch einer war gemeint, sagt Jay-Z. Und liefert gleich die Hintergrundgeschichte dazu, die ihm passierte und ihn zu diesem Track inspirierte. Das ist die größte Stärke des Buches: der Leser wird vom Verfasser der Reime, die er schon Dutzende Mal gehört hat, an der Hand genommen und über die wahre Bedeutung und die Hintergrundgeschichte des Gehörten aufgeklärt.
Das alles findet natürlich auf Englisch statt, und wer nicht über fortgeschrittene Kenntnisse der Sprache verfügt, wird hoffnungslos überfordert sein. Auch eine gewisse Vorkenntnis bzgl. des Autors und Rapmusik im Allgemeinen schadet sicher nicht, auch wenn seine Erzählweise mitunter auch auf "Anfänger" ausgerichtet ist. Die Gestaltung des Buchs ist wiederum positiv hervorzuheben. Es gibt unzählige Bilder, Porträts und Momentaufnahmen, die zwar nie den Autor selbst, dafür aber immer irgendetwas oder irgendwen zeigen, der entweder im Text direkt genannt oder auf den zumindest Bezug genommen wird - von Malcolm X über Che Guevara bis hin zu Tupac Shakur. Sehr sehenswert.
Wer "Decoded" kauft, bekommt also ein vielschichtiges Produkt. Es ist Autobiografie, Sozialstudie, Genrebeschreibung und lyrische "Entschlüsselung" zugleich. Eine außergewöhnliche Mischung, die aber sehr gut funktioniert.
Nachdem dieser Jay-Z vor einigen Jahren die Veröffentlichung seines ersten Buches namens "The Black Book" in letzter Sekunde gestoppt hatte, ist nun also "Decoded" erschienen. Doch das Buch hat wenig mit einer Autobiografie eines Stars in herkömmlichen Sinne gemeinsam. Wer hier etwas über Jay's Privatleben erfahren möchte a lá So-habe-ich-Beyonce-kennengelernt-und-darum-haben-wir-noch-keine-Kinder ist falsch. Der Grund dafür ist derselbe, aus dem auch laut seiner eigenen Aussage der Vorgänger damals gestoppt wurde: Jay-Z ist ein privater und introvertierter Mensch, der sich nicht durch sein Privatleben, sondern durch seine Tätigkeit definiert sehen möchte.
Und die steht dann auch im Vordergrund und ist das Hauptthema des Buches: Hip Hop, Rap, Lyrics. Immer wieder geht Jay auf die Geschichte und Entstehung des Genres Rap ein, zitiert Legenden früherer Tage oder schildert sehr anschaulich, was ein Rapper beherrschen muss und was ihn ausmacht. Das heißt nicht, dass Privates gänzlich ausgeblendet wird, denn Jay nimmt den Leser mit in seine Vergangenheit: Über seine schwere, von Armut geprägte Kindheit im Ghetto von Marcy, Brooklyn, über seine kriminellen Anfänge als Jugendlicher, die mit den Jahren in ein Dasein als erfahrener Drogendealer mündeten, sein danach folgender Einstieg ins Rap-Business.
Doch egal, ob es um sein früheres Leben oder ums Rappen geht, im Mittelpunkt steht dabei von Anfang bis Ende so gut wie immer nur eins: Hustlen. "Hustlen" bedeutet nichts anderes als das Verkaufen von Drogen. Warum es so im Mittelpunkt steht? Ganz einfach: in fast jedem seiner Lieder geht Jay-Z auf diese Thematik ein. Das Dasein als Hustler in seinem früheren Leben hat ihn derart geprägt, dass es ein immer wiederkehrendes Motiv in seiner Musik und damit auch in diesem Buch ist. Das kann auf die Dauer etwas ermüdend wirken, doch er schafft es immer wieder an seinem Leitmotiv neue und interessante Facetten aufzuzeigen.
Das Konzept und die Erzählensweise in "Decoded" sind interessant wie außergewöhnlich: Jay geht in den zahlreichen Kapiteln zuerst in einem einleitenden, längeren Text auf verschiedenste Abschnitte und Erinnerungen aus seinem Leben ein, die für ihn von Bedeutung waren und ihn prägten. Danach folgen dann jeweils drei Songtexte aus seiner Laufbahn, die thematisch den Einleitungstext ergänzen und deren Lyrics anhand vcn Fußnoten von ihm persönlich erklärt und "entschlüsselt" (=decoded) werden. Selbst als jahrelanger Jay-Z-Hörer bekommen die auf diese Weise erklärten Songs und ihre Texte eine ganz neue Dimension und Tiefe.
