Jay-Z Confirms Book Deal

 •  XXL Magazine  •  by XXL Staff  •  47 Comments

Jay-Z has confirmed his hopes to release a series of books, with one book describing the meaning behind some of his most disputed songs on track to hit shelves first.

During an interview on Atlanta radio station V-103, Jay told radio personality Ryan Cameron all about his literary plans. “Well it’s not done, the other two books, it hasn’t kicked in yet, I haven’t signed that deal,” he said about the rumored three book contract. “But I’ve done a deal to do a book and the name of it is called Decoded. It’s called Decoded because I’m going to decode all the lyrics from my records. I’m gonna pick the select ones, you know all the double entendres and things that people may have missed or may have gotten and want confirmation on it. That’s what the book is about.” [Listen here]

Last week The New York Observer reported that Jay was close to inking a deal with the Spiegel & Grau imprint of Random House for three books: one memoir, one business book and the other one about the meanings behind his lyrics that he revealed to Cameron.

This will be the first book written by Hov, who came close to releasing a memoir back in ’03 with MTV. Titled The Black Book, Jay famously backed out at the last minute due to privacy issues.

As of press time there is no release date for Decoded. –Max G

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  • Young Leezy

    This book is needed for all the slow nigg*s who only understand southern rap. lol

    jokes aside this is what is needed.

    ‘Murder is tough thing to digest, its a slow process, i ain’t got nuthin but time, i had near brushes, not to mention, three shots close range never touched me, divine intervention’

    and who remembers…

    ‘this games got valleys in peaks, expectation for dips, for precipitation we stack chips hardly, the youth i used to be, soon to be a million, nomore big willy, my game is grown, prefer u call me william’

    All those double entendres will blow these young cats minds out the water… and theres more lyrics like those two that will fly across ya’ll heads.

    This book will set the class between Jay-Z and other rappers… Legendry

    • DADE COUNTY 305

      YOUNG LEEZY… NIGGA U REAL FUNNY!!! I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN THE 305, GOT A DEGREE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI AKA HURRICANES!!! THERE’S NOTHING STUPID ABOUT SOUTHERN PPL. I KNOW PLENTY OF UP NORTH PPL THAT WENT TO MID SCHOOL & HIGH SCHOOL WITH ME. THEY WERE SOME LAME ASS NIGGAZ!!! IM GLAD HOV PUTTING THIS BOOK OUT ALSO!!! OH YEAH, GET RID OF YOUR LAME ASS NAME “YOUNG LEEZY”… NIGGA U PROVE MY POINT, I GUEST U WERE ONE OF THEM UP NORTH NIGGAZ THAT WENT TO GRADE SCHOOL WITH ME!

      • $ykotic

        Don’t even sweat that Dade. You know the up top cats send their seeds to college down there.

        That’s these dudes who have never had the pleasure to go O.T. and get it.

        PEACE

    • OSU Will

      @Leezy: I feel you dawg. To quote Souljah Boy Tell em directly – “I ain’t understand jay-Z growing up. Now that I’m older I’m starting to understand him.” Overall, down south cats just don’t see the meaning behind the meaning of NY cats with the lyrical messages. Overall, down south ‘bump’ or whatever the f**k you call it , its just all beats and cadences. NY cats, espec Jigga drops street poetry.
      This book is for all you cats who been jumpin and bumpin to hooks in the clubs. Don’t be mad tho. :P

    • V290

      Since Jay bites Lyrics & People life experience
      DECODED=
      DEHAVEN

      Dehaven Drops Diss Record at Jay

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90-N9R1P6CY

  • Ya Boy

    Pierzy!!
    And I don’t really care for this. I’d rather read Pretty Toneys comic book.

    • Pierzy

      Guess who’s back……

      I think a biography would be a better look for Jigga.

      • Pierzy

        I know you missed me

  • http://1takeentertainment.ning.com CEEOHH

    I’M STARTING TO GET SICK OF THIS DUDE!!!!!

