Rashida Reviews: "Decoded" by Jay-Z

Initially I had no interest in reading this book. From what I understood, it explained the inspiration behind some of Jay's favorite songs he's written. I have always been a Jay fan so I know a lot about his music already. What was the point?
I gave in to the hype, though, and got Decoded because I was told that this was Jay's memoir. He's always been pretty private so I wanted to know more about his life. Wrong!
This book is Jay's way of explaining the art and craft behind hip hop. It did give some insight on his career and the method to his madness when it comes to writing classic verses. He did a very good job at shining a more positive light on hip hop and it's meaning.
He did give some more detail on how he grew up and gave his opinions on things like politics and the hustler's struggle.
I loved that it was a large book with great visuals. It did get a little boring though. I was tempted to skip a few pages but I soldiered on and finished the whole thing.
If you're a Jay-Z fan or an aspiring MC/rapper, then this book is a must read. If you don't fit in one of those categories, though, I don't think you'll enjoy this book.