Beispiel: nach seinem Hit "99 Problems" und dessen Chorus "I got 99 Problem but a bitch ain't one" wurde der Song als frauenverachtend kritisiert. "Bitch" wird in der Umgangssprache aber auch ein weiblicher Hund genannt, und genau solch einer war gemeint, sagt Jay-Z. Und liefert gleich die Hintergrundgeschichte dazu, die ihm passierte und ihn zu diesem Track inspirierte. Das ist die größte Stärke des Buches: der Leser wird vom Verfasser der Reime, die er schon Dutzende Mal gehört hat, an der Hand genommen und über die wahre Bedeutung und die Hintergrundgeschichte des Gehörten aufgeklärt.
Das alles findet natürlich auf Englisch statt, und wer nicht über fortgeschrittene Kenntnisse der Sprache verfügt, wird hoffnungslos überfordert sein. Auch eine gewisse Vorkenntnis bzgl. des Autors und Rapmusik im Allgemeinen schadet sicher nicht, auch wenn seine Erzählweise mitunter auch auf "Anfänger" ausgerichtet ist. Die Gestaltung des Buchs ist wiederum positiv hervorzuheben. Es gibt unzählige Bilder, Porträts und Momentaufnahmen, die zwar nie den Autor selbst, dafür aber immer irgendetwas oder irgendwen zeigen, der entweder im Text direkt genannt oder auf den zumindest Bezug genommen wird - von Malcolm X über Che Guevara bis hin zu Tupac Shakur. Sehr sehenswert.
Wer "Decoded" kauft, bekommt also ein vielschichtiges Produkt. Es ist Autobiografie, Sozialstudie, Genrebeschreibung und lyrische "Entschlüsselung" zugleich. Eine außergewöhnliche Mischung, die aber sehr gut funktioniert.
1 von 1 Kunden fanden die folgende Rezension hilfreich
Format:Gebundene Ausgabe|Von Amazon bestätigter Kauf
Sehr gut geschriebenes und interessantes Buch. Wenn man die Lieder dazu hört, kann man echt gut nachverfolgen, was Jay-Z damit gemeint hatte. Ist ja sonst ziemlich schwer. Aber man sollte schon gut Englisch verstehen und auch ein wenig Straßenslang verstehen, ist über weite Teile nicht ganz einfach, macht trotzdem Spaß. Allein die Optik dieses Buches ist schon sehr cool.
Die hilfreichsten Kundenrezensionen auf Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
131 Rezensionen
165 von 173 Kunden fanden die folgende Rezension hilfreich
Your Preconceived Notions Will Be Shattered - Read it Before Your Friends Do, and They Will - Five Stars
2. Dezember 2010
Format:Gebundene Ausgabe
Bedford Stuyvesant was his country, and Brooklyn was his planet. With these words we are led into a world that you cannot imagine, that no film can do justice to. It requires hundreds of pages to absorb, and with each page you become further and further immersed. The graphic work accompanying the printed message is among the best I have ever seen, and it will help you to understand this very special person.
Somewhere in every person's life if you can experience transformation from where you were born to what your soul intended you to become, there is always a MENTOR figure. Sometimes it is a teacher, a relative, or a friend, but always someone.
For Jay-Z it was Slate, who was among the first street rappers, before they even put a name on the movement. He would stand in a circle; he could go 30 minutes just rhyming, as though he was trained for it. The young Jay-Z would stand and just be mesmerized by Slate, who seemed like an ordinary fellow until he stepped into the circle, and Jay-Z would transform himself by uttering the words, I can do that.
And therein begins a WILD RIDE, from the Marcy Projects in Brooklyn to king of the hip hop movement. He would go from drug dealing and drug running to a billion dollar self created empire that would be the envy of any businessman. Years later, Russell Simmons another hip hop master, and mentor to Jay-Z would say, that one grows up wanting to wear a suit, but hip-hop would mean never having to grow up and instead one would wear sneakers to the board room.
