5 Best Books Based on Jay-z’s Life That You Must Read
List of 5 books based on Jay-z’s life. Jay-Z is one of America’s leading rappers and entrepreneurs, as well known for his music as for his business acumen. This text seeks to situate Jay-Z within his musical, intellectual and cultural context for educational study. Thirteen essays address such topics as Jay-Z’s relevance to African-American oral history, socially responsible hip hop, and upward mobility in the African-American community.
1. Decoded
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.
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2. Jay-Z: CEO of Hip-Hop
Describes the life and career of the famous rapper and entrepreneur, from his childhood and dangerous early career as a drug dealer to his successes as a musician, businessman, activist, and author.
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3. Jay Z: The King of America
Author Mark Beaumont met and interviewed Jay Z in 2009 and many quotes from that interview feature in this biography. Includes interviews with Kanye West, Chris Martin, Busta Rhymes, LL Cool J, Damon Dash, Dr. Dre, Rick Rubin, and many others. Details his early life, his father abandoned him, his accidental shooting of his brother, and his delving into cocaine dealing.
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4. Jay-Z: Essays on Hip Hop’s Philosopher King
Jay-Z is one of America’s leading rappers and entrepreneurs, as well known for his music as for his business acumen. This text seeks to situate Jay-Z within his musical, intellectual and cultural context for educational study. Thirteen essays address such topics as Jay-Z’s relevance to African-American oral history, socially responsible hip hop, and upward mobility in the African-American community. By observing Jay-Z through the lens of cultural studies, this study assists the teacher, student, scholar, and fan in understanding how he became such a historically significant figure. Each essay includes a set of review questions meant to spark discussion in the classroom.
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5. JAY-Z: Made in America
JAY-Z: Made in America is the fruit of Michael Eric Dyson’s decade of teaching the work of one of the greatest poets this nation has produced, as gifted a wordsmith as Walt Whitman, Robert Frost and Rita Dove. But as a rapper, he’s sometimes not given the credit he deserves for just how great an artist he’s been for so long.
