literature

The Wall Street Journal Offers a Sneak Peek at Jay-Z’s Book of Annotated Lyrics

Alongside a new, straightforward profile of Jay-Z, Successful Businessman, The Wall Street Journal has an excerpt from his upcoming book, Decoded. It looks good! The song getting broken down, American Gangster’s “American Dreamin’,” is no one’s favorite Jay track, and it’s still entertaining. To wit: “I got dreams of baggin’ snidd-ow the size of pillows” — “The image of bags of coke the size of pillows connects with the image of a kid dreaming”; “Need a personal Jesus, I’m in Depeche Mode” — “A reference to Depeche Mode’s ‘Personal Jesus.’” [WSJ]

The Wall Street Journal Offers a Sneak Peek at Jay-Z’s Book of Annotated Lyrics