Jay-Z Decoded will have an interesting audience. Yes there will the kids who will own it and never read it, but for those of us, who read this book cover to cover, I promise you that you will not put this book back on the shelf without being affected by it.
You will understand the hopelessness of ghetto life, of thousands upon thousands of young people who get destroyed before having a change to figure out what they are even involved with. Only a small number will come through the funnel to survive and thrive, and occasionally break out. Jay-Z is one who broke out, and every aspect of this life biography is fascinating to the uninitiated. Here's why?
* The money is not in the singing, it's in the producing, owning the company.
* Kids treated automatic weapons like clothing, they would wear them the way they would wear their sneakers.
* In the hood, it was life during wartime.
* Rap is the story of the hustler, and it is the story of the rapper himself.
* Jay-Z starts wearing clothes designed by Iceberg, a European Sportswear designer. Upon meeting the designer, they offer him free clothing. The rap star walks away and builds a billion dollar clothing company from scratch. The story is all here and like the rest of the book, it's a page turner.
* His views on politics will grip you. He meets Obama the candidate, and astutely figures out that the most important thing the future President brings to the table is that he will help millions of black kids realize that they can aspire to something other than being drug dealers.
* He tells the future President that in one moment we will go from centuries of invisibility to the most visible position in the world.
* From housing projects designed to warehouse lives, to knowing that the truth will always be relevant, he will tell you that it's not about brainpower but stamina, self-motivation, willpower, and standing up to the mental and physical challenge of meeting life head-on.
CONCLUSION:
I came to this book with an open mind, and I could not have been more pleased with it. From the discussions about Quincy Jones who revolutionized musical arrangements in his lifetime, to Bono and his commitment to use his celebrity and money to transform society, the whole book was an exercise in literary pleasure. It is a demonstration that Dag Hammarskjold the UN Secretary General who gave his life for peace was right when he wrote the following. "It is more noble to give yourself completely to one individual than to labor diligently for the salvation of the masses". Thank you for reading this review.
Richard C. Stoyeck
Somewhere in every person's life if you can experience transformation from where you were born to what your soul intended you to become, there is always a MENTOR figure. Sometimes it is a teacher, a relative, or a friend, but always someone.
For Jay-Z it was Slate, who was among the first street rappers, before they even put a name on the movement. He would stand in a circle; he could go 30 minutes just rhyming, as though he was trained for it. The young Jay-Z would stand and just be mesmerized by Slate, who seemed like an ordinary fellow until he stepped into the circle, and Jay-Z would transform himself by uttering the words, I can do that.
And therein begins a WILD RIDE, from the Marcy Projects in Brooklyn to king of the hip hop movement. He would go from drug dealing and drug running to a billion dollar self created empire that would be the envy of any businessman. Years later, Russell Simmons another hip hop master, and mentor to Jay-Z would say, that one grows up wanting to wear a suit, but hip-hop would mean never having to grow up and instead one would wear sneakers to the board room.
Jay-Z Decoded will have an interesting audience. Yes there will the kids who will own it and never read it, but for those of us, who read this book cover to cover, I promise you that you will not put this book back on the shelf without being affected by it.
You will understand the hopelessness of ghetto life, of thousands upon thousands of young people who get destroyed before having a change to figure out what they are even involved with. Only a small number will come through the funnel to survive and thrive, and occasionally break out. Jay-Z is one who broke out, and every aspect of this life biography is fascinating to the uninitiated. Here's why?
* The money is not in the singing, it's in the producing, owning the company.
* Kids treated automatic weapons like clothing, they would wear them the way they would wear their sneakers.
* In the hood, it was life during wartime.
* Rap is the story of the hustler, and it is the story of the rapper himself.
* Jay-Z starts wearing clothes designed by Iceberg, a European Sportswear designer. Upon meeting the designer, they offer him free clothing. The rap star walks away and builds a billion dollar clothing company from scratch. The story is all here and like the rest of the book, it's a page turner.
* His views on politics will grip you. He meets Obama the candidate, and astutely figures out that the most important thing the future President brings to the table is that he will help millions of black kids realize that they can aspire to something other than being drug dealers.
* He tells the future President that in one moment we will go from centuries of invisibility to the most visible position in the world.
* From housing projects designed to warehouse lives, to knowing that the truth will always be relevant, he will tell you that it's not about brainpower but stamina, self-motivation, willpower, and standing up to the mental and physical challenge of meeting life head-on.
