Thoughts on Decoded...

[sniperk]

I didn't read the whole book but I did read posted sections about Jay Z's comeup.

Even people who were down with Jay Z back then claim most of these stories are 'Duck Tales'.

Jay Z KNEW some local drug dealers and kingpins but now he has adapted these stories as HIS OWN.

Only one who used to co-sign his stories was Memphis Bleek until Jay Z stopped signing dude's checks.

 

[sniperk]

Just so you don't think I'm a hater.

Here's what Jay Z's childhood friend De-Haven says:

http://mediaoutrage.com/2007/11/30/is-jay-zs-drug-dealing-past-greatly-exaggerated/

 

[hnic1978]

Just so you don't think I'm a hater.

Here's what Jay Z's childhood friend De-Haven says:

http://mediaoutrage.com/2007/11/30/is-jay-zs-drug-dealing-past-greatly-exaggerated/

I don't take anything from a bitter nigga. I seen that youtube when he called himself tryin to expose Jay but ended up saying NOTHING. Also some of shit they talked about are like DUH!!!! We all know it wasn't no damn Roc Boys. That was the dumbest question out the whole interview. Then he tried to tap into emotions by sayin hes daughter's godfather is tryin to get him taken out. If i was Jay i would say fuck you too for tryin to go on youtube and then expecting us to talk like men. If you gonna air somebody out AIR HIM OUT. Don't wait until you not on the gravy train anymore and then get a conscience. Thats why I don't respect his or Jaz-O words.

 

[sniperk]

Let me ask you this. When De-Haven and his crew got locked up and Jay Z didn't, was it because Jay Z was a KINGPIN running Trenton and above the law or was it because Jay Z wasn't involved with them dudes like that. Let's face it, Sean Carter never had a criminal record before he started rapping because he wasn't "moving weight" like he claims. Duck Tales for street cred...

 

[hnic1978]

Let me ask you this. When De-Haven and his crew got locked up and Jay Z didn't, was it because Jay Z was a KINGPIN running Trenton and above the law or was it because Jay Z wasn't involved with them dudes like that. Let's face it, Sean Carter never had a criminal record before he started rapping because he wasn't "moving weight" like he claims. Duck Tales for street cred...

Umm homie he never said he was a kingpin. He always shouted DeHaven, Spanish Jose, and Calvin Klein. He did say he did sell drugs. I mean you move nicks and dimes and make a decent amount of money if you are not fascinated in being flashy. Also it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see he wasn't in that damn deep cuz he was tryin to get into music.

 

[da champ]

Let me ask you this. When De-Haven and his crew got locked up and Jay Z didn't, was it because Jay Z was a KINGPIN running Trenton and above the law or was it because Jay Z wasn't involved with them dudes like that. Let's face it, Sean Carter never had a criminal record before he started rapping because he wasn't "moving weight" like he claims. Duck Tales for street cred...

typically i don't get into these "how real is Jay" convos 'cause I don't care, but I'll make an exception this one time.

Jay never claimed he took over Trenton. He was a small dude nick & diming it when he was there with his cousin who's from that area anyway (according to his book). You make it sound like he went into Trenton, threatened everyone, marked his turf by peeing on it and dared anyone to step in his piss.
Secondly, if Dehaven got knocked in 98, Jay was already a couple years deep into the rap thing by that point. Why would Jay get knocked as well?

I don't believe everything Jay says in song at all, but I definitely don't believe the bitter dudes (whether they have a right to be bitter or not). It's somewhere in the middle, and considering I've never moved anything except my own furniture, the stories are real enough for me.

 

[Maalik]

My god...yall hoe niggas need to let it go. Jay-Z is rich. You're not. Strong likelihood you wont be. You dont know him. He doesnt know you. He's his own man. He had to leave some niggas to get to where he's at. He came from a pissy apartment in Marcy to a Penthouse Suite overlooking Central Park. That's inspiring. No matter how many threads yall make up, no matter how many times yall say how Jay is no longer respected, no matter how many posts yall make about sh*t that happened 5 years ago, nothing will change. LET IT GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I read the Book. Its as inspiring as Russell's "Do You". I love inspirational books from urban business leaders. Its easier to connect with that story of triumph rather than a story from Dr. Phil. In Decoded, he doesn't go into some wild gangsta story about taking over cities & states. Its just a story of a kid from Brooklyn falling in love with Rap ----> Going out of state to Trenton, Virginia & Washington, DC flipping work (which isn't that hard to believe) ---> Coming back & forth to NYC to meet Dame ---> Starting Rocafella Records ---> Bonding with Big ---> Dealing with Success when you still feel like the Broke muthafucka from Marcy inside.

