Decoded

An immersive visual, lyrical and autobiographic look at Jay-Z’s discography. This was such a great compliment to the Michael Eric Dyson biography (Book 177); hearing a lot of the same content, but from the source, and juxtaposing both, was fascinating. This book is accompanied by a “mood board” of sorts, tagging individual ideas or locations to the lyrics.

There is an unspoken depth to so much of Carter’s work that even goes undisclosed in forums like this, or in long-form interviews, that is evident. It’s a distance he, almost alone amongst artists in his space, puts between himself and the audience that puzzles but draws you in simultaneously.