CONCLUSION:
I came to this book with an open mind, and I could not have been more pleased with it. From the discussions about Quincy Jones who revolutionized musical arrangements in his lifetime, to Bono and his commitment to use his celebrity and money to transform society, the whole book was an exercise in literary pleasure. It is a demonstration that Dag Hammarskjold the UN Secretary General who gave his life for peace was right when he wrote the following. "It is more noble to give yourself completely to one individual than to labor diligently for the salvation of the masses". Thank you for reading this review.
Richard C. Stoyeck
108 von 122 Kunden fanden die folgende Rezension hilfreich
Complex reaction to this read
29. Januar 2011
Format:Gebundene Ausgabe
I'm a Jay-Z fan. Period. But with that said, a music fan does not have to agree (or admire) every single thing an artist does. There were some parts in this book that I was flat out disgusted by and others I read and re-read.
Cons: I'm not a fan of the n-word. Period. While some may consider it a generational thing, I'm younger than Jay-Z (29), and I flat out don't have any respect for the word and will usually end up debating anybody who uses the word around me and DEFINITELY won't tolerate anybody calling me that. I think it's ridiculous that he wants people to let go of the entire history of the word but will then go into periods of the book where he reflects on how black people were treated historically, specifically during the Hurricane Katrina chapter.
He's still holding a grudge against Cristal because of what a representative said about not being able to control who buys his product. He felt that was racist. I can understand that. He felt like the rep used the wrong word. But then in the lyrics of one of his songs, he states that he wants Jehovah's Witnesses to stop being so uptight about him using the name "Hova" short for "Jehovah." He also brushed off anybody who was annoyed about the chorus of "99 Problems" and somehow believes that since he didn't talk about a woman during the song that no one should complain about him using the b-word. Whether it was used in the chorus or in the lyrics, it doesn't take much brainpower to figure out what "I got 99 problems, but a b---- ain't one" is referring to. Why not just not use it at all if you're not talking about a female?
Then there's a contradiction with him complaining about society looking at young, black men as troublemakers and thieves, but he goes right into rationalizing how brothas will steal just out of pure amusement (with money in their pocket), which proves the people who think lesser of them RIGHT. How does THAT solve anything? If anything, it makes "us" look worse.
The problem I kept finding in this book was that he rationalized his reasons for being mad and sensitive about some issues, but he had a habit of brushing off anybody else who was bothered by something he'd directly done, indirectly done or defended those who do. It was a little frustrating. I give him major kudos for putting himself on the spot during the experience he had with a reporter who wasn't fond of him wearing the T-shirt with Che Guevara. I really want to shake the hand of the reporter who called him out for that. Very good point about the contradiction between the T-shirt and the chain. I almost stopped reading the book altogether when he stated that people go to college because they're followers who see other people do it. Why is it so hard to believe that some people go to college because they LIKE learning, LIKE education and enjoy the culture?
Pros: I browsed through the footnotes about the lyrics. That wasn't initially interesting to me considering I own all of his CDs so I already know what many of the lyrics are, but there were some songs that I stopped to read the rationale behind. I found out some things I had no idea he meant by certain lyrics. And THANK YOU for pointing out that Scarface did not live until the end of the movie. I'm always amazed at how people admire "Scarface" when his story was so tragic in the end. I laughed a little when Jay-Z talked about people basically acting like only 2/3 of the film really happened. The story about the rapper Scarface was interesting, too.
Jay-Z is charming--in radio and television interviews. He was charming in this book. I was fascinated by his background (minus the drug dealing--I don't respect that at all). I enjoyed reading about his views on education, politics, hip-hop (so glad he mentioned some of my favorite lyricists like Big Daddy Kane and Rakim) and I was surprised he briefly threw in a little bit about an ex-girlfriend. Of course in true Jay-Z fashion, we never quite got WHY he broke up with her, only that he shared his disappointment with her about something he'd never done with anybody. There were some jokes that I laughed at (ex. why he can't rhyme Lil' Kim's lyrics but will recite Lauryn Hill's). I enjoyed reading about his experiences with Biggie, too.
I respected him for giving kudos to the "brave" people who would walk through the hood to go to a job at McDonald's. I'm happy he acknowledged the folks who didn't play the follower role. I never worked in the fast food industry, but I have a lot of respect for folks who have the patience to hold down those jobs especially with fast money surrounding them.
