Decoded – Jay-Z

Apparently Keith Richards isn’t the only one who can write a book. Tickets for Jay-Z at the New York Public Library go on sale Friday, November 5 (today or tomorrow depending on when you read this).

JAY-Z in conversation with Cornel West and Paul Holdengräber

Monday, November 15th at 7:00 p.m.
Celeste Bartos Forum, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building

TICKETS GO ON SALE FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5th at 12 noon.

SHOWCLIX or 1.888.71.TICKETS

$58 General Admission (including Seniors & Students with valid ID)
$45 FRIENDS Become a FRIEND or 212 930 0653

Fiercely candid, uncompromising, provocative, inspiring—DECODED is the long awaited first book by the multi-platinum, 10-time Grammy Award winning artist, entrepreneur, and icon JAY-Z.

More info on the event after the jump.

– There is a two-ticket purchase limit per patron, through Showclix, for this program.
– Each ticket purchased through Showclix for this program includes a copy of DECODED by JAY-Z that will be provided to the patron upon admission to the program the evening of the event.
– Print outs of tickets will not be accepted. All patrons are to check in at will-call at the NYPL for tickets.
– Ticketholders must provide ID that matches the name on the ticket at will-call to be admitted the evening of the event.
– There will be no standby line for this event.
– This event will be live telecast by FORA.tv.
– JAY-Z will be signing books the evening of the program.

“When I first started working on this book, I told my editor that I wanted to do three important things. The first was to make the case that hip-hop lyrics-not just my lyrics, but those of every great MC-are poetry if you look at them closely enough. The second was that I wanted the book to tell a little bit of the story of my generation, to show the context for the choices we made at a violent and chaotic crossroads in recent history. And the third piece was that I wanted the book to show how hip-hop created a way to take a very specific and powerful experience and turn it into a story that everyone in the world could feel and relate to.”-JAY-Z, from DECODED

DECODED is a narrative journey through the lyrics and life of one of the most prolific artists of our time. JAY-Z describes the meanings behind some of his most provocative songs and provides a highly personal narrative of the culture that so powerfully shaped his life and art. “I saw the circle before I saw the kid in the middle. I was nine years old, the summer of 1978, and Marcy was my world.”

For JAY-Z, lyrics aren’t just about songs, they’re about life, and in DECODED he brings his own story to life, writing about his journey from Brooklyn’s notorious Marcy Projects to becoming a world-class artist, cultural icon, entrepreneur, and philanthropist.

“I went straight-stopped selling drugs-but I also didn’t accept the false choice between poverty and breaking the law.”

At the New York Public Library, JAY-Z will share his thoughts on growing up as a hustler and feeling judged simply because of where he was from. He will also address issues that informed him and his songwriting:

– How did visual art and poetry influence his craft?
– How did he get involved in politics when he never really trusted the system?
– How did he stay honest to himself in the world of big business and how did he shed stereotypes when he’d been labeled one all his life?