Read the book before you hate.

 

[dwade206]

My god...yall hoe niggas need to let it go. Jay-Z is rich. You're not. Strong likelihood you wont be. You dont know him. He doesnt know you. He's his own man. He had to leave some niggas to get to where he's at. He came from a pissy apartment in Marcy to a Penthouse Suite overlooking Central Park. That's inspiring. No matter how many threads yall make up, no matter how many times yall say how Jay is no longer respected, no matter how many posts yall make about sh*t that happened 5 years ago, nothing will change. LET IT GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I read the Book. Its as inspiring as Russell's "Do You". I love inspirational books from urban business leaders. Its easier to connect with that story of triumph rather than a story from Dr. Phil. In Decoded, he doesn't go into some wild gangsta story about taking over cities & states. Its just a story of a kid from Brooklyn falling in love with Rap ----> Going out of state to Trenton, Virginia & Washington, DC flipping work (which isn't that hard to believe) ---> Coming back & forth to NYC to meet Dame ---> Starting Rocafella Records ---> Bonding with Big ---> Dealing with Success when you still feel like the Broke muthafucka from Marcy inside.

Read the book before you hate.

Well said from a groupie. Just because a person has an opposing opinion on a work of art, and I'm using the term art loosely, doesn't mean they're hating. And why are you bringing up his place of residence? Because he's successful, I have to like the book.

 

[sniperk]

I don't know if it was on David Letterman or some other talk show (I wish I could find the clip) but Jay Z actually claimed that '99 Problems' was based on a TRUE EVENT. He said that he had a car full of bricks that he was transporting and that the cops wound up letting him go because they didn't have a K-9 Unit and probable cause to search his car. That doesn't sound like 'flipping nickels and dimes' to me.

Personally, I'm glad that Jay Z made it out of the projects and became a successful businessman. I just think that he re-created his early life stories so that it sounds more like a 'rags to riches' story. Why not just say that he knew some thugs who were 'putting in work' rather than lie and say things that his own homeboys refute?

 

[da champ]

I don't know if it was on David Letterman or some other talk show (I wish I could find the clip) but Jay Z actually claimed that '99 Problems' was based on a TRUE EVENT. He said that he had a car full of bricks that he was transporting and that the cops wound up letting him go because they didn't have a K-9 Unit and probable cause to search his car. That doesn't sound like 'flipping nickels and dimes' to me.

Personally, I'm glad that Jay Z made it out of the projects and became a successful businessman. I just think that he re-created his early life stories so that it sounds more like a 'rags to riches' story. Why not just say that he knew some thugs who were 'putting in work' rather than lie and say things that his own homeboys refute?

I highly doubt he's saying that on a show as big as Letterman or Leno or whatever. Even in the book he said he had something in the car without ever specifying how much it was.

 

[Maalik]

Well said from a groupie. Just because a person has an opposing opinion on a work of art, and I'm using the term art loosely, doesn't mean they're hating. And why are you bringing up his place of residence? Because he's successful, I have to like the book.

You can't be serious...Ole "I want people to respect my opinion & not call me a Hater but.....I'mma call everyone who has a different opinion a Groupie" ass nigga.

 

[dwade206]

You can't be serious...Ole "I want people to respect my opinion & not call me a Hater but.....I'mma call everyone who has a different opinion a Groupie" ass nigga.

You can do better than that. The point is, when people run out of intelligent things to say when defending themselves, they say everyone is just hating. You can have your opinion, but if you're using factors like his place of residence and other trivial things to validate the book, then you look like a groupie.

...try again simpleton

 

[Treize117]

I don't know if it was on David Letterman or some other talk show (I wish I could find the clip) but Jay Z actually claimed that '99 Problems' was based on a TRUE EVENT. He said that he had a car full of bricks that he was transporting and that the cops wound up letting him go because they didn't have a K-9 Unit and probable cause to search his car. That doesn't sound like 'flipping nickels and dimes' to me.