I read this book more to find out about his legitimate business life and background outside of the constant reminders that he used to sell drugs. Did I like it? Sure. Would I like to know more? Yup, but I doubt that other book will ever release in my lifetime (or his). Would I recommend it? Absolutely. He had an excellent balance of talking about the streets, the music industry, the business industry, a LITTLE bit about relationships (mainly friendships) and his take on politics, mainly President Barack Obama. Regardless of what reason you want to read about him, he covers it all (outside of his wife).
Cons: I'm not a fan of the n-word. Period. While some may consider it a generational thing, I'm younger than Jay-Z (29), and I flat out don't have any respect for the word and will usually end up debating anybody who uses the word around me and DEFINITELY won't tolerate anybody calling me that. I think it's ridiculous that he wants people to let go of the entire history of the word but will then go into periods of the book where he reflects on how black people were treated historically, specifically during the Hurricane Katrina chapter.
He's still holding a grudge against Cristal because of what a representative said about not being able to control who buys his product. He felt that was racist. I can understand that. He felt like the rep used the wrong word. But then in the lyrics of one of his songs, he states that he wants Jehovah's Witnesses to stop being so uptight about him using the name "Hova" short for "Jehovah." He also brushed off anybody who was annoyed about the chorus of "99 Problems" and somehow believes that since he didn't talk about a woman during the song that no one should complain about him using the b-word. Whether it was used in the chorus or in the lyrics, it doesn't take much brainpower to figure out what "I got 99 problems, but a b---- ain't one" is referring to. Why not just not use it at all if you're not talking about a female?
Then there's a contradiction with him complaining about society looking at young, black men as troublemakers and thieves, but he goes right into rationalizing how brothas will steal just out of pure amusement (with money in their pocket), which proves the people who think lesser of them RIGHT. How does THAT solve anything? If anything, it makes "us" look worse.
The problem I kept finding in this book was that he rationalized his reasons for being mad and sensitive about some issues, but he had a habit of brushing off anybody else who was bothered by something he'd directly done, indirectly done or defended those who do. It was a little frustrating. I give him major kudos for putting himself on the spot during the experience he had with a reporter who wasn't fond of him wearing the T-shirt with Che Guevara. I really want to shake the hand of the reporter who called him out for that. Very good point about the contradiction between the T-shirt and the chain. I almost stopped reading the book altogether when he stated that people go to college because they're followers who see other people do it. Why is it so hard to believe that some people go to college because they LIKE learning, LIKE education and enjoy the culture?
Pros: I browsed through the footnotes about the lyrics. That wasn't initially interesting to me considering I own all of his CDs so I already know what many of the lyrics are, but there were some songs that I stopped to read the rationale behind. I found out some things I had no idea he meant by certain lyrics. And THANK YOU for pointing out that Scarface did not live until the end of the movie. I'm always amazed at how people admire "Scarface" when his story was so tragic in the end. I laughed a little when Jay-Z talked about people basically acting like only 2/3 of the film really happened. The story about the rapper Scarface was interesting, too.
Jay-Z is charming--in radio and television interviews. He was charming in this book. I was fascinated by his background (minus the drug dealing--I don't respect that at all). I enjoyed reading about his views on education, politics, hip-hop (so glad he mentioned some of my favorite lyricists like Big Daddy Kane and Rakim) and I was surprised he briefly threw in a little bit about an ex-girlfriend. Of course in true Jay-Z fashion, we never quite got WHY he broke up with her, only that he shared his disappointment with her about something he'd never done with anybody. There were some jokes that I laughed at (ex. why he can't rhyme Lil' Kim's lyrics but will recite Lauryn Hill's). I enjoyed reading about his experiences with Biggie, too.
I respected him for giving kudos to the "brave" people who would walk through the hood to go to a job at McDonald's. I'm happy he acknowledged the folks who didn't play the follower role. I never worked in the fast food industry, but I have a lot of respect for folks who have the patience to hold down those jobs especially with fast money surrounding them.
I read this book more to find out about his legitimate business life and background outside of the constant reminders that he used to sell drugs. Did I like it? Sure. Would I like to know more? Yup, but I doubt that other book will ever release in my lifetime (or his). Would I recommend it? Absolutely. He had an excellent balance of talking about the streets, the music industry, the business industry, a LITTLE bit about relationships (mainly friendships) and his take on politics, mainly President Barack Obama. Regardless of what reason you want to read about him, he covers it all (outside of his wife).
