(Wall Street Journal) — With music, clothing, advertising and other ventures already under his belt, rapper Jay-Z is about to release his first book. ”Decoded,” co-written with Dream Hampton, looks at his life and the evolution of hip-hop culture through the lens of his lyrics. More than 30 of his songs, parsed and footnoted, frame the chapters on everything from his peers, including Notorious B.I.G., to the crack-dealing he left behind for music.