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  • Silly Willy

    As Bol would say, like his unkempt afro, this is not a good look. I mean, I don’t really want a magician to reveal the tricks, it’s for me to find out, that’s why it’s interesting. Besides, once you put your work in public eye, it’s ours to make what we want from it, so if something somehow earned a special meaning for me in my life, I don’t want him to reveal what he REALLY meant. That’s the burden of being artist. You never saw any real Picasso with a manual now, did you ?

  • RDS

    Would I really want someone to have decoded “22 Twos” or “D’Evils” or any of the other shit I can’t even remember from my dude long-ass catalog of music for me the first time I heard them?

    Not really. But I can appreciate the fact that it might help someone else understand the music.

    Matter of fact, tell that nigga to decode “Dumb It Down” while he’s at it. I’m working on a college degree in Chemistry and nanotechnology and I STILL haven’t gotten the full scope of that shit. Lol

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  • DUDE

    MAN THIS IS A JAY-Z DICK RIDER SITE….XXL… 2 THE POWERS THAT BE..PLEASE STOP DOING STORIES ON THIS OVER-RATED RAPPER…IM SURE ALOT OF OTHERS AGREE.

  • http://youtube.com/thelupend thelupend

    Damn, jay is an author now.He really wants to make more money and stay on top of the Forbes list

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  • General

    How the fuck is he gonna put out a book when he brags that he doesn’t even write down rhymes, but now I’m supposed to believe that he took time to write a whole book, sorry not buyin it

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  • Brooklyn

    …”with one book describing the meaning behind some of his most disputed songs on track to hit shelves first.”

    So what, he’s gonna tell us how he didn’t bite Biggie’s lyrics, he just bigged him up?

  • SkepHova

    Yo shawn,i fynk a book is a gud luk bt let it be about ur life’s struggle,hustle,accomplishments,probelems and experiences etc.That wat would help u birth HISTORY.Your lyrics and rhymes are understood by ur real fans.

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  • kristoff

    jays book wont sell. albums dont even sell. book co.s wasting money.

  • SOUTHSIDE A-TOWN

    being that i havent studied Jay-Z career & havent heard the majority of his albums (other than the singles & a few classics) thats something i’d be interested in checking out. i could read the book, go back listen to the song/album. i think its a good idea. I dont know/heard his entire catalog, so i’m a check for it.

  • *BLOCK*

    I THINK EVERYBODY ABOVE ME HAVE PRETTY VALID OPINIONS BUT…….

    1. I DONT THINK ANY OTHER ARTIST HAS DONE ANYTHING LIKE THIS SO IN A SINCE ITS UNCHARTED TERRITORY

    2.FOR THE PEOPLE SAYING HE SHOULD HAVE DONE A BOOK ON HIS LIFE…..I GUESS U ARENT QUITE FAMILIAR WITH WHAT A MEMOIR IS….

    3. THE BUISNESS BOOK IS A GREAT IDEA….I THINK HE WOULD BE A GOOD PERSON TO GET A BUSINESS “BLUEPRINT” FROM

    4. STOP HATING JUST CAUSE ITS JAY…GIVE IT A CHANCE…ONLY IN OUR RACE DO PEOPLE SO BADLY WANT “OUR PEOPLE” TO SUCCEED AND THEN SOON AS THEY DO OR MAKE AN ATTEMPT WE DOWN THEM AND PRAY FOR THERE DOWNFALL…

    DO YOUR THANG JAY…MATTER OF FACT EVERYBODY DO YOUR THANG DO WHATEVER YOU THINK IS GONNA BENEFIT YOUR LIFE THE MOST…THATS IT POINT BLANK…

    JUST BOUGHT ME A GUITAR YESTERDAY….DONT KNOW A LOT ABOUT THEM EXCEPT I LOVE THE SOUND….BUT I SAID GO FOR IT…GOTTA ATLEAST TRY….MAYBE IF SOME OF YOU ALL WHO TALKING DOWN ON THIS ACTUALLY FOUND SOMETHING IN YOUR LIFE TO “BIG UP” YOU WOULDNT HAVE SO MUCH TIME TO FOCUS ON HIM OR ANYBODY ELSE FOR THAT MATTER….