55 von 69 Kunden fanden die folgende Rezension hilfreich
This book is a must have...
25. November 2010
Format:Gebundene Ausgabe|Von Amazon bestätigter Kauf
This book is definitely one for your collection of good books based on hip-hop. I grew up in the Bronx during the 70's and 80's and a lot of the "rap" traditions and "crack" traditions he writes about are valid and true. Once you read through the book you will learn a few things. My favorite new fact was how Memphis Bleek was originally not going to do Coming Of Age. I won't spoil it for you.
While the book is great to read, it's also great to look at. The pages are thick. There are pictures on almost every page which relate to that particular topic. The art direction, overseen by Jay-Z, looks really good. Honestly, they should make this book a coffee-table edition.
Now, the reason I did not give this book a five is for two reasons.
1. I wanted more. I have a few songs and lyrics from him that I would have like to have seen addressed.
Example: "...the fire I spit burn down Happy Land / Social Club, we unapproachable thugs..."
Growing up in the Bronx, I knew what that line meant, but many people don't.
"Happy Land Social Club was an unlicensed social club in the Bronx. On March 25th 1990, 87 people were killed in an fire set by Julio Gonzalez."
- Wikipedia
That line isn't deep but it made me stop and say "Wow! I forgot about when Happy Land got set on fire."
2. It didn't address one of my 9 year discussion over a line Jay-Z says in You Don't Know (Blueprint).
"I sell ice in the winter, I sell fire in hell, I am a hustler baby, I'll sell water to a well/whale."
Either word works, but I'd like to know the true word. Did he intend to confuse us with a clever play on words?
Nevertheless, the book is great. The people who gave the book 1 star ratings didn't read the book, as they say in their reviews, so please rate those posts as unhelpful. However, If you actually read the book, and still give it one star, then that's justified.
While the book is great to read, it's also great to look at. The pages are thick. There are pictures on almost every page which relate to that particular topic. The art direction, overseen by Jay-Z, looks really good. Honestly, they should make this book a coffee-table edition.
Now, the reason I did not give this book a five is for two reasons.
1. I wanted more. I have a few songs and lyrics from him that I would have like to have seen addressed.
Example: "...the fire I spit burn down Happy Land / Social Club, we unapproachable thugs..."
Growing up in the Bronx, I knew what that line meant, but many people don't.
"Happy Land Social Club was an unlicensed social club in the Bronx. On March 25th 1990, 87 people were killed in an fire set by Julio Gonzalez."
- Wikipedia
That line isn't deep but it made me stop and say "Wow! I forgot about when Happy Land got set on fire."
2. It didn't address one of my 9 year discussion over a line Jay-Z says in You Don't Know (Blueprint).
"I sell ice in the winter, I sell fire in hell, I am a hustler baby, I'll sell water to a well/whale."
Either word works, but I'd like to know the true word. Did he intend to confuse us with a clever play on words?
Nevertheless, the book is great. The people who gave the book 1 star ratings didn't read the book, as they say in their reviews, so please rate those posts as unhelpful. However, If you actually read the book, and still give it one star, then that's justified.
Waren diese Rezensionen hilfreich?
Wir wollen von Ihnen hören.
Kunden diskutieren
|
Das Forum zu diesem Produkt
Fragen stellen, Meinungen austauschen, Einblicke gewinnen Aktive Diskussionen in ähnlichen Foren
Kundendiskussionen durchsuchen
|
Ähnliche Foren
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Lieblingslisten
|
|
Ähnliche Artikel finden
- Fremdsprachige Bücher > Biografien & Erinnerungen > Ethno & National
- Fremdsprachige Bücher > Biografien & Erinnerungen > Kunst & Literatur > Komponisten & Musiker
- Fremdsprachige Bücher > Biografien & Erinnerungen > Politiker & Persönlichkeiten > Reich & Berühmt
- Fremdsprachige Bücher > Unterhaltung & Kultur > Musik > Musikgenres > Rap
Anhand des Sachgebietes nach ähnlichen Produkten suchen:
Ihr Kommentar
Möchten Sie die Produktinformationen aktualisieren oder Feedback zu den Produktabbildungen geben?
|