Personally, I'm glad that Jay Z made it out of the projects and became a successful businessman. I just think that he re-created his early life stories so that it sounds more like a 'rags to riches' story. Why not just say that he knew some thugs who were 'putting in work' rather than lie and say things that his own homeboys refute?

Im not gonna get into a whole debate on Jay's realness but I will say this..

Jay basically presented himself as a regular hustler on his block gettin a little money that embellished his stories in his music...just because he wasnt a real life Tony Montana doesnt mean he wasnt a regular hustler and just because in his music he says he "lost 92 bricks" doesnt mean that should be taken literally. In a couple of the song breakdowns he talks about writing from the perspective of a narrator... In other words it was no different than writing a story loosely based on his real life experiences...none of that is too hard to accept

 

[thecomebacklegend]

----> Going out of state to Trenton, Virginia & Washington, DC flipping work (which isn't that hard to believe)

Read the book before you hate.

lol fuck outta here that nigga was not taking over 3 cities in 3 different states

smh u jay stans think that nigga was super nigga

 

[Maalik]

You can do better than that. The point is, when people run out of intelligent things to say when defending themselves, they say everyone is just hating. You can have your opinion, but if you're using factors like his place of residence and other trivial things to validate the book, then you look like a groupie.

...try again simpleton

Did you even read the book?

I doubt it...

I'm not arguing with some lame ass nigga over the Internet who's for some reason upset with a Millionaire rapper

The book is inspiring. He has an unique outlook on life, something I wouldn't expect from Hov. He went from H3 in Marcy Projects to Central Park West & the book connects those years of fear, hopelessness, ambition & grinding in between. If you don't find that interesting, then we don't really have nothing to talk about.

 

[sniperk]

Im not gonna get into a whole debate on Jay's realness but I will say this..

Jay basically presented himself as a regular hustler on his block gettin a little money that embellished his stories in his music...just because he wasnt a real life Tony Montana doesnt mean he wasnt a regular hustler and just because in his music he says he "lost 92 bricks" doesnt mean that should be taken literally. In a couple of the song breakdowns he talks about writing from the perspective of a narrator... In other words it was no different than writing a story loosely based on his real life experiences...none of that is too hard to accept

Okay, you made an intelligent response post. The point I was trying to make is why not just say I almost got popped by the police for having 30 dime bags on me instead of saying "I lost 92 bricks". 30 dime bags will still get you knocked for distribution and is something a lot of people who hustled just to get by can understand. Why does Jay Z (or Rick Ross, etc. etc.) have to tell duck tales and make it seem like they are running the BMF?

 

[TRILLip Brooks]

seems like the people who didn't read the book, for whatever reason, care more about it than the people that did

 

[dwade206]

Did you even read the book?

I doubt it...

I'm not arguing with some lame ass nigga over the Internet who's for some reason upset with a Millionaire rapper

The book is inspiring. He has an unique outlook on life, something I wouldn't expect from Hov. He went from H3 in Marcy Projects to Central Park West & the book connects those years of fear, hopelessness, ambition & grinding in between. If you don't find that interesting, then we don't really have nothing to talk about.

Lol, now I'm lame because I don't like your idol's book? Hoe ass nigga

 

[The BAPHOMET]

it was a good read, and if you think the lyrics or his life are the decoded part, then niggas should reconsider what it means to "go over somebody head"

 

[Maalik]

lol fuck outta here that nigga was not taking over 3 cities in 3 different states

smh u jay stans think that nigga was super nigga

Fuck outta here bruh....you dont know sh*t about sh*t. If you did, you would know how commonplace it was for niggas to be "out of state".

I know niggas who PERSONALLY did & still doing that sh*t. I feel like I'm arguing with illiterate Malaysian middle schoolers. How difficult do you really think it is for a nigga to take a Greyhound to a Bumfuck city in the South & set up shop & eat aight as a Mid-level nigga, in the 80s if that. I DONE BEEN ALL AROUND THE EAST COAST & THE SOUTH. I CAN SEE HOW NIGGAS DO IT.