    HEY COMMISSION WHERE DO I GET AN APP?? LMAO!!

    • http://xxlmag.com Pierzy

      Application denied.

      The Real Commission

      • *BLOCK*

        THAT’S COOL IT WAS MORE OR LESS A JOKE IF ANYTHING…I THINK ITS CUTE THAT Y’ALL HAVE YOUR OWN BLOG CLUB…DO Y’ALL DO FIELD TRIPS WITH BAG LUNCHES…OR MAYBE SLEEP OVERS AND TALK ABOUT UR FAVORITE BLOGGER’S BLOG…WELL POOR OR ME….I’LL NEVER BE ACCEPTED IN ANY SOCIAL CLUBS NOW…WHATS A GUY WITH A LIFE TO DO….

        IN THE WORDS OF DRE 3000 “MOTHER FUCK THE WAGON COME JOIN THE BAND”

        $BLOCK FOR PRESIDENT$

        • http://xxlmag.com Tony Grand$

          Watch your mouth. The Commission will ride on you

          The Real Commission

        • *BLOCK*

          UHH OOHHHHH THE COMMISSION AINT SHIT…COME GET ME!!!!

          WORKING ON MY NEXT TRACK CALLED

          D.O.C (DEATH OF COMMISSION) LMAO

        • $ykotic

          BLOCK that ain’t us. Don’t forget there’s an impostor up in here(No DMX).

          You’re good family.

        • http://www.tonygrand.blogspot.com Tony Grand$

          You will notice the imposters have no links on their names like Syk above how is an pretending to be my boy Sykotic, so you ain’t good with the Commission no matter what the imposter says

          The Real Commission

        • *BLOCK*

          ITS ALL THE SAME TO ME…I AGREE I AINT GOOD IM GREAT STELLAR AND STUPENDOUS…I DONT NEED NO VERIFICATION FROM U OR NOBODY ELSE FEEL ME!!! I’M MY OWN MAN

          *BLOCK*
          ~FRONT LINE ALLIANCE~
          CAROLINA SURVIVOR
          D.O.C COMING SOON!!!!

  • 88_CUTLASS

    damn do some of yall wake up hating before you brush your teeth. did he not sign an autograph for some of yall. its a damn book, calm down. half yall dont even read anyway.

    • anutha_level

      lol

  • anutha_level

    dude steadily gettin paper…f the bullsh!t

  • T

    He need to get off writin a book an start writin some rhymes to go at Game wit

  • Shawty J

    I’d rather Jay-Z discuss the makings of his songs than decode the double entendres. I got those right off the bat, the first time listening, and anything I miss, I catch the second time.

  • DoubleClutch95

    The bet you Malice’s (of the Clipse) book will be better than Jay’s….

  • Decker

    Wow!!!I wuld luv 2 read this book.I could catch some things i never caught before.Haters,get it thru ur thick skulls,d guy is blessed.He keeps getting more money,breaking & making records.Pple have been hating since 4eva but he keeps on doing shit.Stop hating,maybe one day in ur miserable lives u can make $35mil in d recession.Hova d god.

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  • dazzy dog

    no comments

  • Jay $

    I already covered this in my blog –

    wordpress dot com – 2 comic book guys.

    I break down Jay-Z’s entire illustrious career, and why NO ONE and rap music comes close!!!

    not sure if this link will show up or not.

    http://2comicbookguys.wordpress.com/2009/06/05/souljah-boy-tellem-i-finally-understand-jay-z/

  • JC

    this shitz wack…50 cent already came out wit a book about his life and it was trash…game should kill this old ass nigga in wax already to sit his corny ass down

  • http://xxlmag.com erik

    i whould get that book if it commes out cuz i lik jay-z and i whant to see what he has to say

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  • ICthruBvllshyt

    ? If Most of Jay-Z’s lyrics are pages Stolen from Dehavens life…
    Then Whats the book going 2 b about FICTION?

    Dehaven releases Diss Track
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90-N9R1P6CY